Jimmie Johnson will bring one of NASCAR’s most iconic partnerships back together for one final race. Ahead of Sunday’s Brickyard 400, the seven-time Cup Series champion confirmed that his final Cup Series start at the 2027 Daytona 500 will come in the famous Hendrick Motorsports No. 48, instead of the No. 84 Legacy Motor Club Toyota that had originally been announced in his retirement plans earlier this year.
Earlier this season, Johnson revealed that the 2027 Daytona 500 would mark the final Cup race of his Hall of Fame career as he shifts his full attention toward leading Legacy Motor Club. At the time, the expectation was that he would make the farewell appearance in his No. 84 open entry.
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Instead, Hendrick Motorsports, Ally Financial and NASCAR have approved a one-race loan of the iconic No. 48, the number Johnson drove in 686 of his first 702 Cup Series starts and with which he built one of the greatest careers in the sport. Announcing the news on X alongside a tribute video, Jimmie Johnson wrote:
“One more race. One more incredible moment. Hendrick Motorsports is loaning me the No. 48 for my final Cup Series start in the 2027 DAYTONA 500. I’m beyond grateful to Rick, @Alex_Bowman, @TeamHendrick and @AllyRacing for making this possible. I never imagined this could happen. It’s a gesture I’ll carry with me forever.”
The arrangement is strictly a one-race agreement. Hendrick Motorsports will temporarily loan its stylized No. 48 to Legacy Motor Club without affecting the owner or driver points structure. Ally, which sponsored Jimmie Johnson in the final two years of his full-time Cup career before continuing its partnership with Hendrick, also signed off on the emotional reunion.
The No. 48 remains inseparable from Johnson’s legacy. Driving for Hendrick Motorsports, he won a record-tying seven Cup Series championships, including an unprecedented five consecutive titles from 2006 through 2010. He also has 83 Cup victories, two Daytona 500 wins and four Brickyard 400 triumphs in the 48, making it one of the most successful combinations in NASCAR history.
Alex Bowman, the current driver of the No. 48, has already announced that he will retire after the 2026 season. As a result, Hendrick’s Ally-backed entry for the 2027 Daytona 500 is expected to compete under a different number, with the historic No. 25 widely viewed as the most likely option for the team’s fourth car.
Rick Hendrick explains how the No. 48 reunion with Jimmie Johnson came together
The announcement was made live during TNT Sports’ pre-race coverage of the Brickyard 400, where Rick Hendrick joined Jimmie Johnson to explain how the idea developed over the past few months. According to the Hendrick Motorsports owner, Johnson reached out personally with one request for his farewell race.
“I’m really excited about being here with Jimmy. He called me up few months back and said, ‘Hey, Daytona is going to be my last race. And I sure would like to use the number 48.’ And so I talked to Ally, I talked to NASCAR, and we got it pulled off. So Jimmy will run his last race with the 48 on his car.”
Jimmie Johnson admitted the opportunity meant far more than simply racing with a familiar number, thanking the people who helped shape his career.
“Last ride. I’m beyond words and so grateful for first of all, your friendship, your mentorship, making my family part of yours. And I hope the phone call would turn out as it did. And of course it has. It means the world to me. Thank you so much, Rick. And big thanks to Ally, Hendrick Motorsports, you and Linda (Johnson). I’m so honored and excited to have my last drive. My first drive and last drive in the 48.”
Jimmie Johnson has made two Cup appearances so far this season, finishing 29th in the Daytona 500 before returning at the inaugural San Diego street race at Naval Base Coronado. There, he finished 28th after retiring from the Truck Series race earlier while running inside the top five.
Edited by Anurup Chakraborty