Former Team Boss Swaps Politics for Engineering at Johnson’s NASCAR Team

Carl Faux is stepping away from the team he helped turn into a winner and will join Jimmie Johnson’s Legacy Motor Club as a principal performance engineer. He says the constant politics in his former series no longer fit his style. Faux wants a role where hard facts and clear rules dominate, not backroom deals. The move marks a shift from team leadership to a more technical position in U.S. racing.

Faux first arrived at the organization in 2017 as a technical consultant, later climbing to technical director and finally team principal by late 2023. Under his watch the squad captured the Bathurst 1000 in 2021 and secured the 2025 drivers’ championship with Chaz Mostert. He also played a key part in launching Toyota’s GR Supra Supercar in 2026, helping bring the car to the track.

The Supercars series has seen heated debates over technical rules. In March 2026, Triple Eight boss Jamie Whincup questioned the legality of the team’s Toyota Supra chassis, sparking a dispute about compliance. While Faux did not cite this controversy as his reason for leaving, the episode underscores the clash between engineering standards and political influence that he wants to avoid.

Legacy Motor Club is preparing for growth, planning to field three full‑time Cup cars by 2027. The team has added new drivers, with Josh Berry set to drive the No. 42 Toyota and Riley Herbst taking the new No. 84 entry. Michael Guttilla, a former Joe Gibbs Racing executive, was named president in April, rounding out a leadership overhaul. Faux has already visited the shop and track at Sonoma, acknowledging that adapting to NASCAR’s stock‑car culture will require a steep learning curve.