Jimmie Johnson returns to NASCAR in driver/ownership role

The seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion has entered an ownership agreement with Maury Gallagher and Chairman Richard Petty at the organization. 

The team currently fields the No. 43 Chevrolet of Erik Jones and the No. 42 Chevrolet of Ty Dillon. It was already announced that Dillon will be replaced by Noah Gragson for the 2023 season.

The team will enter a third car in a handful of events for Johnson, including the season-opening Daytona 500. It will be his 20th appearance in NASCAR’s biggest race.

Johnson, a winner of 83 NCS races and two Daytona 500s, hasn’t started a Cup race since the 2020 season finale at Phoenix, where he finished fifth. 

“I couldn’t be happier to have Jimmie Johnson joining Petty GMS,” stated Gallagher in a release from the team. “We have been consistent since we began our Cup effort last year in wanting to be up front and have a winning program. No one in the modern era of NASCAR has won more than Jimmie. Having a driver, the caliber of Jimmie, driving our equipment and being able to provide feedback to our crew chiefs and engineers but most importantly, mentoring Erik and Noah will be invaluable. Perhaps most important of all, Jimmie will be a great partner. I know I speak for all the Petty GMS team members, including Richard Petty, in welcoming Jimmie to the team. No one else will be able to say they have two seven-time Cup champions on their team. We are looking to make a strong statement next year and show that we are here to contend for wins and championships. I can’t wait to see what we can achieve together.”

Johnson has spent the last couple years competing as an IndyCar driver with Chip Ganassi Racing, as well the endurance races on the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar calendar. In 29 starts, his best result in IndyCar was a fifth at Iowa. Competing in the DPi class, he earned two podiums — a runner-up finish in the 2021 Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona and third-place finish at Petit Le Mans earlier this year.

In his Indianapolis 500 debut, Johnson started 12th and finished 28th after a late-race incident.

“It’s great to be back in NASCAR,” said Johnson. “When the INDYCAR season ended I started on this journey of what was next. Maury and I connected, this opportunity came to light and it’s the perfect fit for me. Team ownership makes so much sense at this stage of my…