With the lawsuit settled and the 2025 season’s shortcomings in the rear view mirror, NASCAR is heading into a new era of racing in 2026. The power increment on select tracks, coupled with aerodynamic changes to the Chevrolet body, has added an element of excitement to racing in the new year.
To make matters even more interesting, NASCAR will visit the San Diego Naval Base next season, marking a unique event in the sport’s history. The buzz around the event is further elevated by the return of former Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson to the racing front. And the excitement doesn’t stop there, as Johnson has just teased a potentially busy racing schedule for himself in 2026.
Jimmie Johnson Teases Fans With a Busy 2026 in NASCAR Terms
Last season, the NASCAR Cup Series achieved a historic feat by traveling to Mexico City for its first-ever points-paying race. Daniel Suarez became the talk of the town for a stellar comeback win in front of his home crowd as Shane van Gisbergen continued his dominance of the road courses.
While the fans won’t be treated to similar international racing festivities in 2026, NASCAR has something else in store for them. For the first time in racing history, a series will be visiting an active U.S. Military Base to hold a points-paying race.
To make the event even more special, seven-time Cup Series champion and recent Hall of Fame inductee (Jimmie) Johnson will also be taking part in the event.
Speaking to SiriusXM NASCAR Radio recently, the Legacy Motor Club driver revealed that ever since he heard rumors of the series potentially visiting San Diego, he had been pressuring his team to secure a driving spot in the event.
And now that it is a reality, the 50-year-old can’t wait to get behind the steering wheel of the No. 84 Toyota Camry XSE.
What followed was something that sent Johnson fans into a frenzy, with the 50-year-old part-time driver dropping a major update about undertaking a more active driving role in 2026.
Unsure whether it was time for him to ‘drop the mic’ or not, the former Cup Series champion revealed that he is also exploring a more hands-on approach for 2026, looking for driving options on Fridays and Saturdays of the NASCAR weekends.
The desire to compete is pushing him to “very soon” announce a broader racing schedule for himself in 2026.
“I still have the desire to compete and certainly hope to very soon announce a broader schedule of events for myself in ’26.” Johnson added, “If I can figure out a way to be in a Friday race or a Saturday race, I would certainly look really hard at that as well.”
But before any of that happens, Johnson’s priority remains celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Jimmie Johnson Foundation. As such, going home to San Diego (though Johnson was born in the nearby El Cajon) is a massive opportunity for the LMC driver.
Notably, Johnson’s return to the racetrack in San Diego will mark his 701st career start, with the May 2025 Coca-Cola 600 marking his 700th career start. Unfortunately for the four-time winner of the event, the Charlotte race did not pan out the way he would’ve wanted, given he spun out on Lap 112 of the race, finishing in P40 with a DNF alongside his name.
