Jimmie Johnson has announced that the 2027 Daytona 500 will be his final Cup Series start, but walking away still feels distant. In an interview with The Dan Le Batard Show, he opened up about why his retirement has taken three attempts to reach a proper goodbye.
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“Those butterflies before game time, that’s the high I’ve chased since I was five years old, and it’s hard to believe it’s going to go away,” Johnson shared.
Johnson’s first attempt came after the 2020 season, when he stepped away from full-time Cup racing with Hendrick Motorsports. But the COVID-19 pandemic reshaped that final year. Many races took place without spectators, and the farewell he had imagined never really happened.
“COVID was my first attempt at retirement, so I think I’m in my third go-around here,” Johnson said. “COVID really affected that final year, and I haven’t felt the closure to stepping away from Cup, so I’m thankful to be back. I’ve been in the car now, I have a team, and really get to have that moment in February.”
His return gave him opportunities to compete again, first in IndyCar and later through select Cup appearances with Legacy Motor Club. Yet the prospect of one more Daytona 500 carries a different meaning. Johnson has confirmed that the 2027 Daytona 500 will be his final Cup Series start, scheduled for February 21.
He knows exactly what he will miss most. It is not simply driving a car or competing for another result. It is the feeling that comes before a race, when everything is still possible.
“The thing that hits me first is the nerves before a race, especially the Daytona 500, to know that I get to do that one more time,” Johnson explained. “I have no clue what the outcome will be, and I think we’ll be quite competitive.”
Johnson has reasons to approach the race with confidence. He finished third in the 2025 Daytona 500, his best result since returning to Cup competition. He also won the event twice, in 2006 and 2013. This final appearance will give him another opportunity to compete rather than simply celebrate his career.
When asked whether remaining an owner would soften the transition, Johnson said that certain experiences cannot be replaced.
“Being under the bright lights, those game-time moments,” he said. “I always dreamed of being in them, and then I got into them, and I could do well at it. Those moments are going to be tough to miss.”
Johnson became Legacy Motor Club’s majority owner in 2025 and will continue working on the organization’s future after leaving the driver’s seat. His involvement in NASCAR, therefore, will not end at Daytona.
Still, ownership cannot recreate the experience of climbing into a race car and waiting for the green flag. Johnson has spent decades chasing that feeling, winning seven Cup championships and 83 races along the way. February 2027 will give him one final chance to experience it as a driver. This time, he knows exactly what he is saying goodbye to.