Daytona International Speedway (Daytona Beach, Fla.) — Seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson says his last Cup race will be the 2027 Daytona 500.
The NASCAR Hall of Famer has 83 career Cup wins in 700 starts. After retiring from full-time Cup racing following the 2020 season and embarking on a two-year INDYCAR career, 50-year-old Johnson has competed in the Daytona 500 every year since 2023 and is a two-time winner (2006, 2013).
Johnson became the majority owner of Legacy Motor Club a couple of years ago, and he said his focus continues to be on the business side of the sport.
“I’ve been very fortunate to accomplish more than I ever imagined in this sport,” Johnson said in a news release. “The last six years have given me the freedom to choose where I compete and more importantly, the clarity to understand where I’m needed most. It’s time to focus my energy on building a world class and unrivaled organization.”
Johnson has only two Cup starts scheduled for this year — the Daytona 500 and the Cup street race on Naval Base Coronado in San Diego in June, a race near his hometown of El Cajon, California.
Jimmie Johnson at Daytona International Speedway this week. (Photo by Jeff Curry/Getty Images)
Last year, Johnson finished third in the Daytona 500.
“As a driver that moonlights, the restrictor-plate style of tracks is where you can be the most competitive,” Johnson said in a news conference Saturday morning. “This car is so different than any generation of car I’ve driven before. To show up at Kansas [Speedway] and think that you’re going to have a shot to win, even when I ran a nine-race schedule, it’s just not a truth that can really be seen or realized. … I want to show up and be competitive. To have my last race in an event where I can truly win could be that cool walk-off home run.”
Johnson left open competing in other NASCAR divisions and other motorsports events. But he won’t compete in the Cup Series after the 2027 Daytona 500. He also said his INDYCAR career is over, so there is no chance of another Indianapolis 500 run.
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“The commitment it takes to be where I want to be in the field, I just I don’t have that in me anymore, and my focus and interest is truly building this race team,” Johnson said during his news conference. “And when I reflect on who I was as a 25-year-old kid jumping in that [No.] 48 [Hendrick] car, I was up to go to 0-hour 30 with this passion and energy to chase the day and do the best that I could.
“I don’t have that passion for that part of life anymore, and that’s been a tough thing to kind of accept. And if I’m honest with myself, maybe the last year or two of driving, I was in that phase, but I had the best seat in the house driving for the best team. I was almost in denial of maybe what was going on. And it’s taken time. It took the two years in INDYCAR and the journey that I’ve been on now to really reflect on that and see it.”
Jimmie Johnson racing in INDYCAR in 2022. (Photo by Michael Allio/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
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Just how much has Johnson’s life changed?
“I had four hours of sleep last night because we were at a sponsor event, and I was up all night doing e-mails. And then I was over at Home Depot this morning buying plants and furniture for our hospitality area in the driver-owner lot,” Johnson said.
Legacy will expand from fielding two chartered cars to three next year. Johnson said he would run a fourth car, and the team indicated he will request the Daytona 500 open exemption provisional, which guarantees him a spot in the field as it did for the race Sunday.
“As a team owner, I need to be on the sidelines on race day supporting our drivers and crews on the competition side and cultivating relationships that are crucial to the long-term growth of [Legacy],” Johnson said in the news release. “I also want to take the time to celebrate with fans throughout the season to show how grateful I am for their support throughout my career.”
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