Jimmie Johnson cleared up a lot of rumors in regard to LEGACY MOTOR CLUB’s decision to part ways with John Hunter Nemechek in 2027, in an interview on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio on Friday afternoon.
While Johnson says he believes in Nemechek’s talent as a race car driver, the choice to go in a different direction for the 2027 season was simply a business decision.
“We’re in pro sports, and as we look across the landscape for how we grow the company, and if you’re looking at a chessboard, two or three chess plays down the road, how you can make the most informed, smart decisions for the company,” Johnson explained. “We have partners to think of; we have investors to think of.”
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Following the announcement that Nemechek, who was signed to compete behind the wheel of the No. 42 Toyota in 2027, won’t return to the team next season, all sorts of rumors as to why began to surface on the internet. The theories ranged from a personal falling out between Johnson and Nemechek, and some even claimed that the LMC co-owner and driver got into a physical altercation during the race weekend at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
Johnson addressed those rumors as false.
“Not true. No. Actually, we were texting last night; I think one of those may suggest that we’d gotten into a fist fight, and we had a funny text exchange about that. So, none of that is true,” Johnson stated. “You know, and really, as the owner of this company, I’ve not been in this situation, and it’s not easy, and I don’t want to be lighthearted about it, you know, it was a very difficult decision for us to make. John Hunter is someone that I believe in and care about. We live in a pro sports world, and you know, sometimes there are other factors in play that just have to be considered and thought about, and, you know, that’s really the root of it all.”
So, as good a story as it would be for a NASCAR Hall of Famer duking it out with a driver he currently employed, it seems there was nothing to that rumor whatsoever.
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In fact, Johnson, a seven-time NASCAR Cup Series championship-winning driver, went on to say that the LEGACY MOTOR CLUB team would continue to support Nemechek’s quest to land another ride for the upcoming season.
Johnson would go on to confirm that Josh Berry, who has widely been considered as the top candidate to replace Nemechek as the driver of the No. 42 Toyota next season, would be in consideration for the team’s open ride next season.
“[Josh Berry] would definitely be a consideration,” Johnson said. “There are some other options we’re exploring, as well. You know, again, trying to think big picture, trying to think of where we need to be as an organization, how we can develop our cars faster. There are a lot of elements in play, and you know, we hope to get our arms around it here before long and can share the news.”
Berry, who announced that he would not return to Wood Brothers Racing in June following a rough start to the 2026 season, has all of a sudden come to life in the last month or so. After last Saturday’s Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway, Berry now has five consecutive top-10 finishes, the longest top-10 streak for any Wood Brothers Racing driver since Morgan Shepherd in 1994.
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If Berry is ultimately signed to join LEGACY MOTOR CLUB next season, he would join Erik Jones, the driver of the No. 43 Toyota, and Riley Herbst, the newly announced driver of the No. 84 Toyota. LEGACY MOTOR CLUB, a two-car team in 2026, is set to expand to a three full-time car organization in 2027.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/onsi/racing-america as Jimmie Johnson Refutes Claim of Physical Altercation With Nemechek.
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