Pit This Time may earn a commission when you buy through links on this page. It never affects our coverage. Learn more.
Jimmie Johnson says the 2027 Daytona 500 on Feb. 21 will be his last NASCAR Cup Series start. Even so, the seven-time champion admits he isn’t ready for the feeling to end.
“Those butterflies before game time, that’s the high I’ve chased since I was five years old, and it’s hard to believe it’s going to go away,” Johnson said on The Dan Le Batard Show.
https://x.com/LeBatardShow/status/2120206736552243465
‘My Third Go-Around’
Johnson first stepped away from full-time Cup racing with Hendrick Motorsports after the 2020 season. The COVID-19 pandemic changed that final year, with many races run without fans, and he never got the farewell he wanted.
“COVID was my first attempt at retirement, so I think I’m in my third go-around here,” Johnson said. “COVID really affected that final year, and I haven’t felt the closure to stepping away from Cup, so I’m thankful to be back. I’ve been in the car now, I have a team, and really get to have that moment in February.”
After leaving Hendrick, Johnson raced in IndyCar, then returned to Cup for select races with Legacy Motor Club, the team he co-owns.
‘I Think We’ll Be Quite Competitive’
Johnson said the nerves before the Daytona 500 are what he’ll miss most, and he expects to contend.
“The thing that hits me first is the nerves before a race, especially the Daytona 500, to know that I get to do that one more time,” Johnson said. “I have no clue what the outcome will be, and I think we’ll be quite competitive.”
Johnson has won the Daytona 500 twice, in 2006 and 2013, and finished third in the 2025 race, his best result since returning to Cup.
Life After the Driver’s Seat
Johnson will stay in the sport as an owner at Legacy, but he said that won’t replace race day.
“Being under the bright lights, those game-time moments,” he said. “I always dreamed of being in them, and then I got into them, and I could do well at it. Those moments are going to be tough to miss.”
Johnson won seven Cup championships and 83 races in his career, including five straight titles from 2006 to 2010. Legacy will run three full-time cars in 2027 with Erik Jones, Riley Herbst and Josh Berry.
Leave a Reply