Flavortown Revs Up NASCAR
Guy Fieri Becomes Strategic Owner of Legacy Motor Club, Blending Racing and Flavortown Culture
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Key Points
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Fieri's role includes producing behind-the-scenes shows with his own production team, coordinating trackside food setups, and creating NASCAR-licensed gear with a Flavortown angle; race calls and car setups will remain with co-owners Jimmie Johnson and Maury Gallagher.
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Fieri has a long history with NASCAR beyond ownership, including serving as a pace car driver at the Indy 500 and Sonoma and delivering the 'drivers, start your engines' call at the Eldora Dirt Derby in 2017.
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Fieri is a strategic partner with a minority stake in Legacy Motor Club, with the aim of bridging motorsports and mainstream pop culture and attracting new demographics, including participation in select races and involvement in hospitality and special events.
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Legacy Motor Club fields the No. 42 and No. 43 Cup Series cars, with John Hunter Nemechek and Erik Jones as drivers.
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Fieri's business portfolio—owning more than 80 restaurants, along with a tequila brand and a packaged foods line—gives him an integrated supply chain to support Flavortown-branded merchandise and fan experiences.
Food Network star Guy Fieri has joined NASCAR's Legacy Motor Club as a strategic owner, the team announced June 26. WCNC reported that Fieri takes a minority stake alongside Hall of Fame driver Jimmie Johnson and businessman Maury Gallagher, who field the No. 42 and No. 43 Toyota Cup Series cars driven by John Hunter Nemechek and Erik Jones.
Fieri wasted no time explaining the appeal. "Motorsports and race cars have always had that raw energy I love," he said, according to WCNC. "This is about more than racing — it's about creating a brand that connects with fans from the track to the table."
What Fieri Will Actually Do at the Track
Fieri's role is built around brand-building, not race-day decisions. He will produce behind-the-scenes shows using his own production team. He will set up trackside food experiences at select Cup Series events. He will also help design NASCAR-licensed gear with a "Flavortown" angle. Race calls and car setups stay with Johnson and Gallagher, according to Charlotte Observer.
Fieri brings real firepower to the hospitality side. He owns more than 80 restaurants, a tequila brand, and a packaged foods line. That gives him an in-house supply chain for branded merchandise and fan experiences. His newest venture, a 50,000-square-foot entertainment complex called "Downtown Flavortown" in Myrtle Beach, opened in early 2026 and serves as a model for future LMC-themed hospitality zones.
Fieri's NASCAR Ties Go Back Years
This is not Fieri's first time around a race track. He drove the pace car at the 96th Indianapolis 500 on May 27, 2012. He also drove pace cars at Sonoma Raceway. In 2017, he delivered the "Drivers, start your engines" command at the Eldora Dirt Derby, a dirt-track event that made him a fan favorite, according to News Observer.
Johnson said the fit was obvious. "Guy has built an incredible brand by being authentic and connecting with people in a real way," he said, according to WCNC. "We want Legacy to reach far beyond race day." Johnson took majority control of LMC in January 2025 through a deal with Knighthead Capital Management.
Celebrity Owners Are Reshaping NASCAR's Business Model
Legacy Motor Club is leaning hard into a celebrity-owner strategy. Country star Darius Rucker joined as a strategic partner on March 25, 2026. Johnson has claimed he has 27 celebrity investors lined up for LMC. The trend mirrors moves across the sport: Michael Jordan co-owns 23XI Racing, and rapper Pitbull is a partner at Trackhouse Racing. The goal in each case is pulling in younger, non-traditional fans, according to Herald Sun.
Not everyone is sold. Some NASCAR fans on social media have called the growing list of celebrity investors a "marketing gimmick" and worry it pulls focus away from winning races. Critics have questioned whether an ownership group this top-heavy with lifestyle personalities can stay competitive. Erik Jones sat 14th in the driver standings at the time of the announcement — just inside the playoff bubble, according to NewsBreak.
Legacy Motor Club's Three-Year Reinvention
The team has changed fast. It rebranded from Petty GMS to Legacy Motor Club in January 2023, dropping the Petty name for the first time since 1949. It then switched from Chevrolet to Toyota in 2024. It also entered the Extreme E electric off-road racing series that year to test new branding strategies. The Fieri deal is the latest step in what the team calls a "Lifestyle Racing" model, according to Charlotte Observer.
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