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'Barmageddon' Guest Jimmie Johnson Unveils New NASCAR Rebrand, Talks Keg Kurling Victory
Jimmie Johnson took on Clint Bowyer on "Barmageddon" and now wants to take his Keg Kurling skills to the logical next level.
NASCAR legend Jimmie Johnson stopped by the “Today" show on Wednesday where he not only unveiled the car and number rebrand he’ll sport when he returns to racing, but also discussed his amazing run on “Barmageddon.”
For those who had the misfortune of missing it, Johnson took on fellow driver Clint Bowyer at Blake Shelton’s bar in Nashville on an action-packed episode of USA Network's “Barmageddon." Chief among his wins that night was putting his surprisingly high-caliber Keg Kurling skills on display. Host Al Roker complimented the star’s abilities and asked if a turn in the Winter Olympics might be in his future.
“That was one I didn’t think I had in the back pocket, but it really emerged and turned out well for me,” Johnson said, joking that his competitive nature could take him all the way to the Olympics for Keg Kurling.
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He added, “a day with Carson [Daly] and Blake filming is just epic, so we had a great time.”
But before their “Barmageddon" discussion, Johnson got into the meat of what really brought him to the morning show that day.
He announced in November he’s joining the ownership team at Petty GMS alongside fellow seven-time Cup Series Champion Richard Petty. What’s more, he plans to get back behind the wheel for a limited run of races after retiring in 2020. The driver appeared on “Today” to reveal some changes have taken place at Petty GMS since he joined — specifically, that it's no longer called Petty GMS.
Now, Johnson will drive for Legacy Motor Club. What’s more, he debuted the sleek, black paint scheme he’ll drive under at the Daytona 500 as well as his new number.
“84 will be my new number in NASCAR. Ultimately I’m here to announce the fact that we are renaming and rebranding the team that I have joined to be a part of which has been called Petty GMS and we are now called Legacy Motor Club," he said.
Johnson continued: “As we sat and tried to put together the team name … Maury Gallagher founded the team, Richard Petty is involved, myself, we just couldn't find the right acronym or the right way to put the names together. As we really thought about it, the legacy that Richard has created, the legacy that Mr. Gallagher has created in racing and business, mine, it just seemed like a great name and a great foundational point.”
The driver noted he hopes the name of the team will inspire the young drivers who are hoping to craft their own legacy. He also admitted that, selfishly, he has his own ambitions and hopes to write his own legacy as a team owner and not just a driver.
Can’t get enough NASCAR? Catch up on “Race For The Championship” on Peacock and tune into “Barmageddon” every Monday at 11/10c on USA Network.