“Really tough to do on a limited schedule”: Jimmie Johnson explains what makes “a lot of sense” for his NASCAR future

Seven-time Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson recently sat down with SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Ch. 90 for an interview. During the interaction, the former Hendrick Motorsports driver opened up about crossing items off his bucket list and his future in the stock car racing series.

Johnson debuted in the Cup Series in 2001 as a part-time driver for Hendrick Motorsports. A year later, he landed his first-ever full-time seat in the #48 Chevy and piloted it until his full-time retirement in 2020. Then the former NASCAR driver made his comeback in 2023 with Legacy Motor Club, piloting the #84 on special occasions.

During the interaction, Jimmie Johnson revealed that he has achieved several goals with Carvana, the sponsor of the #84 Toyota Camry XSE. He claimed the sponsor supported him during his IndyCar stint and further talked about his future in NASCAR [00:28]:

“Running at a high cadence in the Cup Series is really, really difficult, and I had a lot of exposure to that last year running the nine events. The cars are so specific, and the way you drive them, the team support, pit stops, all these different elements are really tough to do on a limited schedule. But for the right races and the right reasons, that really makes a lot of sense. I’d love to continue to expand and tick more of these bucket list opportunities off my list.”

Following his list, Jimmie Johnson announced earlier this month that he will be returning to the Cup Series in the 2026 season. The Legacy Motor Club owner is set to compete in the inaugural event in San Diego at Naval Base Coronado in June 2026.

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"I would like to see some changes": Jimmie Johnson called out the NextGen cars as they failed to meet his expectations

In August 2025, former Hendrick Motorsports driver Jimmie Johnson was featured in the Happy Hour podcast with Kevin Harvick on YouTube. During the episode, Johnson called out the generation seven cars and requested "changes."

The NextGen cars were first introduced during the 2022 Daytona 500 and have been a topic of debate since then. The majority of NASCAR veterans want to make changes to the modern-era car, and Johnson is among them. The former HMS driver believes that the Gen-7 cars cannot generate side force.

Jimmie Johnson further explained [25:00 onward]:

"I would like to see some changes. You know, I think a car that gains side force and yaw is a better car, one that drives better, more interesting, puts on a better show. This car does not do that. But to make those changes in the way you'll have to, all three OEMs have to submit wind tunnel time, all the expenses that go with it, I know it's a slow-moving machine." "The other thing that I would like to consider is a taller sidewall on the cars. the lower profile sidewall I think takes a lot of the feel out of it and being able to slide it and understand it," he added.

Jimmie Johnson has completed 14 races in the NextGen cars since 2023, driving the #84 Toyota Camry XSE for his team, Legacy Motor Club. Since then, Johnson has secured only one top-five finish at the Daytona 500 this season, where he finished in P3.

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Edited by Karan Yadav