The Daytona 500 is officially less than a week away, which means we have enough time to recover from the Super Bowl and turn all our attention towards the official start of NASCAR season. And with the new season, it’s time for some new colors, especially when it comes to seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champ Jimmie Johnson’s No. 84.
After an agreed-upon bet with Los Angeles Lakers legend Shaquille O’Neal didn’t go his way, Johnson had to relent and allow the NBA Hall of Famer to design the stripes for his No. 84 car for The Great American Race. As a result, the No. 84 Toyota will be decked out in cool blue pinstripes as an ode to O’Neal’s days with the Orlando Magic, who have their roots nearby.
Jimmie Johnson’s New-Look Car for the Daytona 500
A bet’s a bet… @shaq designed, @JimmieJohnson approved. Tune in on February 16th to see this fresh paint scheme hit the track! #daytona500 #nascar pic.twitter.com/AAVYQ7i6Z4
— Carvana Racing (@CarvanaRacing) February 8, 2025
The friendly competition turned into “an epic competition,” Jimmie Johnson said, but added that he was more than happy with the final design he termed “absolutely legendary.”
While the paint scheme is settled upon, Johnson will have more than enough business to attend to in the build-up to the Daytona 500. Given the No. 84’s part-time status, Johnson doesn’t have a guaranteed starting spot for The Great American Race. As a result, he’ll have to get things in order either at Wednesday night’s pole qualifying or during the 150-mile qualifying race scheduled for Thursday night.
Johnson, of course, retired from racing in NASCAR full-time after the 2020 season. He did, however, return for the past two races but didn’t have all that much success, racking up 31st and 28th-place finishes.
As things stand, it’s difficult to see Johnson landing a spot for himself in qualifying. FanDuel odds have Johnson at +15000 for the Daytona 500, with Kyle Busch leading the pack at +1100, followed by Denny Hamlin and Ryan Blaney (both +1200).
If Johnson ends up making the 40-41 field, alongside Hamlin, he will be the only driver to have won multiple Daytona 500s.
Pressure would be on Jimmie Johnson to make the Daytona 500 no matter what but with this amount of promotion, likely will be even more: @NASCARONFOX https://t.co/8jVoPJogEO
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) February 8, 2025
One man who believes the pressure has ramped up on Johnson after the star-studded collaboration with O’Neal is Fox Sports reporter Bob Pockrass.
“Pressure would be on Jimmie Johnson to make the Daytona 500 no matter what but with this amount of promotion, likely will be even more,” Pockrass tweeted.
For now, attention will be focused on qualifying. Per Fox, Wednesday’s weather is expected to be in the 70s with a 1% chance of rain, whereas Thursday has a 35% chance of showers.
