Ally Financial certainly is familiar with getting signatures for retail installment contracts. The company used its knowledge of that process to honor one of the best race car drivers ever.

As seven-time NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson concludes his final full-time NASCAR season, Ally revealed a new paint scheme for the No. 48 Ally Chevrolet, featuring the signatures of 10,000 of his fans. The scheme will appear on the car Johnson drives in the Martinsville, Va., race on Nov. 1, bringing his fans along for one of the legendary driver’s final Cup Series rides.

After the season, the “Sign for Jimmie” car will be placed on display at the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte.

Ally also surprised Johnson with a $70,000 donation to the Jimmie Johnson Foundation — $10,000 for each championship title. The company said the funds will help seed a number of new grants to address inequities affecting Black and Brown communities.

“We knew the best way to honor Jimmie and recognize all that he’s meant to racing was to lift up the things that matter to him the most: the fans, kids and his local communities,” Ally chief marketing and public relations officer Andrea Brimmer said.

“Jimmie is one of the best ever to compete in NASCAR. But more than that, he’s been an inspirational leader on and off the track, standing up for diversity and inclusion, which is tremendously important to all of us at Ally,” Brimmer said. “This commitment will help Jimmie further his legacy as a champion for equality.”

Over the course of his career, Ally pointed out that Johnson has signed countless autographs for fans. So earlier this fall, the Ally Racing team created an interactive website to give fans a chance to virtually sign their autographs for the “signature” paint scheme and become a physical part of NASCAR history.

Fans who filled the first 10,000 signature slots can search for their signatures at www.SignForJimmie.com and capture an image as a keepsake and to share with friends and family.

Additional signatures will be featured on a race-day pit wall banner at Martinsville, where Johnson has nine NASCAR Cup Series wins.

Ally mentioned that fans are also encouraged to share their farewell messages and tributes by uploading a comment, photo or short video via a new website, www.ThisIsJimmie.com. The website will also feature a collection of short videos and first-hand accounts of the man behind the legend from those who know him best.

 “Ally has been such a great partner and to bring in 10,000 fans to ride along with me and to give that support for my final Martinsville race is going to be really meaningful,” Johnson said. “And it’s 10,000 more reasons why we need to get to Victory Lane, so I’m excited about that.”

The company also noted a portion of the initial funds from Ally’s $70,000 commitment to the Jimmie Johnson Foundation will be distributed to two Charlotte-based nonprofits:

—The CMS Foundation to help bridge the digital divide for students in need

—The Center for Racial Equity in Education (CREED)