Jimmie Johnson acknowledges 'Rick Hendrick was right all along' as he explains why he became a team owner

Retire seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson recently opened up on his decision to return to the sport as a team owner. Co-owner of Legacy Motor Club with fellow retired seven-time champ Richard Petty, Johnson spoke about how his former team owner, Rick Hendrick, was right about the competitive nature of being a team owner.

In an interview with motorsports insider Jeff Gluck via The Athletic, the former driver of the #48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet was asked why he became a team owner. Looking to fill the competitive void in his life that was left after he retired from driving, Johnson found it in a new way being a car owner.

Before he became co-owner of LMC, the 50-year-old felt he was the one who had to be in the driver's seat to feel the adrenaline of competitiveness. However, Johnson has come to realize that watching his team cars, Erik Jones (#43) and John Hunter Nemechek (#42), compete for victories, along with the other outside duties of being a team owner, he doesn't need to be driving to have that competitive fire.

Jimmie Johnson finished by saying it's Hendrick who helped him realize the competitiveness of being a car owner. Here's what Johnson said via The Athletic:

"Watching our cars fight for wins recently filled a bucket in a way I wasn’t prepared for. I always thought I had to be the one holding the wheel, but now seeing the team compete is incredibly fulfilling. Ownership is so competitive — not just what you see on track Sunday afternoons. There’s competition for your workforce, for sponsors. We’re racing and competing in every area of the business. I’ve got all the steering wheel I need now to fulfill that competitive drive. The more I get into this, the more I realize Mr. Hendrick was right all along."

While he's retired from full-time competition in the Cup Series, Jimmie Johnson has made starts for LMC on a part-time basis. In 2025, Johnson piloted the #84 in the Daytona 500 and the Coca-Cola 600. The 83-time Cup Series winner wheeled his way to a third-place finish in the Daytona 500, his best finish in the NextGen car.

How Jimmie Johnson's drivers have performed in 2025

AUTO: JUL 13 NASCAR Cup Series Toyota/Save Mart 350 - Source: Getty

Jimmie Johnson's team, Legacy Motor Club, has shown major improvement throughout the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season. His drivers, John Hunter Nemechek and Erik Jones, sit 22nd and 23rd in the points standings, respectively.

Through 29 races, it's a step up for both drivers as Nemechek finished 34th in the points standings last year, while Jones finished 28th. Both drivers have a combined six top-five finishes this season.