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Seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson announced Saturday that the 2027 Daytona 500 will be his last in the Cup Series.
Johnson, who has taken home the checkered flag in the big race twice, wants to continue racing in other series, maybe even in other NASCAR events, but won’t return to stock car racing’s premier level again.
“I’ve been fortunate to accomplish more than I ever imagined in this sport,” Johnson said. “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.”
“Jimmie Johnson is a champion in every aspect of his life – with his family, as the leader of LEGACY MOTOR CLUB and with his incredible success behind the wheel,” Toyota vice president Tyler Gibbs said in a statement. “As he prepares to close the chapter of his iconic on-track NASCAR career, we celebrate his legacy in the sport and look forward to what we’ll continue to achieve together in the years to come.”
His seven titles are tied for the most ever in NASCAR history, along with Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt. His first five were won consecutively from 2006 to 2010, followed by titles in 2013 and 2016.
FAMED NASCAR, MOTORCROSS STAR RETURNING TO DAYTONA WEEKEND WITH HIGHER PURPOSE FOR VETERANS, FIRST RESPONDERS
Johnson walked away from full-time driving after the 2020 season and has racked up 83 Cup Series victories.
He competed in the IndyCar Series for two seasons (2021-22), became a partial owner at LEGACY MOTOR CLUB, and drove in a number of bucket-list events such as the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the Rolex 24 at Daytona and an Unlimited Hydroplane at Seafair.
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.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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