DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — “New leader … 84.”
Jimmie Johnson sent a jolt through Daytona International Speedway when he shot to the top of the leaderboard in Friday’s first practice for the Daytona 500. After a humbling two years of open-wheel racing in IndyCar, the seven-time Cup Series champion has returned to NASCAR as part owner and sometimes driver at what’s called Legacy Motor Club.
Legacy is the Johnson-led rebrand of what began as Petty Enterprises in 1949 — a year after NASCAR was born. Sunday’s Daytona 500 is the first Cup Series points race of NASCAR’s celebratory 75th season, and all eyes are again on Johnson, who a little more than three months ago did an about-face, returned to stock cars and energized Richard Petty’s limp race team.
Johnson is not driving the No. 48, the only number he’s ever used at NASCAR’s top level; that now belongs to Alex Bowman — Johnson’s successor at Hendrick Motorsports — who will be on the pole position in the starting lineup and joined on the front row by teammate Kyle Larson, the 2022 season champion.
Johnson, now in the No. 84 Chevy, will start 39th. He’s on the back row with action sports star Travis Pastrana, who’s among the one-off entries in the race.