Jimmie Johnson is set to return to the NASCAR Cup Series in 2023 with Petty GMS Motorsports, but what number will he run on his Chevrolet?
After spending the last two seasons competing in IndyCar following his initial retirement from the NASCAR Cup Series, seven-time champion Jimmie Johnson is set to return to the Cup Series in 2023 with Petty GMS Motorsports.
Johnson is set to join the team in a driver-owner role, though he is only set to compete in select races. He will not compete full-time like teammates Noah Gragson, who is set to replace Ty Dillon behind the wheel of the No. 42 Chevrolet, and Erik Jones, who is set for another year behind the wheel of the No. 43 Chevrolet.
Johnson’s car number has not yet been determined, though despite some speculation, it has been confirmed that it won’t be No. 48, as Alex Bowman is set to continue to drive the No. 48 Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports. Johnson drove the No. 48 Chevrolet for all 686 of his starts with Hendrick Motorsports, the only team for which he has ever competed in the Cup Series.
What car number will he use next year?
Jimmie Johnson landing spots: No. 1 – No. 92 Chevrolet
This might be the least likely option of the three listed in this article, but the No. 92 is the only other number that Jimmie Johnson has used as a full-time NASCAR driver. He used the number in 2000 and 2001 when he competed for Herzog Motorsports in the Busch (now Xfinity) Series.
With Johnson not running full-time in 2023, however, it may be worth noting that his first ever NASCAR number was No. 59, which he used in just two races during the 1998 Busch Series season with ST Motorsports in 1998.
Jimmie Johnson landing spots: No. 2 – No. 94 Chevrolet
Before Richard Petty Motorsports and GMS Racing merged to form Petty GMS Motorsports ahead of the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series season, Richard Petty Motorsports had planned on continuing to run one entry, the No. 43 Chevrolet, for Erik Jones. Jones joined the team in 2021 after Bubba Wallace left for 23XI Racing.
GMS Racing, which had never before competed at the sport’s top level, had planned on entering a car for Ty Dillon. While Dillon did end up competing for the newly formed Petty GMS Motorsports, he did not do so with the number that GMS Racing had initially planned on running.
The plan was for Dillon to drive the No. 94 Chevrolet, and he even tested that car late in the 2021 season at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval and early in the ensuing offseason at the track’s oval. But upon the merger with Richard Petty Motorsports, the decision was made to use the No. 42 instead, as a nod to the Petty family legacy.
With the team already running two car numbers, No. 42 and No. 43, with deep ties to the Petty family on a full-time basis, could a third part-time entry revert back to the number the team’s other owners were originally going to use? They obviously can’t use the No. 48 for Johnson, so this might be the next best option.
Jimmie Johnson landing spots: No. 3 – No. 44 Chevrolet
The No. 44 is probably the most likely option for Jimmie Johnson in 2023, given its ties to the Petty family and the fact that the other numbers with significant ties to the family are either already being used by Petty GMS Motorsports or being used by other teams (i.e. No. 41 at Stewart-Haas Racing, No. 45 at 23XI Racing).
Before Richard Petty Motorsports and GMS Racing merged, the number Richard Petty Motorsports had used most recently (other than No. 43) was No. 44, which they ran on Brian Scott’s Ford during the 2016 season. Before that, the number was used by the team on A.J. Allmendinger’s Dodge (and Ford) during the 2009 season.
As for its ties to the Petty family, both Maurice Petty and Kyle Petty spent time behind the wheel of a No. 44 at the sport’s highest level during their careers. Maurice, Richard’s brother, used the number in select races for his Plymouth entry in 1960 and 1961, and Kyle, Richard’s son, drove the No. 44 Pontiac from 1997 to 2000.
The No. 44 was used in 2022, but by NY Racing Team. They only competed in five races throughout the season, their first season in the Cup Series since 2018 and their first with a No. 44 car since 2015. Their plans are not confirmed for 2023.
Which number will Jimmie Johnson end up running on his Chevrolet entry when he competes for Petty GMS Motorsports throughout the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series season? Will it be one of these three, or will it be another?