Jimmie Johnson now majority owner of Legacy Motor Club
Legacy Motor Club announced Monday that Knighthead Capital Management has acquired a minority stake in the NASCAR team.
Jimmie Johnson to run two-race NASCAR Cup schedule in 2025
Jimmie Johnson plans to compete in the Daytona 500 and Coca-Cola 600 this season.
Dustin Long,
Dustin Long,
Legacy Motor Club also announced that Maury Gallagher is taking a step back from his day-to-day duties to assume an ambassador role with the organization.
Gallagher and Johnson partnered to form Legacy Motor Club ahead of the 2023 season.
'I really have to thank Maury Gallagher for giving me the opportunity within the ownership space," Johnson said in a statement from the team. "He has been an outstanding partner, mentor and friend and I'm grateful we had the opportunity to work together, I've learned so much from him.
"As his professional career takes a different path, he can worry less about the daily team owner things and focus more on family and enjoying life.'
Weather forecast for NASCAR Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium
Here is a look at the early forecast for the Feb. 1-2 weekend event in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
Dustin Long,
Dustin Long,
On the partnership with Knighthead Capital Management, Johnson said: "The partnership with Knighthead is a game-changer for Legacy MC. Their expertise in navigating complex investment opportunities and success in sports will provide Legacy MC with the resources and guidance needed to push for championships and solidify our place in NASCAR for years to come.
"Having Knighthead on board will not only strengthen our racing efforts but also enhance the fan experience and expand our reach in the global motorsports ecosystem, not limited to NASCAR.'
Knighthead Capital Management, founded in 2008, is an investment firm whose portfolio includes investments in Hertz, JOTA Racing, Singer Vehicle Design, Revology Cars, and Birmingham City Football Club.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Fox Sports
36 minutes ago
- Fox Sports
A Year After Controversial Richmond Victory, Austin Dillon Wins With No Drama
NASCAR Cup Series A Year After Controversial Richmond Victory, Austin Dillon Wins With No Drama Published Aug. 17, 2025 12:05 p.m. ET share facebook x reddit link RICHMOND, Va. — Austin Dillon didn't face any questions about whether he crossed any line other than the finish line Saturday night. Just one year ago, Dillon's Richmond Raceway victory stirred a huge controversy and resulted in NASCAR ruling that his contact with Joey Logano and Denny Hamlin was too egregious to award a playoff berth for the win. But this year, Dillon won with absolutely no controversy, as he beat Alex Bowman by 2.47 seconds at the finish. Austin Dillon celebrates in victory lane after winning the NASCAR Cup Series Cook Out 400 at Richmond "I'm too tired to be angry," Dillon said. "I got a little cold, a broken rib, a lot of adversity. Some things you don't understand at the time come back around. "God has a way of putting that timing together. I feel like I was probably the calmest I've ever been tonight in the car winning the race. I didn't act a certain way. I was just thankful for the opportunity." Dillon entered the race 28th in the NASCAR Cup Series standings but now will be one of the 16 drivers in the playoffs when they start in two weeks at Darlington Raceway. Two spots remain in the playoff field. Tyler Reddick and Bowman would gain those spots if the regular-season finale doesn't have a new winner. If there is a new winner, one of those two drivers would get the final spot, with Reddick entering the race 29 points ahead of Bowman. ADVERTISEMENT Tyler Reddick greets fans as he walks onstage during driver intros prior to the NASCAR Cup Series Cook Out 400 at Richmond. Dillon doesn't have those worries, as he no doubt has a playoff spot. Last year, the team lost its appeal to the NASCAR decision to withdraw the playoff berth in the wake of the last-lap fracas. "I'll never forget last year," said Dillon's grandfather and team owner, Richard Childress. "But today, winning the race — I want to focus and concentrate on it. "I was not happy with the way things went down with the way things were called on us. But that's history. Let's look at tonight. Tonight was a great night." Dillon and Ryan Blaney gave a great battle for the lead in the final 100 laps, with them side-by-side and at times swapping the front spot. Dillon made his final pit stop about four laps before Blaney and Blaney could never catch him, eventually wearing out his tires enough that Bowman passed him for second. Ryan Blaney and Austin Dillon race during the NASCAR Cup Series Cook Out 400 at Richmond Raceway "He raced door-to-door with a Cup champion," said Richard Boswell, who came to RCR to crew chief for Dillon this season after the closure of Stewart-Haas Racing. "He beat him at the end." For Dillon, it marked his sixth win in his 433rd career Cup start. Driving the famed No. 3 that Dale Earnhardt made famous while racing for Childress, Dillon faces questions about whether he deserves the privilege of driving such an iconic car number. That only increased when many questioned how he won the race at Richmond a year ago, a race where Dillon had a comfortable lead until a caution set up a two-lap shootout to the checkered flag. Dillon said it was hard for his grandfather to get over it. "Last year ... it stung to him because he felt like NASCAR kind of let him down in a way," Dillon said. "They had to make a call. I got over it. He doesn't get over those type of things. "Hopefully this lets him sleep at night again … because this sport is special. It's given our family a living and a lot of other families a living." And the win at Richmond was special, a track where Dillon struggled early in his career but also a track where RCR has had some great moments. Dillon also raced for the third consecutive week with a broken rib, suffered when he fell off a ladder at home. When Dillon arrived on Friday at Richmond, he said he didn't arrive with an angry feeling from last year and the term redemption didn't really seem to apply. The circumstances were just different this year. "This is what I wanted last year," Dillon said. "It's not how I wanted to end it last year [when] I felt like I had to with my back against the wall kind of deal." FINAL LAPS: Austin Dillon wins Cook Out 400 at Richmond Raceway Dillon had led just one lap in any race since winning a year ago and before leading 107 Saturday night at Richmond. "If you would have told me we would come back a year later and sitting in Victory Lane after all we went through?" Dillon said. "I cried in our appeal process because that win meant a lot to me to be able to race with Denny and Joey. "Before that period, we didn't have a good run. I was so pumped to just be up there racing for a win. Then to come back this year, everyone is telling you, 'Go get it done. You can get the redemption here. Show them what it means to win.'" The 35-year-old Dillon made the playoffs for the first time in three years. He finished 29th and 32nd in the standings the last two seasons. "We're kind of like a fighter," Dillon said. "We don't go away. I think a lot of people think that guy is going to go away at some point. We're able to claw, chip, find ways. "I like that underdog mentality a little bit." Bob Pockrass covers NASCAR and INDYCAR for FOX Sports. He has spent decades covering motorsports, including over 30 Daytona 500s, with stints at ESPN, Sporting News, NASCAR Scene magazine and The (Daytona Beach) News-Journal. Follow him on Twitter @bobpockrass. What did you think of this story? share
Washington Post
an hour ago
- Washington Post
Austin Dillon equals a Dale Earnhardt feat with his convincing NASCAR win at Richmond
In his playoff-clinching victory at Richmond Raceway , Austin Dillon shared some NASCAR history on the venerable short track with the most famous driver of the No. 3 Chevrolet. Dale Earnhardt, the late seven-time Cup Series champion who amassed 76 victories in a Hall of Fame career, was the last Richard Childress Racing driver to win consecutive Cup races at the 0.75-mile oval in Richmond, Virginia, until Dillon did so Saturday night.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Austin Dillon equals a Dale Earnhardt feat with his convincing NASCAR win at Richmond
In his playoff-clinching victory at Richmond Raceway, Austin Dillon shared some NASCAR history on the venerable short track with the most famous driver of the No. 3 Chevrolet. Dale Earnhardt, the late seven-time Cup Series champion who amassed 76 victories in a Hall of Fame career, was the last Richard Childress Racing driver to win consecutive Cup races at the 0.75-mile oval in Richmond, Virginia, until Dillon did so Saturday night. The comparisons to Earnhardt and whispers of nepotism have dogged Dillon since the grandson of team owner Richard Childress was tabbed 11 years ago to drive the car number synonymous with a NASCAR icon. 'I could win 50 races, and they'll say my grandpa gave me the ride,' Dillon said with a smile. 'They're not wrong. He did. He did a great job putting me in it. Hopefully, I'm paying off on his investment at some point.' Richmond was only his sixth victory in 433 Cup starts, but Dillon said snapping a 37-race winless streak was 'one of the best because it was pretty much a butt kicking.' He led 107 of 400 laps, including the final 49, and cruised to a 2.471-second victory over Alex Bowman. Dillon never led for more than 35 laps in any of his previous Cup wins. He won the 2018 Daytona 500 by leading only the last lap after knocking Aric Almirola aside two turns from the checkered flag. Last year's win at Richmond was his most controversial as Dillon wrecked Joey Logano and Denny Hamlin on the final lap, and NASCAR consequently revoked his playoff eligibility. There was no such drama Saturday night, when Dillon cleanly outdueled 2023 Cup champion Ryan Blaney just before his final pit stop. 'Anybody that says Austin doesn't deserve to be at this level, look at the 30 or 40 laps he raced side by side with Ryan Blaney,' said Richard Boswell, Dillon's crew chief. 'He raced door to door with a Cup champion. He beat him. Yeah, we need to run better. We need to be more consistent. But anybody that says he just can't do it is not looking at the facts.' The statistics are less convincing about Dillon's championship chances. Richmond was the first top-five finish in 25 races this year for Dillon, who is ranked 25th in the points standings and in the Cup playoffs for the sixth time in 12 seasons. He has won championships in the Truck and Xfinity series, with 22 victories across NASCAR's top three national circuits. 'Austin has earned his way,' Childress said. 'He won races in everything he's ever driven. They're going to give you criticism because he is my grandson. But we take it. It's just the way life is. You can't be burdened down by what people say. Do what you do and move forward. He's won his share.' Dillon, 35, said he cried last year during RCR's unsuccessful appeal of the NASCAR penalty that took him out of the playoffs, noting he legitimately had passed Hamlin and Logano before a late caution erased a comfortable lead. The Richmond repeat validated Dillon's belief that he belongs in NASCAR's premier series. 'I think I get the credit I deserve,' he said. 'I have some loyal fans. We're kind of like a fighter. We don't go away. I think a lot of people think that guy is going to go away at some point. I like that underdog mentality a little bit.' He also likes his new pairing with Boswell, who joined Richard Childress Racing after taking Chase Briscoe to the 2024 playoffs. Boswell made a pivotal call to pit with 59 laps remaining just after Dillon took the lead from Blaney. 'I have a great team right now, probably one of the strongest we've built,' Dillon said. 'We want to make this organization as strong as some of the top teams. We scrap and claw and figure out ways to win. I think we have fun when we do that.' Playoff outlook Dillon became the 14th winner to lock into the 16-driver playoff field heading into the Aug. 23 regular-season finale at Daytona International Speedway. There will be at least one winless driver to qualify for the playoffs, and Tyler Reddick and Bowman occupy the final two provisional spots in the points standings. Reddick was on track to clinch a playoff spot at Richmond after leading 41 laps, but he finished 34th after being caught in a crash that started when Daniel Suarez bumped Ty Gibbs. 'It's pretty much worst-case scenario for us,' Reddick said. 'We can thank Daniel Suarez for that. Went from a car that was one of the fastest on the track to one of the slowest.' Bubba Wallace, who is teamed with Reddick at the 23XI Racing squad co-owned by NBA great Michael Jordan, led a race-high 123 laps in his No. 23 Toyota but finished two laps down in 28th after losing a tire during a pit stop. Regular-season champion With a 12th-place finish, William Byron clinched the regular-season title as Hendrick Motorsports teammate Chase Elliott finished last. Byron will be awarded 15 playoff points that will provide a good cushion to make the championship finale at Phoenix Raceway for the third consecutive season. 'It's huge,' Byron said. 'No one's running away with this thing, which is going to create a really crazy playoffs. I feel like we're in rhythm.' ___ AP auto racing:
