7-time NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson honored before the Sonoma race

Ahead of the Toyota/Save Mart 350, Jimmie Johnson was inducted into the Sonoma Raceway Wall of Fame for his contributions to NASCAR and the Californian circuit. In 18 starts at Sonoma, Johnson had nine top-10 finishes and one win in 2010, which was his only road course victory in his illustrious career.

During his racing days, Johnson, who only drove for Hendrick Motorsports, won 83 Cup Series races, tied sixth with Cale Yarborough on the all-time list. More notably, the Californian native bagged seven championships, joining Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt Sr. in the elite club. He retired in 2020 before becoming a co-owner at Legacy Motor Club three years later.

In a press release, the 49-year-old was grateful for the induction at his home track, saying (via Jayski's):

“What an honor. I have this forever up in Sonoma Raceway history. Thank you so much for this amazing surprise.”

Meanwhile, Brian Flynn, executive vice president and general manager at Sonoma Raceway, said:

“We are honored to celebrate Jimmie Johnson’s incredible legacy by inducting him into the Sonoma Raceway Wall of Fame.” “Jimmie’s accomplishments, both at our track and across his storied career, embody the spirit of excellence that defines this sport. As a California native, his impact resonates deeply with our fans and community,” Flynn added.

Jimmie Johnson won the 2010 Save Mart 350 at Sonoma Raceway - Source: Imagn

When Jimmie Johnson won at Sonoma Raceway (then-Infineon Raceway) in 2010, the then-#48 Chevrolet driver led for 55 of 110 laps before taking the checkered flag ahead of Robby Gordon by 3.105 seconds. He later concluded the season with his fifth consecutive championship.

Now, Johnson oversees the two-car driver lineup at Legacy Motor Club. John Hunter Nemechek, driver of the #42 LMC Toyota, started the 2025 Toyota/Save Mart 350 in 18th place ahead of his teammate Erik Jones (#43) in 31st.

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Jimmie Johnson shares his prospects for potential third car at Legacy Motor Club

Earlier this month, Jimmie Johnson touched on Legacy Motor Club's plan to expand its driver lineup to three. When asked who his prospects were, the LMC co-owner cited NASCAR Xfinity Series rookies Connor Zilisch and Jesse Love.

In an episode of the Never Settle podcast, the seven-time NASCAR champ said:

"When you look through the Xfinity Series, Connor Zilisch, Jesse Love. I think you also look through the garage area in the Cup Series, and there's some young talent that took early steps to get into vehicles.” “So there are just questions in my mind, especially wearing my team owner's hat. We're looking to expand to a third car and hope to announce some stuff here in the near future around that. But where to look, it's tough,” he added.

Both Connor Zilisch and Jesse Love are currently in the top five in the Xfinity Series' points standings. They each won at least one race, with Zilisch securing three, including the recently concluded Pit Boss/FoodMaxx 250 at Sonoma Raceway.

Johnson plans to add a new car to the Statesville-based outfit next year. However, if the plan doesn't fall through, the team is considering getting it done by 2027.

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Edited by Rupesh