DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Jimmie Johnson made it official on Saturday morning when he announced that the 2027 Daytona 500 will mark his final Cup Series start.
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As it turns out, he had a very specific reason for choosing the crown jewel race over any other event on the Cup Series schedule.
"I think as a driver that moonlights, the restrictor plate-tracks or that style of tracks is where you can be the most competitive," Johnson said on Saturday morning at Daytona. "This car is so different than any generation of car I've driven before.
"To show up at Kansas and think that you're going have a shot to win, even when I ran a nine-race schedule. It's just not a truth that they can really be seen, or realized. Daytona, you can, Talladega, you can, Atlanta for sure.
"So, I want to show them being competitive, and to have my last race in an event where I could truly win. It could be that cool walk off home run."
Johnson has already celebrated wins at Daytona International Speedway. He has three wins at the track, including two Daytona 500s.
Ending a chapter to focus on building a world class organization in @LEGACYMotorClub. Next February, I’ll make my final start in the Cup Series in Daytona. pic.twitter.com/XCXNWm4PS8
— Jimmie Johnson (@JimmieJohnson) February 14, 2026
Johnson last competed full-time in the Cup Series in the 2020 season, his final run with Hendrick Motorsports. He left the sport for two years while competing in the NTT IndyCar Series, but he ultimately returned in a new role. He became co-owner and then ultimately majority owner of Legacy Motor Club.
Johnson has made select starts in recent seasons while running the Cup Series team. He made three starts in 2023, nine starts in 2024, and two starts in 2025. His best finish during this stretch was third in last season's Daytona 500.
This year, Johnson has only two Cup starts currently planned. He will compete in Sunday's Daytona 500 (2:30 p.m. ET on Fox) and the first-ever San Diego street race in June. He will also make a Truck Series start during the trip to Southern California.
The 2027 Daytona 500 may mark Johnson's final Cup Series start, but he has made it clear that it won't be his final time in a race car. He will still have some fun while taking on different territory. And no, he's not going back to IndyCar.
"I didn't use the word retirement way back when in 2020," the seven-time champion said. "I still love to compete and want to be on the track and racing.
"The journey as an owner, and certainly where I am in life right now, to compete at the Cup level, week in and week out, is just a door that's shutting from here now. I'll be able to enjoy it a bit more this year with the race this weekend and getting in San Diego, and then put a bow on everything, Cup wise, when we come back in '27."
So what will this schedule include? According to Johnson, many things are on the table.
The Rolex 24 and 24 Hours of Le Mans both make the list, provided he can put together a deal at a time when he can properly prepare. He already passed up one opportunity to race in the 2025 Rolex 24.
Another possibility is at the Bonneville Salt Flats. He has never been to the Utah "track" where racers try to break speed records, but he said this is something he would potentially like to do with support from Toyota and longtime sponsor Carvana.
