Jimmie Johnson Could Be First Active NASCAR Hall of Famer to Win Daytona 500

• Jimmie Johnson and his long-time Hendrick Motorsports crew chief Chad Knaus were inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame last month.

• With nine Cup races currently on his 2024 schedule, Johnson, has a reasonable shot at adding to his 83-race victory total.

• An 84th win would tie him with Bobby Allison and Darrell Waltrip for fourth on the Cup all-time win list.

Jimmie Johnson has broken a barrier or two in his time in major-league auto racing.

There is the potential for the seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion to once again separate himself from regular mortals this season. Driving a limited Cup schedule for the Legacy Motor Club team he co-owns with Maury Gallagher, Johnson can become the first driver to win a Cup race while also being a member of the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

Johnson and his long-time Hendrick Motorsports crew chief Chad Knaus were inducted into the hall last month. Their ascent to NASCAR’s top honor was a no-brainer as both strolled into the hall in their first year of eligibility.

With races scheduled at Daytona, Indianapolis, Phoenix, Charlotte and several other tracks this year, Johnson, with nine races on his list, has a reasonable shot at adding to his 83-race victory total. An 84th win would tie him with Bobby Allison and Darrell Waltrip for fourth on the Cup all-time win list—and put him in a category by himself as a Hall of Fame race winner.

The challenges are not small, however. Legacy, the descendant of race teams formerly co-owned by Richard Petty, is still trying to find its footing, and that effort will be complicated this season by the team’s switch from Chevrolets to Toyotas. Erik Jones and John Hunter Nemechek will drive full-time for Legacy, with Johnson running a limited schedule in the No. 84 cars.

Additionally, Toyota teams will be racing a new Camry model this season, and a move to a new car always carries a slice of uncertainty.