Tom Brady recently announced his plans to unretire, just over a month after the initial announcement was made. Which NASCAR drivers could do the same?
With Tom Brady announcing his plans to unretire and rejoin the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for the 2022 NFL season, it’s hard to argue against the idea of certain NASCAR drivers following suit.
Plenty of drivers in the past who have claimed to be done have thought twice. Much like Brady, time went on and they found themselves back on the race track after having called their careers over.
Mark Martin, Terry Labonte and Jeff Gordon all had retirement tours. Martin went on to drive years beyond his original retirement when he left Roush Racing, Labonte went on to drive for many smaller teams after competing for Hendrick Motorsports, and Gordon stepped in for Hendrick Motorsports when former teammate Dale Earnhardt Jr. was sidelined with concussions.
Though unretiring in NASCAR doesn’t always result in a full-time ride, here are three drivers who could hop in for one last ride.
No. 1 – Matt Kenseth
Matt Kenseth is a prime example of the fact that when NASCAR drivers unretire, it’s not always for a full-time role. Kenseth found himself without a ride after being replaced by Erik Jones in the #20 Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing following the 2017 season. But he found himself back where he made his name, driving part-time in the #6 Ford for Roush Fenway Racing the next year.
If fans thought that this would be the last time Kenseth would hop in a stock car, they were wrong. The 2003 series champion came back in the 2020 season to drive the #42 Chevrolet for Chip Ganassi Racing after Kyle Larson’s firing.
A full-time ride would now be out of the equation for Kenseth, as he told the Wisconsin State Journal: “I can say with almost 100 percent certainty that my days in professional racing — at least full-time professional racing — are over.”
“Almost” and “at least full-time” are the key words, and with a recent return to the sport in broadcasting plus an SRX appearance set for this summer, one more time around for the 50-year-old may not be out of the picture.
No. 2 – Jimmie Johnson
Jimmie Johnson needs no further ride to solidify his legacy in the sport, but the passion of racing might just change that.
Johnson, one of just three seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champions, announced his plans to retire from full-time competition after the 2020 season, his 19th as a full-time driver. That announcement came shortly after the 2019 season ended.
The “full-time” phrase always keeps the door open for drivers to hop back in a car, and Johnson has been busy racing just about everything else since his retirement.
He competes full-time in IndyCar for Chip Ganassi Racing after running the road and street course races for the team last year, and he also competes part-time in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. He even recently did a one-off snow race at the 2022 Race of Champions in Sweden.
With connections to Hendrick Motorsports, the possibilities are endless for Johnson. Even outside of the team with which he made his made, no team would second guess putting the El Cajon, California native in a seat.
A return to NASCAR would most likely come through the essential Hendrick Motorsports Xfinity team, JR Motorsports. Johnson has said he’ll “be around” and that he’d “love to go back”. Never say never.
No. 3 – Carl Edwards
Carl Edwards’s exit from NASCAR came as a shock for many fans. After competing in the Championship 4 in 2016, he announced an immediate retirement ahead of the 2017 season.
From crashing into the inside wall at Homestead-Miami Speedway late in the championship decider to leaving the sport altogether, Edwards hasn’t been back in a race car since.
Despite various rumors of his return, has stayed out of the racing spotlight for quite some time now, and he has found himself in political interests.
This interest led to other rumors of him running for U.S. Senate. The longtime driver responded to these rumors and made clear that he had no plans to do so. Life seemed to have other callings for Edwards.
But the Missouri native has spoken on what his interest in a return to racing would be centered on, with thoughts of a “one-off” on a road course potentially sparking his curiosity. He had spoken out about past horsepower packages as well.
As far as one-off appearances go, SRX and the lower NASCAR series will always be open for the 42-year-old. But with a new car and a brand-new horsepower package that levels the playing field in the Cup Series, the timing seems better than ever for a chance at a final celebratory backflip.