A new venue is on NASCAR’s calendar, but it is an old one for Jimmie Johnson. In the past week, Cup Series drivers visited the Coronado Naval Base in San Diego for a trailer experience of an upcoming racetrack. With turns crossing aircraft carriers, helicopters, and F-18s, this venue in Southern California will deviate from a typical NASCAR track. While this novelty is piquing the interest of most racers, Johnson has a deeply personal interest in the area.

Jimmie Johnson retired back in 2020, but he has been amply involved, nonetheless. With a two-year stint in IndyCar followed by team ownership and part-time roles in NASCAR, it seemed like Johnson was not satisfied. However, with NASCAR going back to Johnson’s roots, he might be next year.

Jimmie Johnson takes a trip down memory lane

NASCAR is going to SoCal next year, right into Jimmie Johnson’s home territory. The 83-time Cup Series race winner was raised in El Cajon, California, located about 15 miles to the Northeast of San Diego and the Coronado Naval Base. Hence, Wednesday’s announcement about NASCAR’s visit during the June 19-21 weekend of 2026 got Johnson excited. He ran Legacy Motor Club’s No. 84 entry just twice in 2025, in the Daytona 500 and the Coca-Cola 600. Now, however, Johnson has something to add to his bucket list for the next season. The reasons for his soaring enthusiasm can be traced back a few decades in his hometown.

Jimmie Johnson recollected those reasons in a recent interview. Speaking with journalist Claire B. Lang, Johnson broached the rich history of dirt racing in San Diego. The San Diego Supercross was held in Jack Murphy/Qualcomm Stadium 31 times from 1980-2014, and spelled Johnson’s fondest childhood memories. “My world was dirt,” he said. “Where I grew up, just inland in El Cajon, that really is the hot spot for motocross racing when you look back through the 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s. All the champions came out of there. Anybody who wanted to be a champion moved to that area.”

His father took him out to IMSA races, like a 1987 event in Del Mar Fairgrounds, won by Bobby Rahal. The sport in which Jimmie Johnson won 7 championships, however, was not around when Johnson grew up. He continued, “NASCAR Street Racing, asphalt racing in general, was a little harder to find. We had plenty of sprint car tracks; there was a racetrack in Chula Vista called Speedway 117. Ventura wasn’t too far away…Very limited experience, specifically to the San Diego area.” As NASCAR proceeds to make a mark in Johnson’s ‘dirt world’, Johnson is heavily optimistic. “I think this provides a great opportunity to show the racing scene there,” he said.

There is no doubt about Johnson’s optimism, as it may convince him to stay a few more years in the sport.

Not looking for an exit just yet

Well, Jimmie Johnson’s long reign in NASCAR has been a golden one. He is arguably one of the best Cup Series racers that the sport has ever seen, with magnanimous feats such as a 5-year consecutive streak of clinching championships. However, his stride has been lengthy – Johnson made his 600th Cup Series start at Charlotte Motor Speedway on 25th May, and NASCAR’s unveiling of San Diego plans is only motivating him to stay longer. Presently, he is occupied with revamping his team, Legacy Motor Club, and gleaning some pretty results this year. Johnson’s desire to race in his hometown of San Diego is “off the charts”, but if he cannot drive, he will ensure his drivers do.

Hence, questions of retirement just flew out the window for Jimmie Johnson. He admitted to his undiminished ambitions recently: “I want to keep going. I want to stay in a car. I think it’s good for us. We’re hopeful to have a third charter. Need to start building a team. 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. There’s a lot of scenarios that are in play. I’m hopeful I can keep going…I have more years in me. I want to keep going.”

Evidently, Jimmie Johnson wants to relive his prime once again. With NASCAR’s new destination on the radar, let us look forward to the legend’s work soon.