Jimmie Johnson’s luck has taken a turn, with Lowe’s hinting at a reunion for his final ride at the 2027 Daytona 500. The retail company wants to partner with Ally Financial and Carvana Racing to sponsor Johnson’s No.48 ride.
Johnson has an agreement with Carvana Racing to sponsor his final Cup Series start, while Ally currently sponsors the No.48 HMS entry. Lowe’s backed Johnson from 2001 to 2018, a period when he won seven championships, five of them back-to-back.
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Johnson recently spoke withSiriusXM and shared how a reunion with Lowe’s seems far-fetched. Just days after the interview aired, Lowe’s has launched an X post, writing,
“@allyracing @CarvanaRacing need an ally for a last ride? Check your DMs 🏁”
Jimmie Johnson replied under the comments with an intriguing response.
“Let me put you guys in a group chat.”
Stars have aligned for Jimmie Johnson’s swan song. He’ll be behind the familiar No.48, albeit in a Toyota rather than a Hendrick Chevrolet. Hendrick Motorsports is loaning him the entry as a one-off deal.
Jimmie Johnson praises Rick Hendrick for loaning the No.48
Jimmie Johnson stands next to Rick Hendrick Sunday, May 25, 2025, ahead of the 109th running of the Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Jimmie Johnson is all praise for team owner Rick Hendrick. He recently recalled how the No.48 deal came to be and placed Hendrick at the centre of it all.
“It’s an idea that I had and I knew that it was far-fetched and be complicated and many layers to it, but I gave Rick a call and proposed the idea and he’s like, ‘Yeah, I love it. Let me get to work.’ And so with NASCAR and Ally, Alex [Bowman], and all the other important layers, we were able to get that part done and proud to have announced it,” he said via SiriusXM.
“It also speaks to the relationships he has far and wide to be able to pull this off with different manufacturers, obviously title sponsors. We had conversations with NASCAR and the variety of layers that are there. There’s only one man that pulled it off in ‘Mr. H,’ Johnson added.
Jimmie Johnson had his rookie full-time season in 2002. He won three times that year and ended up fifth in the standings. He returned next year to spend all 36 races in the top-10, finishing second in the title fight.
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In 2004, Johnson and his Lowe’s teammates won eight races, only to fall short of the title by eight points. 2006 was the first year he hoisted the Cup trophy. The Californian won the season-opening Daytona 500 and added four more wins at Talladega, Indianapolis, Las Vegas, and Charlotte.
What followed was a five-year reign at the top, earning him the nickname ‘five-time’. He secured two more championships in 2013 and 2016, before retiring in 2020.
After acquiring Petty GMS Racing, Johnson renamed it to Legacy Motor Club and moved from Chevrolet to Toyota in 2024. He’s now the majority owner of LMC and competes part-time.
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