Legacy Motor Club is ready to make a change.
Beginning next season, the Statesville, North Carolina-based NASCAR Cup Series team will trade manufacturers, switching to Toyota from Chevrolet.
Entering Sunday’s AdventHealth 400 at Kansas Speedway, Toyota started six cars, four Joe Gibbs Racing machines and two by 23XI Racing. The pending move is expected to help the manufacturer collect additional data to share throughout the “Toyota camp,” as described by driver Martin Truex Jr.
The more the merrier.
“I think it’s good for us,” Truex told NASCAR.com. “It’s more information, it’s more ideas being thrown around. And then, especially when we go superspeedway racing, it’s more partners for us that we’ve struggled to not have. I think it’s good on all fronts.”
Legacy’s two full-time drivers, Noah Gragson and Erik Jones, were former Toyota pilots at different stages of their careers. Co-owner Jimmie Johnson, who captured seven Cup titles driving a Chevrolet, runs select races for the garage.
“Really excited about it,” said driver Tyler Reddick, who won at Kansas last season. “Obviously, the more of us that we have out there on the race track certainly really helps at the superspeedways, but just having a larger pool of drivers and crew chiefs and minds that can share information with one another and work together. Obviously, I guess I don’t know how all that’s gonna work out. I don’t want to say anything before I should. But certainly, on the drivers’ side, getting to work with Noah again is going to be a lot of fun. Me and him worked together a lot when we were at Chevy, and Erik’s familiar with the Toyota camp and has had a lot of success with Toyota as well.”
Entering Sunday, Toyota trailed Chevrolet by 35 points in the manufacturer standings, winning three of 11 events. Chevrolet compiled seven wins and Ford had one.
The team has signed @RyanJNewman to drive select events events this season. Recently named one of NASCAR’s 75 Greatest Drivers, his first start is at @TooToughToTame on May 12. To date, Newman has made 725 @NASCAR Cup starts earning 18 victories. @FordPerformance
 pic.twitter.com/bONE6V7Bo7— Rick Ware Racing (@RickWareRacing) May 5, 2023
Ryan Newman Unretires For Rick Ware Racing
Retired for less than two years, Ryan Newman will serve as Rick Ware Racing’s part-time pilot for Cup events for the rest of the season.
Recently named one of the series’ top 75 all-time drivers, Newman compiled 18 Cup wins and 268 top-five finishes during his 725 career starts. He will make his debut during the Goodyear 400 at Darlington Raceway on May 14. It will be his first Cup start since 2021.
“I am grateful for the opportunity to work with Rick Ware Racing and Ford,” Newman said, as reported by NASCAR.com. “Being part of the Throwback Weekend at one of my favorite tracks in Darlington is pretty special.”
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