There are a few names in NASCAR that evoke nothing but admiration. Jimmie Johnson is one of them, as the former Hendrick Motorsports legend continues to inspire young racers. Holding seven Cup Series championships alongside 83 race trophies is no mean feat. And even after accumulating so much success, Johnson admitted to seeking more of it.

Jimmie Johnson is inspired by another legend

“Thinking of, you know, time I spent on the couch with my dad and my grandfather and my grandfather’s opinion of Mario Andretti because he went anywhere and raced anything,” Jimmie Johnson said on SPEED With Harvick And Burton. “I’ve always wanted to, you know, find the right balance of bucket list races or unique experiences to do.”

Mario Andretti, a name that rolls off the tongue like royalty, had a star-studded career. He was a winner in IndyCar, sports cars, stock cars, and Formula 1 while racing full-time between 1964 and 1994. And Jimmie Johnson is on a similar mission to charge up his career. After retiring from the NASCAR Cup Series in 2020, he raced two seasons in IndyCar with Chip Ganassi Racing in 2021-2022. Now, Johnson is returning for a Truck Series schedule in 2026.

After running the 2026 Daytona 500, Jimmie Johnson will wheel a Trophy Truck in the Mint 400 on March 8. He will also race for TRICON Garage in the June 19 Craftsman Truck Series street race at Naval Base Coronado in San Diego, near his El Cajon hometown. All these racing duties will be executed alongside Johnson’s duties as Legacy Motor Club owner.

“I want to experience stuff. I mean, I’m at that stage of life where I really want to challenge myself, and I have a great partner in Carvana. And they’re like, ‘Yeah, you know, no finish lines was the tagline,’ and now it’s kind of, you know, chasing bucket list items,” he added.

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Clearly, the former NASCAR star has an insatiable hunger in the motorsports realm. While Jimmie Johnson is keeping his own racing instincts alive, he is helping another driver do so as well.

A legendary team-up

The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series heads this Saturday to the OnlyBulls Green Flag 150 at St. Petersburg. And Jimmie Johnson will be the crew chief for IndyCar legend Dario Franchitti. The latter will appear in his first NASCAR race in 17 years. The duo will be teaming up for TRICON Garage, a team under the Toyota umbrella, with which Johnson’s NASCAR team (Legacy Motor Club) is also aligned.

Franchitti will need Jimmie Johnson’s help, as he has only one career Truck Series start. That happened way back in 2007 with a 33rd-place finish. He has another 18 O’Reilly Series starts with zero wins. Also, Franchitti has one top 5, plus 10 Cup Series starts with zero top 10 finishes.

The St. Petersburg event will mark the first road course race for Trucks in 31 years. It will help the Truck teams prepare even better for the San Diego Road Race.

“We want to make sure that our development series are racing at track types that allow them to advance and be prepared for the Cup level,” NASCAR Managing Director, Competition Operations, Jusan Hamilton said. “It’s conducive for the Craftsman Truck Series teams to keep them on the East Coast for the early part of their season.”

With Jimmie Johnson and more legends on board, the NASCAR world will be excited this season. Let’s wait and see how Johnson performs in his new pursuits.