HAMPTON, Ga. – Jimmie Johnson will be celebrated in a big way this weekend.
Atlanta Motor Speedway is renaming one of its grandstands to honor the legacy of the seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion.
The Winners Grandstand will be renamed the Johnson Grandstand prior to the start of Sunday’s 500-mile race, with Johnson joining fellow seven-time champions Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt as the only NASCAR Cup Series legends who are immortalized at the 1.54-mile racetrack.
“To have my name be on the grandstands there at the speedway, alongside all the other greats, is just super meaningful to me," Johnson said. "My final full-time year in Cup is a little different than I imagined; our whole world is different than we imagined with Covid. I know there were other plans to kind of go with the events in Atlanta this weekend that won’t be seen through, but it’s still amazing to have my name on the grandstands there. I’ve seen a few pictures and I can’t wait to see it in person on Sunday.”
In addition to having an entire grandstand named in his honor, Johnson will serve as the race’s grand marshal and give the command for the field to start its engines from the cockpit of his No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE to commemorate his final full-time season.
"It takes a great driver to succeed at our track and an even greater one to win a championship, but only the greatest can win seven titles and Jimmie Johnson is undoubtedly one of the greatest," said Brandon Hutchison, the speedway’s executive vice president and general manager.
Johnson heads to Atlanta with the third-best average finish of all active drivers at the Hampton, Georgia, oval with 12.0 over 28 starts. The El Cajon, California, native also owns five wins at Atlanta, including back-to-back victories in 2015 and 2016.
The NASCAR Cup Series race at Atlanta Motor Speedway takes place this Sunday, June 7 at 3 p.m. ET and will air live on FOX, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.