Jimmie Johnson Will Drive Iconic No. 48 One Last Time in 2027...

Jimmie Johnson Will Drive Iconic No. 48 One Last Time in 2027 Daytona 500

Jimmie Johnson will close out his NASCAR Cup Series career the same way it began, behind the wheel of his famed No. 48 car. Rick Hendrick announced the special arrangement Sunday alongside Johnson on TNT Sports’ “NASCAR Nation Pre-Race” show, confirming the seven-time champion will pilot a Hendrick Motorsports No. 48 Toyota in the 2027 Daytona 500, marking his final Cup Series start.

“This is far more than a number,” Johnson said in a release. “The 48 represents people, relationships, memories and a chapter of my life that shaped who I am.” He called the opportunity to carry that number one final time something he “never imagined,” thanking Hendrick, Hendrick Motorsports, and longtime sponsor Ally for making the sendoff possible.

The No. 48 is synonymous with Johnson’s legacy. He drove the number in 686 of his 702 career Cup Series starts, collecting all 83 of his race wins and all seven championships with it on the door. Johnson made his Cup debut in the car in 2001 at Charlotte Motor Speedway and last raced it in the 2020 season finale at Phoenix Raceway. A two-time Daytona 500 winner and four-time Brickyard 400 champion, Johnson has spent his post-retirement years as owner of Legacy Motor Club, making 16 part-time starts since 2023 in the team’s No. 84 car.

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“When Jimmie asked about using the number for his final race, it just felt right,” Hendrick said. “Seeing Jimmie back in the No. 48 at Daytona one last time will be quite a moment.”

Current No. 48 driver Alex Bowman, who also announced this week that 2027 will be his final season before retiring from full-time competition, will drive a different, yet-to-be-determined car number for the 2027 Daytona 500 to accommodate Johnson’s reunion with his signature machine.