"We had a car capable of winning" - Jimmie Johnson on Legacy MC's progression post manufacturer switch to Toyota

Legacy Motor Club co-owner Jimmie Johnson has led the organization through a transformative phase over the last season, as the team switched its manufacturer alliance from Chevrolet to Toyota in the NASCAR Cup Series.

Four races into their partnership with the new manufacturer, Johnson reckons there is visible progress within the organization and on the timing sheets, compared to its previous tenure with Chevrolet.

Last weekend, Erik Jones, driver of the #43 LMC Toyota qualified on the second row for the Shriners Children's 500 at Phoenix Raceway and displayed solid pace during the race, which buoyed the team co-owner.

Jimmie Johnson reflected on the team's journey over the past year and its recent form in an interview with Fox Sports. He said:

"From March of last year to this year to see the growth of our team - it's quite impressive. I felt like at the start of the race at Phoenix we had a car capable of winning the race and Erik (Jones) was up there battling hard for the lead."

Legacy Motor Club ditched the 'Tier-three' agreement with Chevrolet for 'Tier one' support of Toyota, joining Joe Gibbs Racing and 23XI Racing. Jimmie Johnson elaborated on the manufacturer switch, indicating that the team now gets more representatives working with the team.

"Our relationship with Toyota has been 'company changing' to say the least, to put it mildly. We are very excited to get more reps...Our brand new over-the-wall department will have more reps."

The NASCAR Hall of Famer also suggested that the team faces a steep learning curve, as it acclimatizes to the new tools and equipment. He added that the organization will have better reading when it returns to the same tracks in the second half of the season.

Four rounds into the 2024 season, Erik Jones occupies 18th place in the standings, and his teammate John Hunter Nemechek is in 21st position.

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Jimmie Johnson's outfit aims to achieve the consistency of big teams

After making seismic changes in the off-season, Jimmie Johnson is focused on ironing out the trackside mistakes and bringing consistent results every week, like the big organizations in the Cup Series.

The seven-time Cup champion explained that there were plenty of factors influencing the results, which the team had to work on. He said in the same interview:

"We still have some things to iron out. We’re a young team in a lot of ways and the consistency that the big organizations have… with speed in their cars with the performance on pit lane, just a lot of layers that we still have to mature in."

"We will be able to really lock in those consistent pillars we need to race for wins, make the playoffs and advance rounds in the playoffs."