Legacy Motor Club adds Matt Kenseth in competition adviser role

Legacy Motor Club announced Tuesday that NASCAR Hall of Famer Matt Kenseth has joined the organization as a competition adviser.

Kenseth’s appointment — effective immediately — comes in the team’s first season under the Legacy M.C. umbrella and in a transitional time. Team officials indicated that Kenseth will help assist in the operation’s switch from Chevrolet to Toyota in 2024, and he will serve as a mentor to Erik Jones and John Hunter Nemechek, who will round out the team’s NASCAR Cup Series driver roster next year.

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Kenseth, 51, is a 39-time winner in Cup Series competition and reigned as the circuit’s 2003 champion. He will join forces with team co-owner Jimmie Johnson, the seven-time Cup champ who will follow the 2023 Hall of Fame inductee into NASCAR enshrinement next year.

“Jimmie and I have so much respect for each other as both competitors and friends — we are alike in many ways and at similar points in our careers,” Kenseth said in a news release provided by the team. “This is a great opportunity for me to be a resource for two extremely talented drivers and help on the racing operations side with this transition to Toyota. I’m really looking forward to seeing what we can accomplish together.”

Kenseth last competed in the Cup Series in 2020, the same season that Johnson ended his full-time racing career in NASCAR. Johnson indicated that the two have remained close, and both have branched into marathon running in recent years. Kenseth ran the Boston Marathon in 2022, three years after Johnson completed the 26.2-mile distance.

“Not only is Matt an excellent driver and a fierce competitor, he‘s also a great friend,” Johnson said in the Legacy M.C. release. “This alliance makes so much sense. Matt is extremely smart, has worked with Toyota while racing for Joe Gibbs Racing, and is still as competitive as ever. He‘s a natural-born athlete and as fit as I have ever seen him. I‘m so glad he is willing to share his knowledge and experience with us, and we look forward to all Matt has to offer.”

Legacy Motor Club emerged before the season from the merger of Richard Petty Motorsports and GMS Racing after Johnson was added to the ownership group last fall. Joey Cohen, Legacy M.C.’s vice president of racing operations, worked with Kenseth during their time together with team owner Jack Roush.

“Matt is going to help make this transition to Toyota smooth,” said Cohen, an engineer at Roush during Kenseth’s driving days there. “He is one of the best drivers out there, and even though he is no longer behind the wheel, his perspective and advice will be crucial heading into next season for both our drivers and crews.”