Beating Jimmie Johnson in the NASCAR Chase Format seemed almost impossible for the longest time. After a certain point, however, this turned the fans against him. In fact, he became the face of the sole reason fans wanted a full-season championship, but instead, the sport began using the Playoff System, which was more despised.
Johnson only won one title in the playoff format, and ultimately retired from full-time racing at the end of the 2020 season after having won seven championships, tied with Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt. However, NASCAR recently announced the return of the Chase format beginning the 2026 season, and Johnson teased the fans with a small announcement.
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Jimmie Johnson reacts to the return of the Chase
As mentioned, fans had grown tired of seeing Johnson win the title in the Chase format and eventually turned against him. This was because the system requires consistency under pressure, up until the season’s last race, and less dependency on sole race wins. Johnson turned out to be quite strong in this aspect. Five of his seven titles with Hendrick Motorsports were consecutive, which proved just how competitive he was compared to others on the grid, including his own teammate, Mark Martin.
With the Chase set to return from the upcoming season, Jimmie Johnson teased the fans a little, dropping a sarcastic announcement of his return to full-time racing.
“I’m gonna come back. This is actually an announcement that I’m going to re-enter the championship and come back,” he said.
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Fans always criticized the playoff system. They claimed that it did not reward consistency and relied a lot more on the drivers’ luck. Denny Hamlin’s title loss in 2025, despite his extremely competitive form throughout the year, was a testament to this.
Jimmie Johnson
With the Chase format returning, however, Johnson feels like NASCAR is going back to the old ways of racing, rewarding the more deserving drivers with the Cup Series championship.
“We’re trying to solve for a lot of things, and it’s really tough to make everyone happy. But again, the intentionality behind this point system and bringing back a championship that does reward consistency feels closer to home and what our sport was founded on,” Johnson added.
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Although Johnson might not actually return to race full-time in the Cup Series, he is preparing for a major comeback for the first time in 18 years.
Johnson is preparing for a remarkable return to the Truck Series
Jimmie Johnson dominated the field in the Cup Series with HMS and still returns on a part-time schedule with his own team, Legacy Motor Club. He also had quite a few notable runs in the Nationwide (now called the O’Reilly Auto Parts) Series with race wins. But he never had as many runs in the Truck Series. In fact, he has only raced in the series once in 2008.
But that is about to change in 2026 as Johnson has signed a deal with TRICON Garage for an iconic return to the series. He will be racing in his hometown, San Diego, on the 3.4-mile street circuit.
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“Racing in San Diego means everything to me – it’s home,” Johnson said in a statement. “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.”
Meanwhile, he is also preparing for the upcoming season of the Cup Series with LMC. The team has signed some new talent in recent months, including Justin Alexander from RCR. While LMC looks strong enough, Jimmie Johnson will not be returning for a full-time schedule anytime soon. But with the Chase format back, will we see him come back to win his eighth title sometime in the future?
The post Jimmie Johnson Says “I’m Gonna Come Back” Amidst NASCAR’s Return to Chase to Poke Haters appeared first on EssentiallySports.
