Taking advantage of the Open Exemption Provisional, seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmy Johnson will have a guaranteed spot in the 68th running of the Daytona 500.
The Open Exemption Provisional, created a year ago, can be used by an unsanctioned team with a world-class driver to guarantee their place on the starting grid for any race where the peloton eclipses the maximum number of entries allowed (40). Johnson’s use of the OEP guarantees a 41-car field for next month’s season opener.
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By opting for the guaranteed spot, Johnson will not earn any purses or acquire any points from the event. The rule has evolved over the past year and previously a driver could attempt to qualify on their own and then turn to the OEP if necessary. This is no longer the case, meaning there are still four open spots on the grid and with Johnson relying on the OEP there will be 41 starters.
The OEP has only been used once before, when four-time Indy 500 winner Helio Castroneves and the Project 91 Trackhouse Racing team relied on it during last year’s Daytona 500.
Johnson will drive the No. 84 Legacy Motor Club Toyota as a teammate for Erik Jones And John Hunter Nemechek. The NASCAR Hall of Famer is a two-time winner of the Daytona 500, winning the event in 2006 and 2013.
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Johnson retired from full-time competition after the 2020 season, but has since made a few appearances as a driver/owner at Legacy. Last year, he avoided a crazy crash on the final lap to claim third place in the Daytona 500.
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