NASCAR: Jimmie Johnson 2023 announcement looming

Jimmie Johnson is set to return to the NASCAR Cup Series in 2023 with Petty GMS Motorsports, but a full schedule hasn’t yet been announced.

After finishing his second IndyCar season with Chip Ganassi Racing, first as a full-time driver, Jimmie Johnson announced that he is set to return to the NASCAR Cup Series in 2023.

The 47-year-old El Cajon, California native joined Petty GMS Motorsports not only as a part-time driver but as a co-owner.

He is set to drive a third Chevrolet entry for the team, alongside full-time drivers Noah Gragson (No. 42 Chevrolet) and Erik Jones (No. 43 Chevrolet), in select races throughout the 2023 season, beginning with the season-opening Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway.

However, there is still quite a bit about Johnson’s competitive involvement with the team which has not yet been revealed.

The start of the season is less than two months away, but Johnson’s debut is the only thing that has been confirmed so far.

Johnson’s exact schedule has not yet been announced, nor has the number of races in which he is slated to compete. A crew chief also hasn’t yet been announced for his entry.

Additionally, a car number hasn’t been announced for the seven-time champion, who has only ever used one number during his Cup Series career. However, that one number is already off the table for him in 2023.

Before initially retiring from full-time Cup Series competition following the 2020 season, Johnson competed in a total of 686 races. He made his series debut in 2001 and became a full-time driver in 2002, and he only ever drove one car: the No. 48 Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports.

But in 2023, Alex Bowman is set to continue driving the No. 48 Chevrolet, just as he has done since Johnson retired, meaning that Johnson will need to find a new number to compete in whichever races he is going to compete for Petty GMS Motorsports.

Several numbers have been floated as possibilities, and Johnson and the team have had some fun with fans trying to guess which number will ultimately be used on his new Chevrolet.

The 65th annual Daytona 500 is scheduled to get the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series season underway on Sunday, February 19, with Fox set to broadcast the race live from Daytona International Speedway beginning at 2:30 p.m. ET.