NASCAR: Jimmie Johnson decision clears up some confusion
By Asher Fair
Jimmie Johnson is set to make his ninth and final start of the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season in this coming Sunday afternoon's NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race at Phoenix Raceway, despite some suggestions that his new NBC Sports role would not allow him to actually compete in the event.
Johnson, who co-owns Legacy Motor Club, is set to drive the No. 84 Toyota for his team in this 312-lap race around the four-turn, 1.022-mile (1.645-kilometer) Avondale, Arizona oval.
Back in May, Johnson joined NBC's broadcast coverage for the 108th running of the Indy 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and it was also announced that he would be a part of the coverage of the Cup Series races at Daytona International Speedway in August, Talladega Superspeedway in October, and Phoenix this weekend.
Jimmie Johnson to compete at Phoenix
His coverage role with NBC Sports is not keeping him out of the race car at Phoenix, as the No. 84 is one of four non-chartered cars on the entry list.
There were initially three non-chartered cars on the entry list for this race, as the No. 84 Toyota is joined by the No. 44 NY Racing Team Chevrolet, which is set to be driven by J.J. Yeley, and the No. 66 MBM Motorsports Ford, which is set to be driven by Chad Finchum. Team AmeriVet have also added the No. 50 Chevrolet, which is set to be driven by Jeb Burton.
Johnson has had a rough second season as a part-time driver for the team he became a part owner of before the 2023 season began, as the team's first season with Toyota has been a struggle. His top finishes are 28th place finishes at Daytona in February, Dover Motor Speedway in April, and Las Vegas Motor Speedway in October.
His 2025 schedule has not yet been confirmed. Both of the team's full-time drivers, John Hunter Nemechek in the No. 42 Toyota and Erik Jones in the No. 43 Toyota, are set to return next year.
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Live coverage of the NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race at Phoenix Raceway is set to begin on NBC at 3:00 p.m. ET this Sunday, November 10. Start a free trial of FuboTV today and don't miss it!
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