Jimmie Johnson is returning to his off-road roots this year but with a futuristic twist.
Legacy Motor Club is joining the roster for the Extreme E Series, which begins this weekend with the Desert X Prix in Saudi Arabia. Johnson will be unable to contest the first two rounds due to his participation will be replaced with fellow Americans Travis Pastrana and Gray Leadbetter
Johnson says the series checks a lot of boxes for him from both a nostalgia and expansion standpoint.
“We are essentially representing America in this unique and very competitive series and we are committed to the challenge,” Johnson said in a release. “I’m excited to watch our LEGACY MOTOR CLUB colors race on foreign soil for the first time while I’m in Daytona for the Great American race. I know Travis and Gray will represent us well and I can’t wait to see what they accomplish.
“Our goal is to learn as much as we can and see what the future might bring. The fact this series competes globally and focuses on sustainably, inclusion, and equality really piques our interest. From a technical standpoint, the changeover to hydrogen in 2025 is really intriguing and the entire motorsports community is watching closely.
“Personally for me as a driver, going back to my off-road roots and to the type of racing I started my career with is going to be a blast.”
NASCAR is also exploring a future that may lie in hydrogen combustion.
Extreme E founder Alejandro Agag says Johnson is a major add for his series.
“Jimmie is a proven winner and adds to our already healthy list of champions competing in the series,” Agag said. “Racing in Extreme E with his own team is something which excited him, and it is great that Jimmie is also looking towards the future and our transition to Extreme H – the world’s first off-road hydrogen-powered racing series – next year.
“We are sure that for the Desert X Prix that Travis Pastrana and Gray Leadbetter will be competing up at the front of the field, demonstrating the US’ prowess for exciting off-road racing. It is great to have further US involvement in the championship, especially with our first-ever North American event to end the season in Phoenix, Arizona.”
Pastrana is one of the most decorated off-roaders and action motorsports stars of this generation.
“I have quite a bit of experience in electric vehicles, although I’ve never been in an Extreme E ODYSSEY 21 before,” Pastrana said. “I compete in a lot of off-road events and some desert stuff – mostly on two wheels – but this should be really fun for us. I believe in Jimmie Johnson and in LEGACY M.C. and all he is doing with the Club, so when he asked me it was a no-brainer.
“I’ve worked with Gray before and she is a huge talent, so overall it is just a great opportunity for both of us to compete in this championship series together. She’s the top female young up-and-coming talent in Nitro Cross and has the speed.
“So hopefully as Americans, we will do our country proud and return home with a win and some smiles on our faces.”
Leadbetter, 19 from Morganton, NC, started driving in the Championship Off-Road series in 2019 and was the first woman to win a US Pro Class Championship in the Championship Off-Road closed-course series, winning four races overall to take the crown.
In December 2020, she was the first woman and youngest competitor to win a Sportsman SXS race. She started competing in arenacross when she was five years old.
“I’ve always been interested in Extreme E, but just never found the right opportunity to step foot in it,” Leadbetter said. “When Travis texted me last week that there might be a chance to race with Jimmie Johnson and LEGACY M.C., I couldn’t have been more thrilled. I’ve never driven these cars so it’s sure to be an adventure, but I will be in great company. This is a dream come true.”
Matt Weaver is a Motorsports Insider for Sportsnaut. Follow him on Twitter.