Jimmie Johnson unveils tribute No. 48 for final Daytona 500 start
NXTbets Pro | Published On: August 30, 2026
Johnson tribute reveal
LEGACY MOTOR CLUB and Jimmie Johnson unveiled the No. 48 Toyota Camry XSE at Daytona International Speedway, and the reveal gave his final NASCAR Cup Series start a clear tribute built around the car number that defined much of his career. The team showed off the car during the Coke Zero Sugar 400 pre-race ceremony, then Johnson took a ceremonial lap at the track ahead of his farewell Cup start. The moment tied the car’s reveal to the place that has shaped so much of Johnson’s NASCAR story, with Daytona serving as the stage for one more run in familiar colors and familiar company.
The tribute car brings together branding from Carvana, Lowe’s and Ally, and the sponsor mix reflects the long list of partners that have followed Johnson through his Cup career. Lowe’s Home Improvement is back for the farewell race, sharing sponsorship duties with Carvana and Ally. Johnson said the car honors the major partners from his career, which gives the unveiling a clear purpose beyond the paint scheme. It is a rolling recognition of the people and brands that stayed with him through championship runs, major milestones and a long stretch at the top of the sport.
No. 48 design
The No. 48 car carries a blue-and-silver look inspired by Johnson’s championship season, with fluorescent No. 48 numbering that makes the car stand out under the lights at Daytona. That design choice reaches back to one of the most recognizable eras in modern NASCAR, when the No. 48 became a fixture in the Cup Series picture. The car does more than wear old colors. It connects those colors to a final chapter, with the sponsor names and the familiar number pulled together for one last appearance on the biggest stage Johnson has left in front of him.
Rick Hendrick, Hendrick Motorsports and Ally also granted permission to use the No. 48 for Johnson’s farewell race, and that detail gives the tribute an added layer of meaning. The number was loaned to Johnson for “The Last Ride,” a phrase that fits the idea behind the car and the occasion. The number itself carries deep weight in NASCAR because it has been tied to so many winning years, and the decision to place it on Johnson’s farewell car turned the unveiling into a shared gesture from across his racing circle. The car is not just a commemorative piece. It is a sign that the people connected to Johnson’s career wanted the final start to feel complete.
Johnson farewell start
Johnson enters his final NASCAR Cup Series start as one of the sport’s defining drivers, a seven-time Cup Series champion and an 83-race winner who has spent years building a résumé that already ranks among the strongest in stock-car racing. He is expected to make his 703rd career start and his 24th Daytona 500 appearance when he takes the green flag in his farewell race. Those numbers underline how long he has stayed in the sport and how often Daytona has marked major moments in his career. The final start closes a long run that has included title seasons, big wins and repeated trips to the most famous race in stock car racing.
Johnson said the unveiling felt emotional and called it a “full-circle moment,” which fits the way the day unfolded from the start of the pre-race ceremony to the ceremonial lap that followed. The car, the number, the sponsors and the setting all pointed back to the same idea, a final tribute built from the pieces that helped define his time in NASCAR. Lowe’s returning to the lineup, Carvana and Ally joining in, and Hendrick-linked approval for the No. 48 all pushed the project beyond a simple paint scheme. It became a farewell statement for a driver whose career has long been measured in wins, championships and moments that carried weight far beyond the track.
