Jimmie Johnson adds Bryce Harper, Andy Roddick and other winners as investors to his NASCAR team

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STATESVILLE, N.C. (AP) — Seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson is adding some big-time winners to his race team.

Johnson announced a strategic ownership group for Legacy Motor Club on Thursday that includes championship athletes, Grammy Award winners, entrepreneurs, investors, motorsport greats and cultural leaders. Johnson remains the team's majority owner.

The Legacy investors include six-time IndyCar champion Scott Dixon, four-time IndyCar champion Dario Franchitti, two-time National League MVP Bryce Harper, Indianapolis 500 winner Tony Kanaan, former U.S. Open champion Andy Roddick, 11-time surfing world champion Kelly Slater and six-time MLB All-Star Chase Utley.

The group also includes three-time Grammy Award winner Darius Rucker, Emmy Award-winning chef Guy Fieri, Amway co-founder Jen Rubio and CrossHarbor Capital co-founder Sam Byrne.

“This is not a traditional ownership group,” Johnson said in a statement. “It is a collection of people who understand competition, leadership, innovation, storytelling and how enduring organizations are built. They come from different worlds but share a common belief: that Legacy can become something fundamentally different within motorsports and culture.”

The ownership group reflects Legacy's ambition to build a modern motorsports organization that competes at the highest level on the track while building relevance across media, partnerships, hospitality and fan experience.

“Great organizations are built by people who understand what it takes to win — but also what it takes to build,” Johnson said. “The caliber, diversity and perspective of this group speak directly to where Legacy is headed.”

Johnson and Knighthead Capital Management co-own Legacy, which fields two full-time cars in the Cup Series. Erik Jones and John Hunter Nemechek drive for Legacy, which also fields a third entry at some events for Johnson.

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AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing