Jimmie Johnson is making a surprise return to the Craftsman Truck Series for a one-off event during the 2026 season.
Videos by FanBuzz
According to a Thursday announcement, the seven-time Cup Series champion will join Tricon Garage to drive the No. 1 Toyota Tundra TRD Pro. He will control the entry during the inaugural race weekend at Naval Base Coronado near San Diego, California.
This start marks Johnson's first Truck Series race since the 2008 season. He made his first and only start in the third-tier series at Bristol Motor Speedway. He started ninth but finished 34th after a crash also involving Jeff Green.
Carvana will join Johnson for his return to the Truck Series while extending its support. The company previously announced that it would join the seven-time champion for the Cup Series race on Sunday, June 21. He will drive the No. 84 Toyota Camry XSE for Legacy Motor Club while making the second of two announced starts in 2026.
WELCOME SEVEN-TIME!@JimmieJohnson returns to the @NASCAR_Trucks for the first time since ‘08 to take on San Diego in the No. 1 🙌 pic.twitter.com/6blyQhnHQ6
— TRICON (@TRICONGarage) January 8, 2026
"Racing in San Diego means everything to me - it's home," Johnson said in a press release from Tricon Garage. "Getting behind the wheel of a Truck Series entry has been on my mind for a while.
"The competition is incredible, and doing it at a historic street race on a Navy base in my hometown? That's special. I'm grateful to Tricon and Carvana for making this happen, and honestly, I can't think of a better way to honor our military and celebrate where I'm from."
Johnson, a native of nearby El Cajon, California, has made it clear since July 2025 that he would do everything in his power to suit up for at least one race in San Diego. He wanted to race near his hometown, and he wanted to celebrate an important milestone for his charity.
"Obviously it's new news, but the desire to race in my hometown is off the charts," Johnson said during a July media session. "I will aggressively work on being in the event. If for some reason I'm not able to pull that off, I will absolutely be there and help support Legacy Motor Club, all of our partners, NASCAR, the city.
"We're also coming up on our 20th anniversary for the Jimmie Johnson foundation, which will be next year. I see a really neat opportunity for me to come home and really be a part of the festivities in this the event."
The seven-time champion has now locked up two starts for the historic race weekend. He will make his return to the Truck Series and then take on the Cup Series race. The only question remaining is whether he will try to lock up a spot in the O'Reilly Auto Parts Series race on Saturday, June 20.
