Jimmie Johnson urged to retire by NASCAR fans after shocking announcement

Jimmie Johnson has raced with Legacy Motor Club on multiple occasions, but has not performed well in any of them. The seven-time Cup Series champion has competed in six races so far this season and has yet to finish in the top 25. Veteran journalist Bob Pockrass recently revealed on X that LMC has fired Jason Burdett, crew chief of the #84 team, and several other crew members.

The announcement led to fans calling for the seven-time champion to retire, as his form just isn’t up to par. His best result was a P28 finish at Dover. The 48-year-old isn’t the same driver he used to be, although that’s not entirely his fault. LMC hasn’t had the most competitive car. Erik Jones and John Hunter Nemechek have also struggled to finish well this season.

Johnson’s team is one of the newer ones in the NASCAR Cup Series these days, so they’re still finding their feet. LMC became a Tier 1 Toyota team this season, which could also be a contributing factor to their form. Unlike 23XI Racing, they don’t have a data-sharing agreement with Joe Gibbs Racing. It’ll be a while before the team becomes competitive.

However, it’s unlikely the seven-time Cup Series champion will still be around by the time that happens. Fans are already calling for the motorsports veteran to hang up his boots, as he’s simply not at his best. Some believe a better use of the seat would be to use it for developmental drivers. Others simply feel it’s time for him to step away from NASCAR for good.

“He’s not great. I get that he was phenomenal at one point. He’s just using this as a media circus now,” a user responded. “Johnson needs to stop. Kanus gave him those championships,” joked another, drawing criticism from racing fans.

Fans don’t want the #84 team to disappear altogether. Johnson has three more races scheduled for this season. But for next year, some people want to see a new face behind the wheel of the LMC car.

“They should run the 84 in 2025. But not with Johnson,” a user responded. “It’s stupid of Johnson to be irrelevant at this point,” another added. The seven-time champion has not performed nearly as well as he used to in the #84 car. Although his plans are unclear, he hopes to do well in the three races he drives later this season.