NASCAR: Major Jimmie Johnson announcement looming

Seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson is reportedly set to announce his return to the Cup Series later this week.

Seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson hasn’t competed in a Cup Series race since the 2020 season finale at Phoenix Raceway. After that race, retired from the sport to conclude a legendary 19-year career with Hendrick Motorsports and Chevrolet which saw him win 83 races, good for a sixth place tie on the all-time wins list.

He moved to IndyCar as the road and street course driver of Chip Ganassi Racing’s #48 Honda in 2021, and he became the full-time driver of the car in 2022. But after the season ended, he announced that he would not be returning to the team in a full-time capacity in 2023.

Johnson had said that he had secured financial backing from Carvana, his primary IndyCar sponsor in 2021 and 2022, for whatever he decided to do in 2023, and it was widely believed that he would try to do a little bit of everything, including some Cup Series races and perhaps the Indy 500 again.

Now an official announcement on Johnson’s future is reportedly set to come later this week, according to The Athletic’s Jordan Bianchi.

The 47-year-old El Cajon, California native is indeed set to return to the series in which he made a name for himself, doing so in select races in a third car for Petty GMS Motorsports. The move, which is set to include an ownership stake in the team, also allows him to reunite with Chevrolet.

Petty GMS Motorsports was formed ahead of the 2022 season when Richard Petty Motorsports merged with GMS Racing.

Erik Jones, who drove the #43 Chevrolet for the former in 2021, was retained by the team, and Ty Dillon, who had been slated to drive the #94 Chevrolet for the latter in 2022, signed to drive the #42 Chevrolet.

Jones, who finished the regular season in the top 16 in the point standings and won the Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway, is set to return on a multi-year deal, while current JR Motorsports Xfinity Series driver Noah Gragson is set to replace Dillon next year.

As far as Johnson returning to the Cup Series, Hendrick Motorsports was always pretty much out of the picture as a potential landing spot. They already have four drivers and teams are no longer allowed to run a fifth car, even in select races.

Trackhouse Racing Team had been seen as a possibility as well, even though team co-owner Justin Marks all but ruled out Johnson joining the organization as a part of their new PROJECT91 initiative.

But instead, the seven-time champion is set to join another seven-time champion in Richard Petty at Petty GMS Motorsports as they aim to elevate the team to the next level over these next few seasons following a very promising 2022 campaign.