Jimmie Johnson nearly got Shaquille O’Neal to victory lane at Daytona International Speedway — at least virtually.

The seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion previously retired from full-time racing after the 2020 season, but he’s back for the Daytona 500. The No. 84 Toyota driver for his own team, Legacy Motor Club, will start from the 40th position in row 20.

Already previously retired from full-time racing, Jimmie Johnson showed that there was still gas left in his tank after a surprising podium finish on Sunday in the 2025 Daytona 500 at the Daytona International Speedway in Florida.

Seven-time NASCAR Cup Series Jimmie Johnson ended up feeling more emotions than he thought at the Daytona 500 on Sunday. Johnson, 49, who won the Daytona 500 in 2006 and 2013, went from 15th to third through a last-lap crash on the backstretch to earn his best finish since winning the Daytona 500 in 2013 for Hendrick Motorsports.

DAYTONA BEACH, FLORIDA – FEBRUARY 12: Jimmie Johnson, driver of the #84 Carvana Toyota drives through the garage area during practice for the NASCAR Cup Series Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway on February 12, 2025 in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images)

Martin Truex Jr. and Jimmie Johnson are locked into the 2025 Daytona 500 after the qualifying session on Wednesday night.

Not only did Johnson race through a last-lap accident to finish third, the Legacy Motor Sports Club that Johnson runs posted finishes of 5th and 12th

Jimmie Johnson, a seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion, proved once again why he’s a legend in the sport. The 49-year-old driver-turned-team owner delivered an outstanding performance at the 2025 Daytona 500,