Jimmie Johnson to make first NASCAR Truck start since 2008
MOORESVILLE, N.C. — Seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson is returning to NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series competition for the first time in nearly 18 years.
Johnson will race the June 19 NCTS race at Naval Base Coronado San Diego. He will race for TRICON Garage in a No. 1 Toyota Tundra TRD Pro with sponsorship from Carvana.
“Racing in San Diego means everything to me – it’s home,” Johnson said. “Getting behind the wheel of a Truck Series entry has been on my mind for a while. The competition is incredible, and doing it at a historic street race on a Navy base in my hometown? That’s special. I’m grateful to TRICON and Carvana for making this happen, and honestly, I can’t think of a better way to honor our military and celebrate where I’m from.”
A native of El Cajon, California, about 20 minutes away from Naval Base Coronado, Johnson is also set to race in the NASCAR Cup Series race that weekend. He will race the No. 84 Carvana Toyota for his team, Legacy Motor Club.
Johnson made two Cup Series starts in 2025 – the Daytona 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 – but hasn’t made an NCTS start since 2008.
In August 2008, Johnson raced in the NCTS at Bristol Motor Speedway for Randy Moss Motorsports. He started ninth and took the lead on lap 42. He led for 29 laps before his day came to an end with a crash after completing 101 laps.
Johnson ultimately finished 34th and never made another NCTS start after that.
Johnson has 794 NASCAR starts but only one win on a road course or a street course. He won a NASCAR Cup Series race at Sonoma Raceway in June 2010 after Marcos Ambrose dominated the race but lost when he couldn’t maintain pace as the leader while trying to save fuel under caution.
Johnson also raced all of the road course events during the 2021 NTT INDYCAR Series season. A year later, he raced the full INDYCAR season before returning to NASCAR competition.
Johnson and the rest of the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series will take to the 16-turn, 3.4-mile San Diego street circuit June 19 on FS1, NASCAR Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
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Jonathan Fjeld View All
Jonathan Fjeld is the co-owner of the The Racing Experts, LLC. He has been with TRE since 2010.
A Twin Valley, MN, native, Fjeld became a motorsports fan at just three years old (first race was the 2002 Pennsylvania 500). He worked as a contributor and writer for TRE from 2010-18. Since then, he has stepped up and covered 24 NASCAR race weekends and taken on a larger role with TRE. He became the co-owner and managing editor in 2023 and has guided the site to massive growth in that time.
Fjeld has covered a wide array of stories and moments over the years, including Kevin Harvick's final Cup Series season, the first NASCAR national series disqualification in over 50 years, Shane van Gisbergen's stunning win in Chicago and the first Cup Series race at Road America in 66 years – as well as up-and-coming drivers' stories and stories from inside the sport, like the tech it takes for Hendrick Motorsports to remain a top-tier team.
Currently, he resides in Albuquerque, N.M., where he works for KOB 4, an NBC station. He works as a digital producer and does on-air reports. He loves spending time with friends and family, playing and listening to music, exploring new places, being outdoors, reading books and writing among other activities. You can email him at fjeldjonathan@gmail.com