A number of drivers have unveiled new one-off paint schemes in the past few weeks. Now, Jimmie Johnson is the next driver to jump on the bandwagon and unveil his own throwback paint job. Johnson is set to race in a face-lifted car when the fraternity head to the Darlington Raceway, his final race.

Since the veteran is retiring at the end of the season, a number of tributes are pouring in. Recently, the 7-time NASCAR Cup Series champion revealed that he is paying tribute to fellow 7-time champions, Dale Earnhardt and Richard Petty.

According to the Dale Jr. Download, the new paint job features a mix of the various paint schemes. Aside from Johnson’s own livery, it also blends Dale Earnhardt’s black No. 3 and Richard Petty’s iconic No. 43.

Why is Jimmie Johnson going this extra mile?

As mentioned before, Johnson has one last shot at making the playoffs before hanging his boots. There are just three races remaining in the regular season, and Johnson lags behind Hendrick Motorsports teammate William Byron.

Byron currently occupies the final playoff berth and Johnson is 25 points adrift of the 22-year old. With the Southern 500 heralding the final race before the playoffs, Jimmie Johnson knows that it is all or nothing. Even if he does not make it into the playoff, we can be sure that he will go out on a high note and make his swan song memorable.

For the moment, the 83-time race winner heads to the Dover International Speedway doubleheader with confidence. The 44-year old is eager to obliterate his 117-race winless streak for an automatic postseason bid. Johnson hopes for a great result at a track that has gifted him 11 career wins.

The good news is that this won’t be the last that NASCAR sees of Johnson, because he is retiring from full-time racing. In other words, there is a chance that he will be open to sporadic appearances.