With 69 days to go until the NASCAR Cup Series season-opening Daytona 500, here is a brief look at the final NASCAR season for Jimmie Johnson and snapshots on few other drivers across the top three series. The tentative list of 2021 Cup Driver/Team lineups attached shows only those teams who plan on entering all events. Since many have yet to announce their 2021 plans, follow NASCAR Headlines and “Player” News on this site for the latest driver/team updates.[[ad:athena]]
NASCAR Cup Series (NCS)
2020: Jimmie Johnson (Hendrick Motorsports #48 Chevrolet Camaro) - In 35 races (he missed one race due to testing positive for Covid-19), the El Cajon, CA native scored 5 top-fives, 10 top-tens, had a 17.29 average finish, 17.3 average start, led 107 laps and closed out the season 18th in the NCS standings. The seven-time Cup Series champion rounded out his stellar NASCAR career at Phoenix Raceway, ending his last full-time season with a fifth-place finish in his 686th Cup Series start. He announced near the end of 2019 that the 2020 season would be his final full-time campaign. He sits sixth on NASCAR’s all-time win list with 83 victories, tied with Hall of Famer Cale Yarborough. Johnson won the 2020 National Motorsports Press Association’s Myers Brothers Award. It recognizes individuals and/or groups who have provided outstanding contributions to the sport of stock car racing.
2021: Although Johnson is retired from NASCAR, he is not done racing. Chip Ganassi Racing announced a partnership with Johnson that will have him racing the full road and street course calendar in the NTT INDYCAR Series in one of Ganassi’s IndyCars for the 2021 and 2022 racing seasons. Johnson will also enter the 2021 Rolex 24 (hour) race at Daytona in January with co-drivers Simon Pagenaud, Kamui Kobayashi and Mike Rockenfeller.
2020: Erik Jones (Joe Gibbs Racing #20 Toyota Camry) - In 36 races, the Byron, MI native scored 9 top-fives, 10 top-tens, had a 15.94 average finish, a 17.4 average start, led 65 laps and closed out the season 17th in the NCS standings. Jones’ best 2020 finish was a runner-up in the October 4th YellaWood 500 at Talladega. After 200 laps around the 2.66 mile Alabama superspeedway, he finished just .086 seconds behind winner Denny Hamlin.
2021: Jones was released by Joe Gibbs Racing at the end of the season. This made room for Christopher Bell to take over the #20 Toyota. After it was announced that Bubba Wallace would move from Richard Petty Motorsports to drive for the newly formed Michael Jordan / Denny Hamlin #23 Toyota team, Jones signed a multi-year deal to drive Petty’s iconic #43 Ford Mustang in 2021. He will continue to have a familiar voice in his ear. Rick Carelli, his spotter at JGR, will also move to the #43 to be Jones’ “eye in the sky”.
NASCAR XFINITY Series (NXS)
2020: Anthony Alfredo (Richard Childress Racing #21 Chevrolet Camaro) - In 19 races, the Ridgefield, CT native scored 2 top-fives, 9 top-tens, had a 12.63 average finish, a 14.1 average start, led 15 laps and closed out his part-time season 18th in the NXS standings. A 3rd place finish in the October 24th O’Reilly Auto Parts 300 at Texas Motor Speedway was his best season result.
2021: Since this was a shared ride at RCR, sponsorship will determine if Alfredo returns to the #21. He has no other ride in any series planned at this time.
2020: Daniel Hemric (JR Motorsports #8 Chevrolet Camaro) - In 21 races, the Kannapolis, NC native scored 7 top-fives, 12 top-tens, had a 16.24 average finish, an 11.4 average start, led 10 laps and closed out the season 17th in the NXS standings. Hemric’s best finishes were runner-ups in the May 25th Alsco 300 at Charlotte Motor Speedway and the October 17th Kansas Lottery 300 at Kansas Speedway.
2021: Riley Herbst accepted a move from Joe Gibbs Racing’s #18 XFINITY Series team to take over the Stewart-Haas Racing NXS #98 Mustang JGR hired Hemric full-time to drive the #18 Toyota in 2021. Dave Rogers will continue as crew chief for the #18 team.
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NTS)
2020: Jordan Anderson (Jordan Anderson Racing #3 Chevrolet Silverado) - In 23 races, the Forest Acres, SC native scored 1 top-five, 2 top-tens, had a 23.3 average finish, a 23.3 average start, led 1 lap and closed out the season 18th in the truck standings. His best finish was a runner-up in the season-opening February 14th NextEra Energy Resources 250 at Daytona. He crossed the finish line just 0.010 seconds behind winner Grant Enfinger.
2021: No firm plans announced yet but the owner/driver will most likely return for another full season in his #3 Chevy truck with Wally Rogers as crew chief and Bommarito.com sponsorship.
2020: Tate Fogleman (Young’s Motorsports #02 Chevrolet Silverado) - In 23 races, the Durham, NC native scored 11 top-20s, had a 22.87 average finish, a 21.7 average start and closed out the season 17th in the truck standings. His best finish was a 13th place in the August 7th Henry Ford Health System 200 at Michigan International Speedway.
2021: A contract extension for Spencer Boyd in the Young’s Motorsports #20 truck, but they have yet to firm up plans for their #02 and #12 Chevrolets. Also, no other news available on Fogleman’s 2021 plans at this time.
2021 Tentative NCS Series Team Chart
| Car | Driver | Owner | Crew Chief | Sponsor |
| 00 Chevy | Quin Houff | StarCom Racing | George Church | - |
| 1 Chevy | Kurt Busch | Chip Ganassi Racing | Matt McCall | Monster Energy |
| 2 Ford | Brad Keselowski | Team Penske | Jeremy Bullins | Discount Tire |
| 3 Chevy | Austin Dillon | Richard Childress Racing | Justin Alexander | - |
| 4 Ford | Kevin Harvick | Stewart-Haas Racing | Rodney Childers | Busch Beer, Mobil 1, Hunt Brothers Pizza |
| 5 Chevy | Kyle Larson | Hendrick Motorsports | Cliff Daniels | - |
| 6 Ford | Ryan Newman | Roush Fenway Racing | Scott Graves | Oscar Mayer, Wyndham Rewards |
| 7 Chevy | Corey LaJoie | Spire Motorsports | - | - |
| 8 Chevy | Tyler Reddick | Richard Childress Racing | Randall Burdett | Okuma |
| 9 Chevy | Chase Elliott | Hendrick Motorsports | Alan Gustafson | NAPA Auto Parts, Hooters |
| 10 Ford | Aric Almirola | Stewart-Haas Racing | Mike Bugarewics | Smithfield |
| 11 Toyota | Denny Hamlin | Joe Gibbs Racing | Chris Gabehart | FedEx |
| 12 Ford | Ryan Blaney | Team Penske | Todd Gordon | - |
| 14 Ford | Chase Briscoe - R | Stewart-Haas Racing | - | HighPoint |
| 15 Chevy | - | Rick Ware Racing | Pat Tryson | - |
| 17 Ford | Chris Buescher | Roush Fenway Racing | Luke Lambert | - |
| 18 Toyota | Kyle Busch | Joe Gibbs Racing | Ben Beshore | M&Ms, Skittles, Pedigree, Interstate Batteries |
| 19 Toyota | Martin Truex Jr. | Joe Gibbs Racing | James Small | Auto Owners Ins. |
| 20 Toyota | Christopher Bell | Joe Gibbs Racing | Adam Stevens | Rheem |
| 21 Ford | Matt DiBenedetto | Wood Brothers Racing | Greg Erwin | Motorcraft/Quick Lane |
| 22 Ford | Joey Logano | Team Penske | Paul Wolfe | Shell-Pennzoil, AAA, Autotrader, MoneyLion |
| 23 Toyota | Bubba Wallace | 23XI Racing | Mike Wheeler | - |
| 24 Chevy | William Byron | Hendrick Motorsports | Rudy Fugle | Axalta, Liberty University |
| 27 Chevy | - | Rick Ware Racing | Mike Hillman Sr. | - |
| 34 Ford | Michael McDowell | Front Row Motorsports | Drew Blickensderfer | - |
| 37 Chevy | Ryan Preece | JTG Daugherty Racing | Trent Owens | Kroger, Bush’s Beans |
| 38 Ford | - | Front Row Motorsports | Seth Barbour | - |
| 41 Ford | Cole Custer | Stewart-Haas Racing | Mike Shiplett | - |
| 42 Chevy | Ross Chastain | Chip Ganassi Racing | - | McDonald’s |
| 43 Chevy | Erik Jones | Richard Petty Motorsports | Jerry Baxter | Victory Junction |
| 47 Chevy | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | JTG Daugherty Racing | Brian Pattie | Kroger, NOS Energy Drink |
| 48 Chevy | Alex Bowman | Hendrick Motorsports | Greg Ives | Ally Financial |
| 51 Chevy | - | Rick Ware Racing | Jason Houghtaling | Biohaven Pharmaceuticals |
| 53 Chevy | - | Rick Ware Racing | Todd Parrott | - |
| 66 Toyota | Timmy Hill | MBM Motorsports | Steven Idol | - |
| 77 Chevy | - | Spire Motorsports | Peter Sospenzo | - |
| 78 Ford | BJ McLeod | Live Fast Motorsports | - | - |
| 96 Toyota | - | Gaunt Brothers Racing | - | - |
| 99 Chevy | Daniel Suarez | Trackhouse Racing | Travis Mack | - |
| R - Rookie of The Year contender |
