NASCAR Hall of Famer and seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson is making a long-awaited return to the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series this Summer.
The 50-year-old driver will be partnering with TRICON Garage, the flagship operation for Toyota in the Truck Series, to get behind the wheel of the No. 1 Toyota Tundra TRD Pro for the inaugural event at Naval Base Coronado in San Diego, California.
Johnson’s sole start in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series came in 2008, when the El Cajon, California-native piloted the No. 81 Chevrolet for Randy Moss Motorsports at Bristol Motor Speedway — finishing 34th after being involved in a crash.
Carvana, a long-time partner of the living NASCAR legend, will be supporting Johnson throughout the entire race weekend at Naval Base Coronado. In addition to his Truck Series return with TRICON, Johnson will also compete in the NASCAR Cup Series event for LEGACY MOTOR CLUB.
“Racing in San Diego means everything to me – it’s home,” Johnson said in a team release. “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.”
Johnson is the first driver that TRICON has announced to pilot the No. 1 Toyota Tundra TRD Pro in 2026, which the organization has dubbed its “all-star” truck.
“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,” Johnson added.
Johnson, who now competes part-time on the NASCAR Cup Series circuit with LEGACY MOTOR CLUB (an organization in which he is now the primary owner), has been adamant since the San Diego Street Race was announced last November that he wanted to compete — and possibly compete in all three events there.
Johnson will join previously announced TRICON Garage drivers Tanner Gray, Gio Ruggiero, and Kaden Honeycutt as teammates for the event. The remainder of the driver lineup for TRICON has yet to be announced.
The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series event at Naval Base Coronado is scheduled to take place on Friday, June 19, coinciding with a Navy Community Day. Broadcast coverage of the event will be on FOX Sports 1, with radio coverage on the NASCAR Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.
