×

Jimmie Johnson to make final Daytona 500 start in 2027

By Thomson Reuters Feb 14, 2026 | 9:48 AM

Jimmie Johnson announced that the 2027 Daytona 500 will cap his NASCAR Cup Series career.

The seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion made his intentions ​known on Saturday, one day before the ‌69th running of “The Great American Race.”

“Next February, I‘ll make my final start in the Cup Series in Daytona,” said Johnson, a two-time Daytona 500 champion. “I‘ve been very fortunate to accomplish more ‌than ​I ever imagined in this sport. ⁠The last six years ⁠have given me the freedom to choose where I compete and more importantly, the clarity to understand where I‘m needed most. It‘s just time to ​focus my energy on building a world class and unrivaled organization in Legacy Motor Club.”

Johnson, who is ⁠the majority owner of Legacy, ⁠left the door open to competing in ​other NASCAR national series beyond 2027, however.

Johnson, 50, won ​the Daytona 500 in 2016 and 2013, and he ‌finished third in 2025. He is an 83-time Cup Series winner.

“Jimmie Johnson is a champion in every aspect of his life — with his family, as the ⁠leader of Legacy Motor Club and with his incredible success behind the wheel,” said Tyler Gibbs, president of Toyota Racing ⁠Development USA. “As he ‌prepares to close the chapter of ⁠his iconic on-track NASCAR career, we celebrate ​his ‌legacy in the sport and look forward ​to what ⁠we‘ll continue to achieve together in the years to come.”

Johnson, who retired from full-time competition after the 2020 season, has raced a partial Cup Series schedule for the past few years. His last victory came in ​2017.

–Field Level Media