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Former NASCAR driver and seven-time Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson, who retired from NASCAR after the 2022 season, has dropped hints at a one-off return to Cup racing in 2023.
There is a possibility that the #48 driver could be in the NASCAR All-Star Race in 2023. With sponsor Carvana returning, Johnson knows he will be racing next year, but he is yet to confirm his future endeavors – IndyCar, IMSA, and possibly NASCAR Cup Series among the many options.
With NASCAR announcing that historic North Wilkesboro Speedway will host the 2023 All-Star Race, fans on Twitter are keen to watch him race again in the All-Star Race event.
According to NBC Sports reporter Nate Ryan, Jimmie Johnson didn’t mention any Cup or Xfinity as a possibility, but when Ryan said that fans were excited to see him at the upcoming All-Star Race in 2023, the former Hendrick Motorsports driver smiled and said it could be an option.
Ryan said:
“So I told @JimmieJohnson that #nascar fans already were asking about him possibly racing at North Wilkesboro. And Jimmie’s face lit up as he noted that as the 2013 All-Star Race winner, he still could be eligible under a 10-year exemption. “That’s another option!” he smiled.”
NASCAR regularly changes the qualifications and formats of its All-Star Race, so there is certainly room for a four-time winner of the event if he decides to enter the 2023 All-Star Race. It would be a treat to watch a driver with so many achievements in his time driving the Next Gen car.
Jimmie Johnson took off his helmet for the final time at Phoenix Raceway in 2020 and retired from the sport as the greatest driver to compete in Cup Series history, earning 83 wins and more impressively seven Cup titles.
“I wish I had more to share” – Jimmie Johnson on his next year
Since stepping back from NASCAR, Jimmie Johnson has shifted his focus to IndyCar, where he joined Chip Ganassi Racing as a #48 Honda driver.
Johnson, who still has to decide what’s in store for him for 2023, speaking about his race schedule next year, said:
“I wish I had more to share. I do have this news in September vs. December last year. My typical journey, especially in IndyCar, the season finishes, and I take some time to figure out what I really want to do. Explore the options that I have in front of me. And then make a decision.”
He raced in the 2022 IndyCar season as a full-time driver for Chip Ganassi Racing, where he ended the season in 21st place in the points standings, which included one top-five and two top-10 finishes.
The 46-year-old struggled on the road course but has shown improvement this season as compared to last year’s IndyCar season.
