Todd Gordon Named Crew Chief for Jimmie Johnson's Limited Schedule in 2023

Credit: Charlotte Bray for Skirts and Scuffs

Some things just go better together: peanut butter and jelly, salt and pepper, macaroni and cheese. The same holds true in racing. A champion driver just performs better with a champion crew chief. With seven-time champion Jimmie Johnson returning to NASCAR for a limited schedule this year, it just made sense for Legacy Motor Club to enlist a champion crew chief for those races. Enter Todd Gordon.

Make that re-enter Todd Gordon. The 2018 champion-winning crew chief for Joey Logano left the Cup series after the 2021 season. The opportunity to work with Jimmie Johnson was one that Gordon just couldn't pass up.

In a release from the Legacy Motor Club team, Gordon said, “I’m really looking forward to working with another champion that still has the desire to compete and win at the highest level. In my conversations with Jimmie, I found we both miss the competition – but don’t want the grind of a full-time schedule – so this is a great opportunity for us to still race and help Legacy Motor Club build on the success they saw in 2022.”

Gordon and Johnson will get their first on-track test later this week at Phoenix Raceway, a track that just so happens to be located at 7602 Jimmie Johnson Drive in Avondale, Arizona. 

How does Johnson feel about the pairing? 

“I’m thrilled to have Todd come on board as my crew chief,” Johnson said in a team release. “I’ve really enjoyed getting to know him over the last few weeks. I have known and respected him as a competitor for many years and have always appreciated his professionalism, work ethic and results. His wisdom and experience will be beneficial to LEGACY M.C. as a whole."

The new crew chief/driver pair will vie for a spot in the season-opening Daytona 500. The 84 car that Johnson will pilot is unchartered, so Gordon and Johnson will need to battle their way to one of four open spots in the 40-car field of the Great American Race. 

The two will also attempt to earn spots in at least four other races throughout the 2023 season.