NASCAR: The last driver to drive a No. 84 car
By Asher Fair
Jimmie Johnson is set to drive the No. 84 Chevrolet in his return to the NASCAR Cup Series with the newly rebranded Legacy Motor Club in 2023.
At long last, it was announced on Wednesday what the car number of seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson’s new entry will be for the 2023 season.
Johnson, who has spent all 686 of his Cup Series starts over the course of 20 seasons behind the wheel of the No. 48 Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports, is set to drive the No. 84 Chevrolet in select races throughout the upcoming 36-race campaign.
Johnson initially signed to compete for Petty GMS Motorsports, which also announced that he had become a new co-owner of the team. Because including his name in the team’s name would have been “clunky and clumsy”, the team opted to rebrand as Legacy Motor Club.
The use of the No. 84 made sense for two key reasons. First of all, it is what you get if you switch the digits in No. 48, and secondly, Johnson has been sitting on 83 career Cup Series victories since June 2017.
Erik Jones is set to return for a third year with the organization behind the wheel of the No. 43 Chevrolet, while rookie Noah Gragson is set to replace Ty Dillon behind the wheel of the No. 42 Chevrolet.
Not since the 2011 NASCAR Cup Series season has anybody driven a car with the number No. 84.
The No. 84 has only been run in 223 races from its debut in 1951 to the 2011 season finale. A.J. Allmendinger leads all drivers with 38 starts behind the wheel of a No. 84 car, having driven the No. 84 Toyota for Team Red Bull in 2007 and 2008.
Following the 2008 season, the only driver to drive the No. 84 car also drove for Team Red Bull, but he only competed in two races. That driver, Cole Whitt, piloted the No. 84 Toyota in the 2011 season’s final two races at Phoenix Raceway and Homestead-Miami Speedway.
A total of 59 drivers have ever spent time behind the wheel of a No. 84 car. Bert Robbins owns the top average finish of 9.3, while Dick Trickle leads all drivers in top five finishes, top 10 finishes, and laps led (six, nine, and 80, respectively, in 28 starts).
Next. All-time NASCAR Cup Series wins list. dark
Nobody has ever taken the No. 84 car to victory lane or put it on pole position.