Before the green flag waved for the 2026 Daytona 500, Jimmie Johnson delivered a moment that may ultimately define this chapter of NASCAR history.
On Saturday at Daytona International Speedway, the seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion announced that the 2027 Daytona 500 will be his final start at the sport's highest level. Now, with Sunday's race complete, Johnson's words carry added significance: the countdown to his final lap has officially begun.
Johnson, 50, returned to Daytona this weekend driving the No. 84 Toyota for Legacy Motor Club, the team he now co-owns. While he stepped away from full-time competition after the 2020 season, the competitive drive has never fully faded. Still, he acknowledged that racing week in and week out no longer fits this season of life.
"The door to racing full time is shutting," Johnson said. "But I still love to compete."
Choosing Daytona for his farewell was no coincidence. Johnson is a two-time Daytona 500 champion (2006, 2013), and drafting tracks like Daytona offer part-time drivers a legitimate opportunity to contend. If there is to be one final signature moment, he wants it to come on a stage where possibility still exists.
"To have my last race in an event where I could truly win, it'd be that cool walk-off home run," he said.
Johnson's résumé already places him among the sport's elite: 83 Cup wins, 700 starts, and seven championships - including an unprecedented five consecutive titles from 2006 to 2010. His induction into the NASCAR Hall of Fame only confirmed what fans already knew.
Yet beyond statistics, Johnson's career has also included quieter expressions of faith and perspective. Over the years, he has participated in pre-race worship services organized by Motor Racing Outreach, a ministry serving drivers and their families. In a sport defined by speed and risk, those moments have provided grounding - a reminder that identity stretches beyond trophies and headlines.
His original farewell in 2020 was muted by pandemic restrictions, limiting opportunities to celebrate with fans. This time, the goodbye will be intentional.
The 2026 Daytona 500 is now in the books.
But for Jimmie Johnson, one final chapter remains - and it will end exactly where so much of his legacy was built.
