Jimmie Johnson returns to NASCAR!

The rumor of a return of Jimmie Johnson in NASCAR was becoming more and more insistent in recent hours. It's now official, the seven-time champion becomes a shareholder in Petty GMS Motorsports and will take part in certain rounds of the 2023 season including the Daytona 500 at the wheel of a Chevrolet Camaro. 

GMS Racing was founded in 2011 by Maurice Gallagher and has gradually moved up through the ranks of NASCAR's lower divisions to make its Cup Series debut in 2022 by purchasing the two Charter places from Richard Petty Motorsports. The new formation then took the name Petty GMS Motorsports.

This association is in every way exceptional, because it brings together two of the greatest champions of the discipline under the same banner.

King Richard Petty and his No. 43 Pontiac © Gardner/Getty Images

Richard Petty, nicknamed "The King" is a legend of the discipline with the astonishing record of 200 victories and 123 pole positions in his career. With 7 Champion Cup Series titles acquired in 1964, 1967, 1971, 1972, 1974, 1975 and 1979, he shares the top of the standings with Dale Earnhardt and… Jimmie Johnson! From the height of his 83 victories, Johnson was titled from 2006 to 2010, in 2013 and in 2016. Converted for two seasons in Indycar, he announced that he was ending his full-time commitment to concentrate on other projects. 

Welcome to the team, @JimmieJohnson!

NEWS: Petty GMS and Seven-Time NASCAR Cup Series Champion Jimmie Johnson Enter Ownership Agreement

Jimmie will also compete in a limited NASCAR Cup Series schedule in 2023 🙌 pic.twitter.com/cdusAx6wd0

— LEGACY MOTOR CLUB (@LEGACYMotorClub) November 4, 2022

Do the math, that’s 283 victories and 14 titles that will be collected next season. It remains to be seen what race number was assigned to Jimmie Johnson... In any other discipline this could be a detail, but in NASCAR seeing Johnson triumph in a car sporting the legendary No. 43 of the King would have a very special dimension.

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