Set to embark on his third consecutive season as a part-time NASCAR Cup Series driver, Jimmie Johnson won’t compete in nearly as many races this year as he did in 2024.
That’s the bad news for fans of the seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion.
The good news?
Johnson couldn’t have picked two better or more important races to suit up for, which he’ll do in a car fielded by the Legacy Motor Club organization he co-owns and co-founded ahead of the 2023 season.
Next Up For Jimmie Johnson: The Daytona 500 and the Coca-Cola 600
Legacy Motor Club announced Thursday that Johnson will campaign the same No. 84 Toyota in 2025 that he did in 2024, with his first of two starts set for the season-opening Daytona 500 on February 16.
Johnson captured NASCAR’s most prestigious race in both 2006 and 2013 during his time with Hendrick Motorsports, the organization he drove for from his rookie Cup Series season of 2002 through 2020 — his last season as a full-time driver.
Along with entering the sport’s biggest event, Johnson will compete in NASCAR’s longest — the Coca-Cola 600 coming up on Memorial Day weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Johnson has gone to Victory Lane in eight points-paying races held at the Charlotte quad-oval, with four of those triumphs coming in the 600. The El Cajun, California native’s impressive resume at the 1.5-mile track also includes four wins in the non-points-paying NASCAR All-Star Race, which Charlotte hosted for almost the entire duration of Johnson’s time as a full-time driver.
So, while Johnson will spend most of 2025 focusing on his duties as co-owner of Legacy Motor Club, he’s understandably stoked about jumping behind the wheel for two of NASCAR’s “crown jewel” events.
“I’m thrilled to be returning to competition in 2025,” Johnson, who drove in nine NASCAR Cup Series races last year, said in a team news release. “These two races hold a special place in my heart, and I’ve always loved the energy and excitement that surrounds them. The Daytona 500 is a crown jewel of NASCAR — there’s nothing like it.
“Charlotte Motor Speedway is where I made my first start in the NASCAR Cup Series, and it’s always felt like ‘home’ to me.”
7x is back in 2025! https://t.co/50TUOwDn6a pic.twitter.com/J7HWge0PrS
— LEGACY MOTOR CLUB (@LEGACYMotorClub) January 16, 2025
Jimmie Johnson Will Reach a Major Milestone at Charlotte on Memorial Day Weekend
If Johnson can prevail in either of his two Cup Series outings, he will break the tie he currently holds with Cale Yarborough for sixth on the all-time NASCAR Cup Series wins list. A victory at Daytona or Charlotte would move Johnson into a tie for fifth with 84-time race winner and three-time series champion Darrell Waltrip.
Two more wins from Johnson in NASCAR’s premier series would catapult him into a tie with the late Bobby Allison for fourth on the all-time list of Cup Series winners. Only Johnson’s former Hendrick Motorsports teammate Jeff Gordon (93 wins), David Pearson (105) and Richard Petty (200) have triumphed in more premier series events than Allison.
Though anything is possible, securing an 84th or 85th Cup Series race winner’s trophy will likely be a tall order for 49-year-old Johnson in light of how unimpressive he’s been in the select starts he’s made the last two seasons for his own team. Far more easily attainable is hitting another number: 700. That’s how many starts Johnson will have in the Cup Series when he takes the green flag at the Coca-Cola 600.
“Jimmie’s legacy in NASCAR is unparalleled, and our team is committed to creating a special livery that measures up to his 700th start milestone,” said Ryan Keeton, co-founder and chief brand officer for Carvana, which is returning as Johnson’s primary sponsor in both races this year.
“Stay tuned for what we have in store.”
