Jimmie Johnson left the NASCAR Cup Series to pursue the NTT IndyCar Series after the 2020 season. It was an emotional goodbye as the seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion represents one of the greatest athletes in sports history.
Well, the “goodbye” turned into a “welcome back” when Johnson sat in a press conference next to Maury Gallagher and Richard Petty. The 47-year-old driver’s path led him back to NASCAR but this time he would take the role as an owner with Petty GMS Motorsports, which is now called Legacy Motor Club.
Johnson has also made select starts in a third car for Legacy Motor Club, including the Daytona 500. It has been an up-and-down year for Johnson and the organization with a move to Toyota Racing coming up for the 2024 season; however, will the new NASCAR owner drive a Camry next year?
Related: Jimmie Johnson addresses his driving plans in NASCAR and other series for 2024
Toyota Racing reveals its plans for Jimmie Johnson during the 2024 NASCAR season
Johnson has competed in three NASCAR Cup Series races during the 2023 season with a best finish of 31st place at the Daytona 500. The seven-time Cup Series champion has not finished any of the races but they are not completely his fault.
There is still at least one race left on Johnson’s official schedule this year. NASCAR will make history when it goes to Chicago, IL for a race on a street course which would mark the first of its kind in the sport’s history.
Johnson will attempt to make the event and outside of early July, there are not any more official races. It seems likely that he will run more than four events during the 2023 season but what about the 2024 season as fans wonder if they will see their favorite driver compete in NASCAR again?
Toyota Racing Development president David Wilson hopped on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio to talk about Legacy Motor Club and whether Johnson will be racing for the manufacturer next year.
“100 percent. Yes, you will see (Jimmie Johnson) in a Toyota. That will be very moving and emotional for me personally, professionally, for Toyota. Now I’ll let Jimmie fill in the blank, but I will just say that Jimmie Johnson will be racing a Toyota Camry before he is done as a race car driver.”
David Wilson Jimmie Johnson’s future with Toyota in NASCAR
This is certainly something that no one could have expected after the 2020 season. The idea of Johnson driving a Toyota in the Cup Series? It might have even been far-fetched at this time last year.
Still, Johnson will be driving a Toyota Camry for the first time in his NASCAR career. The California native has driven a Chevrolet in NASCAR since his debut during the 1998 season and hasn’t gone out of the camp until now.
Legacy Motor Club moving to Toyota is a brilliant move on the surface. There might be some growing pains but the organization won’t be at the bottom of the totem pole anymore and should improve its performance with a new manufacturer.
With the news that Johnson will be racing in NASCAR during the 2024 season, which races should he run for his second part-time year? Continue reading to find out three races that make perfect sense!
Related: Jimmie Johnson could be majority owner of Legacy Motor Club in “4 to 5 years”
3 races that Jimmie Johnson should run in NASCAR during the 2024 season
It is hard to have a full grasp on the available options without a firm schedule; however, there should be plenty of great ideas for Johnson as he begins a new journey with Legacy Motor Club and Toyota.
The easiest answer is the Daytona 500 as it represents NASCAR’s biggest event. Johnson ran well before crashing out late and was in a position to secure a top-10 finish. The possibility of winning the event was present and it should be one that he pursues.
Johnson may not want to continue running superspeedways due to his age and safety concerns but it depends on how he feels about the situation. If the two-time Daytona 500 champion wants to have another shot, it will be an easy sell for both the team and the manufacturer.
The Coca-Cola 600 is another race that Johnson should run back to after trying it out during the 2023 season. This year’s event represented the first time that he competed on an oval track that was not a superspeedway in the NextGen car.
Perhaps, the idea of having one part-time season under his belt would help his performance moving forward. It would be great to see Johnson pursue a fifth victory in NASCAR’s longest race of the year.
Finally, this one fully depends on NASCAR’s decision-making with the schedule. If North Wilkesboro Speedway turns in a points event, Johnson should make an effort to run it since the venue held the NASCAR All-Star Race in 2023.
The Legacy Motor Club owner/driver has never raced at North Wilkesboro in the NASCAR Cup Series and it would certainly represent a bucket-list type of event. Again, it all depends on what NASCAR does with the schedule.
Johnson’s involvement with Legacy Motor Club and Toyota can only be positive. It is great to see one of NASCAR’s legends stay involved in the sport and the news that he will return for another season should bring joy to many people.