“I will be back, 2025!”: Jimmie Johnson makes his feelings known ahead of Daytona 500

Jimmie Johnson shared his thoughts on his plans for this year. The seven-time NASCAR champ took to his Instagram story to enthusiastically announce his return to racing in the 2025 Cup Series season, including a Daytona 500 attempt.

Johnson is a 49-year-old Californian who co-owns Legacy Motor Club in the NASCAR Cup Series. After retiring from full-time competition in 2020, the driver occasionally enters NASCAR races under his Toyota-affiliated team.

In an Instagram post, Jimmie Johnson said he will participate in two crown jewel races, the Daytona 500 and the Coca-Cola 600.

"I will be back, 2025, in my Carvana colors in the Daytona 500 and Coca-Cola 600," Johnson said in an IG story.

Jimmie Johnson's Instagram story - Source: @jimmiejohnson on IG

Held at the Daytona International Speedway, the Daytona 500 is a 200-lap oval race deemed the "Great American Race."

As an open team, Johnson must qualify for one of the four non-chartered spots for the Daytona 500. This year, several open car drivers confirmed their entries to race, including Martin Truex Jr., Justin Allgaier, and Helio Castroneves.

Meanwhile, the Coca-Cola 600 is held at Charlotte Motor Speedway. With 600 miles of racing in 400 laps, the event is known as the sport's longest race on the calendar.

Moreover, the Charlotte race is hosted on the same day as the IndyCar Series' Indianapolis 500, a prestigious event where Johnson won the Rookie of the Year award in 2022.

The Daytona 500 is NASCAR's season opener, scheduled for February 16, while the Coca-Cola 600 is happening on the Memorial Day weekend on May 25.

Johnson will run alongside LMC full-time drivers Erik Jones and John Hunter Nemechek.

---

Jimmie Johnson promised "great things" for Legacy Motor Club amid challenging seasons

Since Jimmie Johnson joined Legacy Motor Club in 2023, the team hasn't found huge success on the racetrack. However, Johnson promised to turn the team around after doubling down on the partnership with Japanese marque, Toyota.

LMC, formerly Petty GMS Motorsports, used to run Chevrolet cars before switching to Toyotas last year. During the team's holiday celebration, Johnson said:

"I want to thank everyone for their contributions, not only the employees of Legacy Motor Club but also spouses and families. We're building something, it's been a journey. It's still going to be a journey but I promise you, we have great things right ahead of us."

He acknowledged the criticisms surrounding the team and vowed to strive for better race results.

"We're going to continue to grow, evolve, and have the success that we're so critically judged by our audience," Johnson added.

Legacy Motor Club appointed new executives in a bid to improve its performance in NASCAR. Some of them include long-time Joe Gibbs Racing race engineer Jacob Canter as the director of competition and NASCAR/IndyCar engineer Brian Campe as the technical director.

The team doesn't have a driver change for 2025, though they will run with new crew chiefs. The No. 42 Toyota of John Hunter Nemechek is led by Travis Mack, while his former crew chief, Ben Beshore, moves to the No. 43 team of Erik Jones.