Jimmie Johnson tabs Daytona 500, Coca-Cola 600 as his 2025 Cup races

NASCAR Hall of Famer Jimmie Johnson will attempt to qualify for the 2025 Daytona 500 (Feb. 16, 2:30 p.m. ET, FOX, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), the seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion announced Thursday. He‘ll pilot the No. 84 Legacy Motor Club Toyota and attempt to qualify for his 22nd career Daytona 500 as part of a two-race Cup Series schedule this year.

The two-time victor of the “Great American Race” is seeking his first win in the season opener at Daytona International Speedway since 2013. Johnson captured his first Harley J. Earl Trophy in 2006, with both wins coming during the 2024 Hall of Fame inductee‘s longtime tenure at Hendrick Motorsports.

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Johnson, an 83-time premier series winner, also tabbed Charlotte Motor Speedway‘s annual Memorial Day Weekend Coca-Cola 600 (May 25, 6 p.m. ET, Prime Video, PRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) as his second planned appearance of the season, which could mark 700 starts for his career. He‘s a four-time winner of NASCAR‘s longest race, with eight total Cup Series wins at the track.

“I‘m thrilled to be returning to competition in 2025,” Johnson said in a news release from LMC. “These two races hold a special place in my heart, and I‘ve always loved the energy and excitement that surrounds them. The Daytona 500 is a crown jewel of NASCAR — there‘s nothing like it. Charlotte Motor Speedway is where I made my first start in the NASCAR Cup Series, and it‘s always felt like home to me.”

Legacy Motor Club indicated that Carvana will provide sponsorship for both events, marking the fifth season of the Phoenix-based company‘s partnership with Johnson. Ryan Keeton, Carvana co-founder and chief brand officer, said that “our team is committed to creating a special livery that measures up to his 700th start milestone.”

Johnson‘s four 600 wins put him just one behind Darrell Waltrip‘s record of five victories in the sport‘s marquee marathon event. The 49-year-old driver, who retired from full-time competition after the 2020 season, continues to contribute to the sport both as a driver and co-owner for Legacy Motor Club.

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Johnson’s post-retirement career has included one partial schedule (2021) and one full season (2022) in IndyCar. He returned to the Cup Series with a three-race slate in 2023, and he participated in nine Cup events last year — a schedule that included the Daytona 500 and Coca-Cola 600.

Just 20 drivers in Cup Series history have reached the 700-start plateau. Kyle Busch is the most recent to mark that milestone, competing in his 700th Cup Series race last July at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.