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Jimmy Johnson will make his return to the NASCAR circuit on Sunday when he brings up the rear at the Daytona 500, but the way he fought his way to the front of his racing team is something that doesn’t sit well with stock car racing legend Richard Petty.
Petty, 85, was essentially stripped of power on his former namesake team that changed its name and rebuilt once the 2022 season ended. Little became Legacy Motor Club ambassador and expressed dismay at Johnson’s rise to power.
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Erik Jones, center, speaks to Richard Petty, left, and Jimmie Johnson before the No. 1 NASCAR Cup Series Bluegreen Vacations matchup at Daytona International Speedway on February 16, 2023, in Florida. (Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
“It seemed strange to me,” Petty said Saturday. “For the most part, I’ve run the majority of the show. Jimmie brought in his entire staff. His way of running things and mine are probably a little different. We probably agree on about 50 percent of what it really comes down to.”
Legacy Motor Club was known as Petty GMS Motorsports until January. Johnson acquired a stake in the group in November.
“They don’t take care of the running part, they take care of the front office,” Petty said. “With the sponsorships and the appearances and all that, Jimmie’s audience kind of controls that. It’s something I’ve never had to deal with, I guess.”
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Jimmie Johnson and Richard Petty pose for photos at Daytona International Speedway on February 16, 2023, in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
He added: “Basically, he’s going to end up completely running the show in four or five years. He’ll probably be the majority owner or owner of our company. They see things completely differently.”
Petty and Johnson are the only ones to live seven times NASCAR Cup Series champions.
Johnson told The Associated Press he was “disappointed” after hearing Petty’s comments.
“To begin with, he didn’t express them to me,” Johnson said. “Honestly, there are a lot of moving parts to this. There are business decisions that are taking place between Mr. Gallagher and the Petty family before I even arrived. Those are details that I just don’t have to say.
“But a lot of what Richard talks about is based on business decisions that he and his family have made and they are not related to my involvement.”
NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty prepares to drive a replica of his No. 43 Pontiac STP at WWT Raceway on June 3, 2022, in Madison, Illinois. (Sean Gardner/Getty Images)
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The Legacy Motor Club will operate two cars full-time and one car part-time. Noah Gragson and Erik Jones are the full-time drivers and Johnson is the part-time driver.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
