Jimmie Johnson nearly got Shaquille O’Neal to victory lane at Daytona International Speedway — at least virtually.

Jimmie Johnson and owner of Legacy Motorclub made history once again at the 67th Daytona 500 on Sunday. Johnson has been chasing a top finish since his 2023 return to NASCAR as a part-time driver.

The seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion previously retired from full-time racing after the 2020 season, but he’s back for the Daytona 500. The No. 84 Toyota driver for his own team, Legacy Motor Club, will start from the 40th position in row 20.

Seven-time NASCAR Cup Series Jimmie Johnson ended up feeling more emotions than he thought at the Daytona 500 on Sunday. Johnson, 49, who won the Daytona 500 in 2006 and 2013, went from 15th to third through a last-lap crash on the backstretch to earn his best finish since winning the Daytona 500 in 2013 for Hendrick Motorsports.

DAYTONA BEACH, FLORIDA – FEBRUARY 12: Jimmie Johnson, driver of the #84 Carvana Toyota drives through the garage area during practice for the NASCAR Cup Series Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway on February 12, 2025 in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images)

Legacy this season will field two full-time cars, the No. 43 Toyota for Erik Jones — two top-fives in two seasons with the team and a finish of 28th in the Cup Series standings — and the No. 42 Toyota for John Hunter Nemechek. Neither driver made the playoffs.

Across the contest's 67-year history, plenty of supernovas have made their mark. From Richard Petty, Cale Yarborough and Bobby Allison to Joey Logano, Denny Hamlin and William Byron, legends old and new have danced beneath the confetti in victory lane.

Not only did Johnson race through a last-lap accident to finish third, the Legacy Motor Sports Club that Johnson runs posted finishes of 5th and 12th

Jimmie Johnson, a seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion, proved once again why he’s a legend in the sport. The 49-year-old driver-turned-team owner delivered an outstanding performance at the 2025 Daytona 500,

In sports, legends aren’t just defined by their victories, but by how they evolve beyond them. The post Jimmie Johnson Goes After Rick Hendrick and Others' NASCAR Legacy With New World Ideas appeared first on EssentiallySports.