Skip to main content
Join Now
NASCAR Logo

Jimmie Johnson confirms Daytona 500 entry, reveals 2026 paint scheme

JHby: Jonathan Howard12/18/25Jondean25

Finally, confirmation that Seven-Time is back for the 2026 Daytona 500. On top of that, we already have the paint scheme. Jimmie Johnson earned a P3 finish in the race last season. He’s back for more with Carvana and ready to give it another go.

Jimmie Johnson already confirmed that he was going to race at San Diego. Now, we know he’s competing in the Daytona 500. The question now is, will Johnson take the notable driver exemption? It would give Johnson an automatic spot in the field and increase the total field size to 41 cars.

When a champion like Johnson is in the field, it is always exciting. It felt like he might have more of a feel for the Next Gen car after only competing in two races last year. We’ll see if that continues to be the case this time around.

Here is the Carvana scheme via Joseph Srigley of Racing America. Another blue Carvana scheme. No Creed, no Shaq, just Jimmie.

Last year, Daytona went great for Jimmie Johnson. He survived the big wreck at the end and was one of the few cars that actually emerged from the wreckage. It was a confusing call from NASCAR, which appeared to be leaning towards going back to holding the caution flag on the last lap to allow a green flag finish. It ended up biting them in the rear more than anything.

Legacy Motor Club has had ups and downs. Towards the end of last year, the Legacy Toyotas were starting to catch on. John Hunter Nemechek and Erik Jones had a few solid performances that showed what this program is capable of. Will three cars be better than two at Daytona in 2026?

Jimmie Johnson is still racing in NASCAR

Even at 50 years old, Jimmie Johnson is still competing in NASCAR. Quite frankly, let him compete as long as he wants to. As he continues to race, critics say he is hurting his reputation. I once thought that. There is no amount of one-off DNFs and bad races that can negate 83 wins and seven championships.

On top of that, Johnson is helping his organization. Legacy Motor Club is in a unique position. They are able to leverage Johnson in sponsorship negotiations. Putting your brand on a couple of Cup Series cars is great. Getting to partner with one of the GOATs in racing and it’s a no-brainer.

Of course, Legacy Motor Club is close to expanding to three cars full-time. They own a third charter, which was purchased from Rick Ware Racing this year. Despite legal issues, the two sides agreed on the sale, which was around $45 million for the charter. That price has likely doubled and likely gone up to a $100 million value after the antitrust lawsuit settlement. Those charters are now permanent.

For this season, Legacy and Jimmie Johnson weren’t ready to expand. It was too late notice, and there were other more important things to deal with before expanding to a third car. In 2027, Legacy will likely take that charter back, which is being leased to RFK Racing for the second year, and who they put in that car could determine the future of their organization.