For two decades, the sight of Jimmie Johnson’s No. 48 filling a rearview mirror usually meant trouble for the rest of the NASCAR garage. Now, the number is coming back for one final race.
Johnson will drive the No. 48 in the 2027 Daytona 500, his final scheduled NASCAR Cup Series start. Legacy Motor Club will prepare the Toyota, while Hendrick Motorsports and Ally have approved the use of Johnson’s familiar stylized number for the event.
The arrangement required support from Alex Bowman and NASCAR, but it does not place Johnson back in a Hendrick Chevrolet. Instead, it gives one of the sport’s greatest drivers a chance to close his career with the number attached to all 83 of his Cup victories and all seven of his championships.
This is no ordinary paint scheme change. It is the return of a number that shaped an era.
The Number That Changed NASCAR’s Championship Standard
Johnson made his Cup debut in the No. 48 at Charlotte Motor Speedway in 2001. Over the next 19 full-time seasons, he turned it into one of the most recognizable numbers in American racing.
All 83 of his Cup victories came with Hendrick Motorsports. So did seven championships, two Daytona 500 wins and four Brickyard 400 victories. He carried the No. 48 in 686 Cup starts before his final Hendrick appearance at Phoenix in 2020.
The statistics explain the greatness, but the moments explain why the number still carries so much weight.
At Martinsville in 2007, Johnson held off teammate and mentor Jeff Gordon in a bruising door-to-door finish. Three years later, he entered the Homestead finale 15 points behind Denny Hamlin, finished second and secured an unprecedented fifth consecutive championship.
That stretch made the Lowe’s-era No. 48 a weekly symbol of control. Johnson and crew chief Chad Knaus kept winning through rules changes, shifting championship formats and relentless pressure from rivals who knew the season often tilted toward the same team once autumn arrived.
Their five straight titles from 2006 through 2010 remain unmatched. Johnson later added championships in 2013 and 2016, tying Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt with seven.
How the Historic Reunion Became Possible
Manufacturer loyalty influences nearly every part of modern NASCAR. Teams protect branding, technical relationships and sponsor identity while Chevrolet, Ford and Toyota compete for the same trophies.
The Johnson agreement carefully avoids crossing those competitive lines. Hendrick Motorsports is not supplying a Chevrolet, chassis or race operation to Legacy Motor Club. It is allowing Johnson’s team to use the stylized No. 48 for one event.
Legacy will still field its own Toyota. Bowman will compete for Hendrick Motorsports and Ally under a different number, which will be announced later. NASCAR has also ensured that neither team’s points position will change because of the temporary switch.
Rick Hendrick, Bowman, Ally and NASCAR all had to approve the plan. Their agreement creates a rare compromise that celebrates Johnson’s past without disrupting Bowman’s current campaign.
For Johnson, the request was deeply personal.
“This is far more than a number. The 48 represents people, relationships, memories and a chapter of my life that shaped who I am,” Jimmie Johnson said.
The reunion also reflects the relationship between Johnson and Hendrick, which continued long after their driver-and-team partnership ended. Johnson now competes against Hendrick Motorsports as a Legacy owner, but his achievements remain central to the organization’s history.
Daytona Gives Johnson a Real Chance to Race
The farewell will carry enormous sentimental weight, but Johnson did not choose Daytona merely for the ceremony.
Drafting tracks reward instinct, patience and lane control. A veteran who survives the Big One and reads the closing laps correctly can reach the front, even without racing every week.
Johnson proved that point in the 2025 Daytona 500. Driving the No. 84 Toyota, he avoided the late-race chaos and finished third behind William Byron and Tyler Reddick.
That result gives the 2027 return genuine competitive credibility. Johnson understands how quickly manufacturer lines form in the draft, when to protect the bottom lane and when a late push can create a chance to win.
Still, sentiment will disappear once the green flag drops. Johnson and Legacy Motor Club have struggled to find consistent speed in recent part-time starts, and Daytona punishes even small mistakes.
One mistimed block can trigger the Big One. A poor pit sequence can separate a driver from his drafting partners. Johnson may need help from proven superspeedway racers such as Ryan Blaney or Denny Hamlin to reach the front in the closing laps.
Every camera will follow the No. 48, but Johnson’s attention will remain on the checkered flag.
One Number Connects Hendrick’s Past With Legacy’s Future
Johnson’s first farewell in 2020 never received the full public sendoff his career deserved. Pandemic restrictions kept fans away from much of the season and muted the final months of his full-time run.
Daytona offers a cleaner ending. The grandstands will be full, the event will carry the weight of the Great American Race and Johnson will once again have the No. 48 on the door.
He is not leaving NASCAR after the checkered flag. His work as an owner at Legacy Motor Club will continue, and building that Toyota program now stands as the defining challenge of his next chapter.
Johnson is not simply taking a ceremonial final lap. He is linking his dominant Hendrick past with his long-term vision for Legacy’s future.
The No. 48 once represented the standard Johnson set for the entire garage. At Daytona, it will also represent the responsibility he carries into the next stage of his career.
One final start cannot recreate the championship years. It can, however, give one of NASCAR’s greatest careers the ending it missed the first time.
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FAQs
Q1. Is Jimmie Johnson driving the No. 48 in the 2027 Daytona 500?
Yes. Johnson will use the No. 48 for his final scheduled NASCAR Cup Series start at Daytona.
Q2. Will Jimmie Johnson drive a Chevrolet or Toyota in his final race?
Johnson will drive a Legacy Motor Club Toyota. Hendrick Motorsports is loaning the team its stylized No. 48 for one race.
Q3. Why can Jimmie Johnson use Hendrick Motorsports’ No. 48?
Rick Hendrick, Ally, Alex Bowman and NASCAR approved the temporary arrangement. It will not affect either team’s points position.
Q4. What number will Alex Bowman drive in the 2027 Daytona 500?
Hendrick Motorsports has not announced Bowman’s number for the race. He will remain in the Ally-sponsored Hendrick entry.
Q5. Has Jimmie Johnson won the Daytona 500 before?
Yes. Johnson won the Daytona 500 in 2006 and 2013. He also finished third in the 2025 race.
