During the final off week of the 2026 NASCAR season, Legacy Motor Club made a bombshell announcement. The NASCAR Cup Series team, co-owned by seven-time champions Jimmie Johnson and Richard Petty, revealed a star-studded strategic ownership group.
Last month, LMC announced that Food Network personality Guy Fieri was joining the organization as a “strategic owner” and teased that there was more to come.
In the wake of Thursday’s news, it is evident the team was not lying when they said they had something in store.
LMC’s strategic ownership lineup
LMC revealed the celebrity-filled lineup of strategic owners that have joined the team. The list of 11 strategic owners includes accomplished athletes in both racing and other sports, as well as well-known celebrities. It also includes a few standout business figures.
Here is a look at LMC’s new strategic owners:
- Bryce Harper, two-time National League MVP, eight-time MLB All-Star
- Kelly Slater, 11-time World Surf League champion
- Andy Roddick, U.S. Open champion, former World No. 1
- Darius Rucker, three-time Grammy Award winner, Grand Ole Opry member
- Guy Fieri, Emmy Award-winning chef, restaurateur, and entrepreneur
- Sam Byrne, co-founder and co-chairman of CrossHarbor Capital Partners
- Scott Dixon, six-time IndyCar champion, 2008 Indianapolis 500 winner
- Dario Franchitti, four-time IndyCar champion, three-time Indianapolis 500 winner
- Tony Kanaan, 2004 IndyCar champion, 2013 Indianapolis 500 winner
- Jen Rubio, entrepreneur, co-founder of Away
- Chase Utley, World Series champion, six-time MLB All-Star
In a statement released by LMC, Johnson made it clear that LMC’s strategic ownership group is more than just celebrity names. It is one who is behind the goal of growing the organization.
“This is not a traditional ownership group. It is a collection of people who understand competition, leadership, innovation, storytelling, and how enduring organizations are built. They come from different worlds but share a common belief: that LEGACY can become something fundamentally different within motorsports and culture,” Johnson said.
LMC stated that the ownership group reflects their “ambition to build a modern motorsports organization that competes at the highest level on track while building relevance across media, partnerships, hospitality, and fan experience.”
The group, LMC added, spans across “championship sport, entertainment, finance, entrepreneurship, and consumer brands.”
LMC expanding to three full-time cars in 2027
On top of the stacked strategic owner lineup, LMC is planning to expand to a third full-time Cup Series car in 2027. Last March, Johnson made it known that the organization plans on being a three-car team.
LMC rebranded from Petty GMS Motorsports ahead of the 2023 season. The team fielded two full-time Cup Series cars, with Johnson making part-time appearances in a third car.
Johnson is set to compete in his final Cup Series race in next year’s Daytona 500. During the pre-race TNT broadcast last Sunday at Indianapolis, it was revealed that Johnson will field his iconic No. 48 for his final race.
Right now, it is unclear on what number Alex Bowman, the driver of the No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, will drive in the race.
While not confirmed who will drive the third LMC car in 2027, it has been rumored that Riley Herbst is the lead candidate to fill the spot. Herbst has competed for 23XI Racing since 2025, driving the No. 35 Toyota.
With Corey Heim taking over the 35 car in 2027 full-time, it would make sense to see Herbst stay in the Toyota pipeline with LMC next year.
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