Where Should Jimmie Johnson Race In 2023?

In addition to the Daytona 500, in which other NASCAR Cup Series events should Jimmie Johnson participate in 2023?

Stephen Stumpf: I could see Jimmie Johnson competing at his best tracks, brand-new circuits and the crown jewels. The latter would be the Daytona 500, Coca-Cola 600, Southern 500 and the Bristol Motor Speedway night race. That takes his total up to four. Johnson has at least five wins at Dover Motor Speedway, Martinsville Speedway, Auto Club Speedway and Texas Motor Speedway. One race apiece would bring his total up to eight. Finally, I imagine that new tracks will be on his bucket list. Johnson has never competed at Circuit of the Americas, Nashville Superspeedway or World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway. Along with the new Chicago Street Course, that would bring his total up to 12. And although it wouldn’t be a points race, everyone will be eager to make the All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway. I envision him running about 12 races in 2023.

Luken Glover: Johnson has expressed interest in several other events in the Cup Series. Two are exhibition races: The Busch Light Clash at the LA Coliseum and the All-Star Race. Who wouldn’t want to see the most recent seven-time champion finally compete at North Wilkesboro? With four Coca-Cola 600 wins, that crown-jewel event is one he should run, potentially completing the Memorial Day double. Then there is the inaugural Chicago race. With the experience he gained in the NTT IndyCar Series, that is one at which he could be competitive. If I had to throw another in, it would be Auto Club (his home track) or Martinsville, where he has nine wins.

Mark Kristl: Johnson definitely ought to run the first Cup event at Darlington Raceway. He could easily throwback to any number of paint schemes, be it Petty- or GMS-related, or any other NASCAR legends. Because 2023 will be the final time Auto Club hosts NASCAR as a 2-mile racetrack before becoming a short track, the California native might want to race there too because it’s his home racetrack and he is a six-time winner there.

Amy Henderson: I’d expect Johnson to run the tracks he has fun at: Charlotte, Martinsville and Dover. He’ll probably want to run the All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro because he never had a chance to race there. Maybe the Southern 500, but that’s a playoff race, so he may not want to get in the way of that. Look, as a driver, he has nothing to prove. He’s earned the right to go out and have some fun, so…