NASCAR legend Jimmie Johnson is toying with the idea of continuing his storied racing career into 2025.
Johnson’s career is nothing short of legendary. Dominating the NASCAR landscape, he secured seven championships between 2006 and 2016. After retiring from full-time NASCAR racing in 2020, Johnson sought new challenges in IndyCar. His two-year tenure in IndyCar with Chip Ganassi Racing, although met with mixed results, confirmed his versatility across various racing platforms.
Despite struggling for consistent top-20 finishes, Johnson’s affinity for oval racing remains strong. With a return to NASCAR as an owner of the Legacy Motor Club, he embraced new challenges head-on, including the integration of Toyota cars into the team.
The transition to next-generation cars has posed significant challenges, not only for Johnson but for many veteran drivers. In his 2024 part-time stint, Johnson struggled to adapt to the new car model. Speaking about the season, he explained, as quoted by First Sportz:
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“Where you make speed in this car for a long, long time. Easy in, first come back to the gas, that mentality really worked well with the old generation car. It’s not the case with this car. There’s a much different approach to corner entry and how you roll out of the drop and control the car in and slowly getting the hang of that.”
Despite these hurdles, Johnson’s passion for the sport is undiminished. He remains committed to racing and is even considering a part-time return in 2025 even though he will be taking on a media role with NBC Sports. When asked about a potential return in 2025, Johnson responded:
“Yeah, I’ve thought about it. We’re just trying to make sure that it’s not costing the team anything. It’s not hurting the 42 and 43. We don’t have it put together yet, but I’ll be out there a few times at least.”
Johnson plans to make a significant statement with one last race in the 2024 season at the season finale at Phoenix Raceway.
Johnson is also involved with Legacy Motor Club’s participation in the Extreme E series. Additionally, he is set to join NBC Sports’ motorsports coverage in 2024, extending his influence beyond the racetrack.
NASCAR Cup Series: Current Playoff Standings
- Joey Logano – +17
- Christopher Bell – +42
- Kyle Larson – +35
- William Byron – +27
On The Bubble: - Denny Hamlin – -27
- Tyler Reddick – -30
- Ryan Blaney – -47
- Chase Elliott – -53
NASCAR Xfinity Series: Current Playoff Standings
- AJ Allmendinger – +7
- Justin Allgaier – +32
- Cole Custer – +16
- Chandler Smith – +8
On The Bubble: - Austin Hill – -8
- Jesse Love – -13
- Sam Mayer – -23
- Sammy Smith – -53
