NASCAR Legend Will Make Very Rare Truck Start At San Diego in 2026
On Friday, June 19th, 2026, Seven-time NASCAR Cup Series Champion Jimmie Johnson will be competing in the 2026 Craftsman Truck Series Navy 250 at the Coronado Naval Base street course in San Diego. This will be his first race in the Truck Series in nearly 18 years, with his only Truck Series start before this weekend coming at Bristol in 2008. The 50-year-old is partnering with Tricon Garage to drive the Carvana Toyota Tundra TRD, the same truck that led Corey Heim to a win at Darlington in 2026. Johnson admitted that he has been thinking about making another start in Trucks or the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series for a while. The San Diego native will finally make that a reality on Friday.
Since retiring from full-time Cup Series competition, ‘Seven-time’ has been experimenting with different forms of motor racing. He ran 29 NTT IndyCar Series races in 2021 and 2022. The 2022 campaign included the famed Indianapolis 500, where he finished 28th. Johnson raced in the 2021 and 2022 Rolex 24 at Daytona in the IMSA WeatherTech Sportscar Championship, where his 48 machine, co-driven by Kamui Kobayashi, Simon Pagenaud, and Mike Rockenfeller, finished in second place in the 2021 running. His influence led open-wheel and sports-car drivers to give stock-car racing a shot. One such driver is the previously mentioned Rockenfeller, who made three road-course starts in 2023, driving for Johnson’s Legacy Motor Club and filling in for the suspended Noah Gragson.
NASCAR transitioned to another street course after Chicago could not bring back the Chicago Street Course for 2026. The decision to move the street-course date to San Diego prompted the California native to make the start count. When being interviewed on MRN Radio, Johnson said, “Racing in San Diego means everything to me. It’s home”. He will also race for Legacy Motor Club in the 84 Carvana Toyota Camry in the Cup Series Race, his first start since the 2026 Daytona 500. For the first time in his 29-year-long racing career, the NASCAR legend will finally race in his home city. In a career with seven championships and 83 Cup Series wins, the four-time NASCAR All-Star Race Winner taking the green flag in front of his hometown for the first time on Friday may be the most special moment in his storied career.
