7-time NASCAR champ Jimmie Johnson touches down in Charlotte ahead of his 700th Cup start

Following a drive around the Indianapolis Motor Speedway with NFL star Tom Brady, Jimmie Johnson has arrived at Charlotte Motor Speedway for the Coca-Cola 600. He is racing again for his 700th start in the NASCAR Cup Series.

Driving the #84 Legacy Motor Club Toyota, Johnson started in 17th place between the team's full-time drivers, John Hunter Nemechek (sixth) and Erik Jones (27th). Out of his 83 Cup wins, four are Coca-Cola 600 victories (2003, 2004, 2005, 2014).

NASCAR Insider Steven Taranto shared an update on X about Johnson's arrival at the 1.5-mile North Carolina track after a short visit to the Indy 500.

“Jimmie Johnson has made it to Charlotte Motor Speedway after a lap at Indy earlier today,” Taranto wrote on X.

Before the 2025 Indy 500 started, Johnson drove a two-seater IndyCar racecar with Tom Brady at IMS. Both athletes won seven championships in their respective sports, with Johnson securing his titles in the #48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet.

The 49-year-old is a part-time driver and co-owner of Legacy Motor Club (formerly Petty GMS Motorsports). The Coca-Cola 600 is his second start of the year following a respectable third-place finish (from a 40th starting position) in the Daytona 500.

Jimmie Johnson driving the #84 Toyota at Charlotte Motor Speedway - Source: Imagn

The 400-lap, 600-mile race at Charlotte Motor Speedway kicked off at 6:00 p.m. ET. It is set to be Johnson's final start of the 2025 season, giving him his 700th start in the premier series, tying Buddy Baker on the all-time list.

Richard Petty, who is also a seven-time Cup champion, leads the list with 1,184 starts. Petty works alongside Johnson as a team ambassador at LMC.

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“It is part of our plan”: Jimmie Johnson plans to add more races after 700th start at Charlotte

The 2025 Coca-Cola 600 may be Jimmie Johnson's final start this year, but the seven-time champion plans to enter more races in the coming seasons. However, Legacy Motor Club will limit Johnson's part-time schedule to prevent affecting resources for its full-time drivers.

Speaking to RACER.com's Kelly Crandall, the El Cajon, California native opened up about his plans.

“Last year, I ran nine. It was a little too much on the organization. This year, I’m at two. Maybe we do a few more, so as we plan for next year, as long as it doesn’t take away from our full-time cars, we hope to run an unchartered vehicle and have me in it, and use that to develop talent, and also help develop partnerships and such."

“It is part of our plan. We don’t have ’26 picked yet, but rest assured, there (are) more than 700 starts. I’m jumping up and down asking for more races than two,” he added.

Jimmie Johnson won his seventh championship in 2016 - Source: Imagn

After retiring from full-time NASCAR competition in 2020, Johnson competed in the IndyCar Series for two seasons. He was one of NASCAR's Greatest Drivers in 2023 and was inducted into the Hall of Fame Class of 2024.