By David Morgan, Associate Editor
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Jimmie Johnson’s NASCAR Cup Series career now has a running clock on it – the 2027 Daytona 500.
The seven-time Cup champion announced on Saturday that he will officially step out of the cockpit in the Cup Series after the conclusion of next year’s 69th running of the Great American Race to put his focus more into the ownership aspect of his Legacy Motor Club team.
Johnson stepped away from full-time competition in the Cup Series in 2020 before venturing into the NTT IndyCar Series season for a two-year stint and eventually landed in his ownership role with Legacy in 2022, where he has worked on building the two-car team into a contender in NASCAR’s premier division.
“Next February, I’ll make my final start in the Cup Series at Daytona,” Johnson said. “I’ve been very fortunate to accomplish more than I ever imagined in this sport. 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 in LEGACY MOTOR CLUB.”
Through Johnson’s 700 starts in the Cup Series, the NASCAR Hall of Famer has accumulated 83 wins, including two Daytona 500s, along with 233 top-five finishes, 375 top-10 finishes, 36 poles, and nearly 19,000 laps led.
In last year’s Daytona 500, Johnson brought home a third-place finish, his best finish since the end of his full-time Cup career.
Johnson noted that while his Cup career will be ending, he’ll remain open to competing in other motorsports events across other disciplines when the time allows.
Along with Sunday’s Daytona 500, where he’ll start 31st with the Open Exemption Provisional, Johnson is also scheduled to compete at Naval Base Coronado in his hometown of San Diego this summer.
“I’m just thankful for the opportunity that’s been granted to me through my career,” said Johnson. “I didn’t use the word retirement way back when in 2020. I still love to compete and want to be on the track and racing.
“The journey as an owner, and certainly where I am in life right now, to compete at the Cup level, week in and week out, is just a door that’s shutting from here now. I’ll be able to enjoy it a bit more this year with the race this weekend and getting in San Diego, and then put a bow on everything, Cup wise, when we come back in (20)27.
“It doesn’t mean I’m not going to race and do other fun things, as you guys know, I’ve got plenty planned this year and hope to have some more fun later in the year as well, but a quick start to the year with this race. Also, the Mint 400 that’s coming up, and then the truck race in San Diego, and just trying to find, you know, fun bucket list things to do.”
So, could Johnson make a reappearance in IndyCar in this new phase of his life? The 50-year-old explained that’s one place you won’t see him.
“That one’s closed too,” Johnson joked. “The commitment it takes to be where I want to be in the field, I just, I don’t have that in me anymore. My focus and interest is truly building this race team.
“When I reflect on who I was is a 25-year-old kid jumping in that 48 car – I was up at o dark 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 mean, I had the best seat in the house. 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. I mean, I had four hours of sleep last night, because we’re a sponsor event, and I was up all night doing emails, and then I was over at Home Depot this morning buying plants and furniture for our hospitality area and the driver owner lot, and that was fun. I mean, we had a great time this morning doing all that. I going to go over there and start putting chairs together.
“So, it’s just, I’m in a different place of life and really enjoying it.”
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