NASCAR legend reveals he may retire in 2026

Seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson has revealed that he may run his last race in the series next year.

Johnson left NASCAR once already at the end of the 2020 season, heading off for a couple of years in IndyCar before coming back to run part-time in the Cup Series in the last three years.

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The Legacy Motor Club owner still seems to have something in the tank for his returns to the track, finishing third at this year's Daytona 500 and admitting that, while retirement is a possibility, he'd like to stay behind the wheel.

Legacy are locked in a legal dispute with Rick Ware Racing over a deal to sell a third charter to Johnson's team for next year, which is set to go to trial in late January.

Johnson: There are a lot of possible scenarios

Johnson admitted that a decision on the third charter could have an impact on how much he runs in the Cup Series next year, possibly upping his participation from 2025, while admitting that his last race could, fittingly, be run just some 20 miles east of the California town he grew up in.

Asked about his future by NBC Sports, he said: “I want to keep going. I want to stay in a car. I think it’s good for us.

“We’re hopeful to have a third charter. Need to start building a team. There’s a chance that I run more races next year if we have a third charter on the docket and have a sponsor to bring along, team members to groom, a crew chief to get reps, a driver to get reps. There’s a lot of scenarios that are in play. I’m hopeful I can keep going.

“I certainly don’t want to feed you guys a line of BS here. There is also a scenario where (making San Diego his final Cup start) would make sense. We’ve put zero effort into the idea yet at this point. I have more years in me. I want to keep going.”

READ MORE: NASCAR champion Joey Logano confirms Cup Series retirement verdict

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