Jimmie Johnson will end his career in 2027

Seven-time champion in NASCAR Cup Series (a record he shares with legends Dale Earnhardt and Richard Petty), Jimmie Johnson took a step back from NASCAR by ending his full-time career at the end of 2020, before notably spending two years in IndyCarand to participate in the Indianapolis 500 in 2022, one year before participating in the 24 Hours of Le Mans with the Chevrolet Camaro NASCAR Garage 56.

As he prepares to participate this Sunday for the 23rd time in the Daytona 500, the opening race of the NASCAR Cup Series season and the championship's most prestigious event, the Californian has won twice on the Florida track in February, in 2006 and 2013, two seasons in which he also won the title at the end of the year. After avoiding the carnage of the final lap last year, Johnson finished in third place.

While he hasn't ruled out returning to the O'Reilly Auto Parts Series and Craftsman Truck Series, the second and third divisions respectively, Johnson maintains that the 2027 Daytona 500 will be his final race in the premier class, regardless of the circumstances. The seven-time champion has one more race scheduled this year for the Legacy Motor Club, the team he co-owns, during NASCAR's first visit to Coronado Naval Air Station in San Diego, California.

"I've been very fortunate to achieve more than I ever imagined in this sport."said Johnson. “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. It is time for me to focus my energy on creating a world-class and unparalleled organization within the Legacy Motor Club.”

From his full-time debut in 2002 to the present day, Jimmie Johnson has left his mark on NASCAR history, and there is no doubt that the Daytona International Speedway will want to pull out all the stops next year for his final race.

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