Jimmie Johnson achieved his best NASCAR Cup Series finish since stepping away from full-time competition by placing third in the 2025 Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway. The seven-time champion, now a co-owner of Toyota’s Legacy Motor Club, had previously failed to finish higher than 26th in 12 starts across the 2023 and 2024 seasons. Johnson retired from full-time racing after 2020 and spent the next two years competing in IndyCar before making occasional NASCAR appearances in 2023. Though he is not eligible for the playoffs as a part-time driver, he can still earn Cup Series points since he does not compete in NASCAR’s lower divisions. His strong performance in Daytona earned him 34 points, which, despite taking place over a month ago, still places him ahead of at least one full-time driver in the standings. ### Johnson Still Ahead of Cody Ware Rick Ware Racing’s Cody Ware returned to full-time Cup Series competition in 2025, driving the No. 51 Ford. After competing full-time in 2022, Ware started the 2023 season but only ran seven races before being sidelined due to legal issues. He returned on a part-time basis in 2024 before securing a full-time seat again this year. Through six races in 2025, Ware has yet to secure a top-20 finish, with his best result being 24th. His second-best finish, 25th, was ironically one of his three DNFs. With just 27 points, he remains behind Johnson in the standings, even though Johnson has not competed since Daytona nearly six weeks ago. A 10-point penalty at Daytona for improper ballast containers further hurt Ware’s standing. Even without that deduction, his total would only be 37 points, meaning he would have barely surpassed Johnson after scoring three points for finishing 34th at Homestead-Miami Speedway last weekend. Additionally, Corey LaJoie, who drove for Rick Ware Racing at Daytona and Atlanta, has 21 points despite not racing in the last four events. To finally overtake Johnson, Ware needs at least eight more points, which requires a finish of 29th or better. Having only placed inside the top 30 twice this season, the question remains: can he finally surpass Johnson at Martinsville Speedway this Sunday?
