DAYTONA BEACH, FLORIDA – FEBRUARY 12: Jimmie Johnson, driver of the #84 Carvana Toyota drives through the garage area during practice for the NASCAR Cup Series Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway on February 12, 2025 in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images)

The NASCAR great's No. 84 car, sponsored by Carvana, comes with a custom Shaquille O'Neal-themed paint job. As it turns out, Johnson isn't just a fan of the NBA legend — O'Neal had a major hand in the design. The design harkens back to O'Neal's time with the Magic when he quickly emerged as one of the most dominant forces in basketball.

A pair of NASCAR Cup Series champions won't have to worry about making the 2025 Daytona 500 via the duels on Thursday.

Chase Briscoe led a banner night for Toyota in qualifying for the Daytona 500 by winning the pole for NASCAR's “Great American Race.” It is the first Daytona 500 pole for Briscoe, who moved to Joe Gibbs Racing this season when Stewart-Haas Racing closed at the end of 2024.

I made it to 49 without ever having a real job,” the seven-time NASCAR champion and El Cajon native said earlier this week. That changed on Jan. 27, when Johnson became the majority owner of Legacy Motor Club — the NASCAR team that started out 7 ½ decades ago as Petty Enterprises.

Jimmie Johnson — one of the titans of NASCAR — is back at one of racing’s grandest stages. Nexstar’s FOX8’s Kevin Connolly and Danny Harnden and WFLA’s JB Biunno spent Wednesday afternoon catching up with drivers as they get ready to hit the speedway this Sunday for the Daytona 500.