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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, perhaps even in other NASCAR events, but does not want to return to the premier level of stock car racing again.
“I have been fortunate to achieve more than I ever imagined in this sport,” Johnson said. “The past six years have given me the freedom to choose where I compete and, more importantly, the clarity to understand where I am most needed. I will focus all my energy on leading and building a world-class organization.”
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Jimmie Johnson (#84 Legacy Motor Club Carvana Toyota) waves to the crowd before the NASCAR Cup Series Daytona 500 Duel 1 on February 12, 2026 at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Jeff Robinson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
“Jimmie Johnson is a champion in all aspects of his life – with his family, as leader of the 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 in his iconic NASCAR career, we celebrate his legacy in the sport and look forward to what we will continue to accomplish together in the years to come.”
His seven titles are tied for the most all-time in NASCAR history, tied with Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt. His first five were won in a row from 2006 to 2010, followed by titles in 2013 and 2016.
Jimmie Johnson (48) wins the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Championship after winning the FORD EcoBoost 400 race on November 20, 2016 at Homestead-Miami Speedway in Homestead, Florida. (Stephen A. Arce/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
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Johnson stepped away from full-time driving after the 2020 season and has 83 wins in the Cup Series.
He competed in the IndyCar Series for two seasons (2021-22), became a part owner of the LEGACY MOTOR CLUB and raced 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 will make his 23rd start in the Daytona 500 on Sunday after winning in 2006 and 2013.
“It’s the only race you get a title,” Johnson said earlier this week. “I was lucky to experience that. You go from here and everything you do, you’ve got a title. I’ve never had a title in my life. It speaks to the importance of the race, the magnitude of the race, the story behind it all.
Jimmie Johnson, driver of the #48 Lowe’s Chevrolet, celebrates in victory lane after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway on February 24, 2013 in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
“You get a title and you’re reminded of it every time you’re introduced.”
