By MARK LONG AP Sports Writer
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Jimmie Johnson plans to end his illustrious NASCAR Cup Series career at the 2027 Daytona 500.
The seven-time Cup champion announced Saturday, the day before the 68th running of “The Great American Race,” that he will enter one additional Daytona 500 before calling it a career. He wants to continue racing in other series, maybe even in other NASCAR events, but won’t return to stock car’s premier level again.
“I’ve been fortunate to accomplish more than I ever imagined in this sport,” said Johnson, a two-time Daytona 500 champion who finished third in the 2025 season opener. “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. I am going to focus all of my energy on leading and building a world-class organization.”
The 50-year-old Johnson is the majority owner of Legacy Motor Club, which fields full-time Cup rides for Erik Jones and John Hunter Nemechek. Johnson has two more national series races scheduled beyond Daytona this year — in the Truck and Cup series in San Diego near his hometown.
The No. 84 entry that Johnson will drive Sunday for the 15th time since his retirement from full-time racing will become the team’s third full-time entry next year. Legacy already purchased a third charter from Rick Ware Racing, the last one sold before a federal lawsuit settlement involving two teams and NASCAR upped the price significantly.
That seemingly leaves Johnson driving next year at Daytona in a yet-to-be-determined number after racing his entire career in either the No. 48 or its transposed counterpart.
Johnson walked away from his full-time gig at powerhouse Hendrick Motorsports after the 2020 season. He stepped down after 83 Cup victories and a record-tying seven series titles over 19 years.
He spent more time with his family and embraced the opportunity to design a less-demanding schedule. He competed in the IndyCar Series for two seasons (2021-22), became a partial owner at Legacy and drove in a number of bucket list items like the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the Rolex 24 at Daytona and an Unlimited Hydroplane at Seafair. He earned Indianapolis 500 rookie of the year honors in 2022.
He is making his 23rd start in the Daytona 500 on Sunday, having won in 2006 and 2013.
“It’s the only race you get a title,” Johnson said earlier this week. “I was fortunate to experience that. You leave here and anything you do, you got a title. I never had a title in my life. That speaks to the importance of the race, the magnitude of the race, the history behind it all.
“You get a title and you get reminded of it every time you’re introduced.”
He considers that first Daytona 500 victory a turning point in his career. It kickstarted the first of five consecutive championships that made him the face of the series even while competing against Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Gordon and Tony Stewart.
And it came after crew chief Chad Knaus was kicked out of the Daytona 500 and suspended two more races because of an illegal car adjustment.
“A lot of growth took place in that offseason,” said Johnson, who finished fifth in the 2005 standings. “In theory, we bought into what we wanted to be. And then with Chad being sent home, ‘Shoot, now we got to live it.’
“It really was that fortifying moment us. It forced a lot of us to step up instead of just looking at Chad and saying, ‘All right, man, fix it.’ We all had so much more responsibility and skin in the game. We became a more efficient, effective, stronger team as a result. When I look back, that winter and then him being suspended were the most pivotal moment in the 48 team.”
It’s been 20 years since that seminal moment, and Johnson — even with one retirement in the rearview mirror and another one on the horizon — has a hard time believing the milestone.
“How has it been that long?” Johnson said. “I don’t think I’m any more mature. I certainly have a lot more gray. It’s just wild how fast time goes by.”
___