“Please don’t leave”: NASCAR fans gripped by emotion as Jimmie Johnson braces for his milestone Cup start 

NASCAR legend Jimmie Johnson shared the paint scheme for his last ever race at Charlotte Motor Speedway. In response, fans have rallied behind the seven time champion with their hearfelt reactions.

In 2001, Johnson made his Cup Series debut at Charlotte when he took the wheel of a Hendrick Motorsports car. The partnership bore witness to a historical run that saw him bag seven Cup championships with the team. He remained with the team until his retirement in 2020, but he continued to make one-off starts with his co-owned Legacy Motor Club at crown jewel events like Daytona 500 and Coca-Cola 600.

Driving the No.84 Toyota Camry, his most recent start at Daytona led to an impressive third place finish, the best result he'd posted since returning to part-time competition. Up next, his racing career comes full circle as he returns to Charlotte Motor Speedway to make his 700th start during the Memorial Day weekend.

On Wednesday, May 14, Johnson unveiled the paint scheme for the milestone Cup start with the following caption:

"That’s a great-looking scheme for Cup start No. 700."

Fans took notice of the announcement and shared their emotional reactions to Johnson's swan song.

"Please don't leave Jimmie we need you." a fan stated.

Another X user echoed the sentiment.

"Please don’t be the last. Wish you’d run all the plate races", a fan wrote

Meanwhile, a fan praised the livery and expressed their support for the outing,

"Great looking ride, hope you give it a good showing. The neon yellow on the numbers just feels so right."

Here are some more reactions:

"Good luck win the race for all your fans," a fan said.

"Neon number Jimmie is back," an X user commented.

"Have fun in your last start ever champ," another fan said.

Jimmie Johnson is set to continue in his role as a team owner, as he claimed a majority stake in Legacy Motor Club earlier this year.

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Jimmie Johnson reflects upon the weight of his final race at Charlotte

Jimmie Johnson recently opened up about his monumental 700th Cup start coinciding with the venue of his debut, Charlotte Motor Speedway. The 49-year-old spoke about how his induction into the Hall of Fame made him appreciate these milestones a lot more.

During an episode of the podcast, Victory Lane with Davey Segal, Johnson shared his thoughts about his final bout on-track.

"I'm like, dang, my first was at Charlotte and now my 700th will be at Charlotte. And so, you know, it's put a lot more weight on it....And the experience I had going into the Hall of Fame, I am now reflecting and savoring my career in these moments that I have to be back in the car and experience the stuff." Jimmie Johnson said.[1:14 onwards]

Jimmie Johnson has made 39 starts at Charlotte Motor Speedway and claimed a race win in eight of them. The 49-year-old's last two starts in the Next Gen Era have not gone so well for him, but if his P3 result in Daytona is anything to go by, one can expect a serious comeback from the seven time Cup champion.