Taking advantage of a temporary public exemption, seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson will receive a guaranteed spot in the 68th Daytona 500.
A temporary open exemption created a year ago can be used by non-franchised teams with star drivers to secure a spot in any race where the number of entries exceeds the maximum number of entries. Johnson’s use of OEP ensures a field of 41 cars for next month’s season opener.
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By opting for a guaranteed seat, Johnson will not receive any prize money and will not receive any points from the event. The rules have evolved over the past year and previously riders could try to qualify on their own and then turn to the OEP if needed. But that’s different now, which means there are still four open spots on the grid, and Johnson, relying on OEP, will have 41 starters.
OEP has only been used once before, when four-time Indy 500 champion Helio Castroneves and the Project 91 Trackhouse Racing team used it in last year’s Daytona 500.
Johnson will drive the No. 84 Legacy Auto Club Toyota as a teammate to Erik Jones and John Hunter Nemechek. The NASCAR Hall of Famer is a two-time Daytona 500 champion, winning the event in 2006 and 2013. Last year he avoided a last-lap crash and put in an impressive performance for LMC, finishing third.
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