When NASCAR announced that Naval Base Coronado, San Diego, will host all three NASCAR national series in 2026, Jimmie Johnson was delighted. He never thought NASCAR would be able to race there. WIth a stop confirmed, the seven-time Cup Series champion pledged to do everything he can to be a part of the triple-header weekend.
Jimmie Johnson is the co-owner of Legacy Motor Club, a two-car team that operates full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series. Besides that, the Statesville-based organization also fields the No. 84 Toyota Camry XSE that the El Cajon native himself races on a part-time basis.
“To see this all come together now, I am so excited to have a race back in my hometown,” Jimmie Johnson said. “I’m happy to be here on the call supporting it.”
“Obviously it’s new news, but the desire to race in my hometown is off the charts. So, I will aggressively work on being in the event, and if for some reason I’m not able to pull that off, I will absolutely be there and help support Legacy Motor Club, all of our partners, NASCAR, the city,” he added.
2026 will also mark the 20th anniversary of the Jimmie Johnson Foundation. The non-profit organization awards annual financial grants to K-12 public and charter schools to help them address critical needs. To this day, JJF has given out 6,973,619 grants to 173 school projects. The veteran racer made his career’s 700th start in this year’s running of the annual Coca-Cola 600, becoming the 21st driver to hit the milestone.
Jimmie Johnson reveals his racing plans for 2025
Jimmie Johnson ran only two races this year: the crown jewel Coca-Cola 600 and the season-opening Daytona 500. However, the 49-year-old might be running more races in 2026.
Johnson will turn 50 in September. Most drivers retire before that age. However, when asked when he is going to retire fully, the driver said,
“I want to keep going. I want to stay in a car. I think it’s good for us.”
As things stand, Legacy Motor Club is currently vying for a third charter. And if that happens, Johnson could earn several sponsor-driven rides in 2026.
“Need to start building a team,“ Johnson further continued. “There’s a chance that I run more races next year if we have a third charter on the docket and have a sponsor to bring along, team members to groom, a crew chief to get reps, a driver to get reps. I’m hopeful I can keep going.”
Legacy Motor Club recently sued Rick Ware Racing for backing out of an agreement they made back in March, promising Jimmie Johnson’s team the sale of what could have been the latter's third charter. So whether they get their hands on a third charter depends on the court’s ruling.
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