Jimmie Johnson Reveals Final Cup Start–with a Stunning Surprise
What’s Happening? Jimmie Johnson announced live during TNT Sports’ NASCAR pre-race coverage that he will make one final NASCAR Cup Series…
Just a week after NASCAR legend Jimmie Johnson announced he would race the No. 48 in his final NASCAR Cup Series race next season, it seems that won’t be the only reunion happening, as his long-time sponsor Lowe’s is now teasing a return to the sport.
Johnson, already a NASCAR Hall of Famer, first announced his retirement from part-time NASCAR Cup Series racing in February, saying that his final race will be in the 2027 Daytona 500.
Due to the impending expansion of his team, Legacy Motor Club, which will use his part-time No. 84 as a full-time team in 2027, Johnson was left without a number for his final start.
Initially, the seven-time Cup Series Champion said he was planning to race the No. 13, a tribute to LMC investors Knighthead Capital, but at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, during the TNT Sports pre-race show, Hendrick Motorsports owner Rick Hendrick said that he was leasing LMC the 48 for Johnson’s final race.
What’s Happening? Jimmie Johnson announced live during TNT Sports’ NASCAR pre-race coverage that he will make one final NASCAR Cup Series…
At the time, fans expressed hope that Johnson could reunite with Lowe’s, who sponsored him in the Cup Series from 2001 to 2018, a reunion that would have returned the North Carolina-based company to NASCAR for the first time since their 2018 exit.
Of course, with Johnson’s ties to sponsors Carvana and Ally, as well as Lowe’s absence from the sport, this seemed like a long shot, but in a surprise twist, on Monday afternoon, it seemed the gears were turning towards a reunion.
In a post to X, Lowe’s tagged Ally and Carvana, asking, “Need an ally for a last ride? Check your DMs.
This post was not out of the blue, as it seemed a bit scripted, with Carvana, Ally, and Johnson all chiming in with responses of their own, with Johnson responding, “Let me put you guys in a group chat.”
Prior to this past weekend, during an interview with SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, Johnson played down a reunion with Lowe’s, saying that it felt like “too far of a reach.”
While some fans have said they feel Johnson was playing coy, others think that online support from fans may have helped get the attention of Lowe’s.
Nothing has been announced just yet about a potential sponsorship, though, even if it is not a primary sponsorship, fans will likely be happy to see Lowe’s back in the fold, even for a one-off.
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