In NASCAR’s glory days, Richard Petty’s famous STP sponsorship set the standard for racing partnerships, with the red and blue #43 car becoming a symbol of greatness. Today, Legacy Motor Club—partly owned by Richard Petty himself—faces a very different sponsorship world. Gone are the days when one anchor sponsor would see out the entire season. Now, teams have to sign multiple brands or partner deals for the funding. And Legacy Motor Club is no different.
Dollar Tree has been a brand that has managed to lure in different players to partner alongside them on the LMC race cars, and they’ve managed to rope in Jack’s Link’s for the Talladega Race weekend. The billion-dollar company, which is famous for its protein-packed jerky and beef sticks, will be serving as the primary sponsor for John Hunter Nemechek.
This deal matters because Jack Link’s recently became the “Official Meat Snack of NASCAR” through a multi-year agreement starting in 2025. The beef jerky brand is also sponsoring Talladega’s Spring Cup Series race, now called the Jack Link’s 500. Last year, the spring Talladega event was sponsored by NASCAR’s core partner, GEICO. But they’ve pulled the plug on NASCAR funding, allowing Jack Links to fill this space.
“LEGACY MOTOR CLUB and Jack Link’s are the perfect duo for the race at Talladega Superspeedway. We’re excited about how this partnership came together through Dollar Tree and proud to represent both brands on track this weekend.” Team co-owner Jimmie Johnson said in a press release. Meanwhile, John Hunter Nemechek sent out an optimistic message celebrating this partnership. “I am looking forward to piloting the plaid No. 42 Jack Link’s Toyota Camry XSE. Hopefully, we can put Sasquatch out front of the field and let his hair blow in the wind!”
Sasquatch, the mascot for Jack Link’s, stunned everyone with his screen presence in the promotional video. But it wasn’t the only thing that had everyone talking. The red and black checkered color scheme on the #42 LMC Toyota Camry was simply stunning, and it’s fair to say this car is going to stand out this Sunday. However, fans didn’t have high hopes for a win or a solid result just because Nemechek is going to be the one piloting this car.
Fans Roast Nemechek’s Sasquatch Sponsorship Deal
However, fans were quick to point out perceived driver inadequacies. “Shame it’s being wasted on Nemechek instead of a real driver like Erik Bartholomew Jones,” wrote one fan. Not sure if this fan was trying to compare Nemechek and his senior teammate Erik Jones, but he clearly felt that the 27-year-old wasn’t going to lead to a positive outcome. And this frustration seems to stem from his on-track results. After a P5 finish at the Daytona 500, Nemechek has gone on a streak of four races with finishes outside of the top 20. Talk about Talladega races, last year he ended both Dega events in the tail end of the field.
Performance expectations dominated other reactions, with one fan sarcastically commenting, “Can’t wait for it to finish 33rd .” This criticism isn’t entirely unfounded—Nemechek has an average finish of 18.89 in the 2025 season thus far, with only two top-10 finishes. Another fan echoed this sentiment more directly: “Should bring a car that’s capable of running in the top 30,” highlighting Legacy Motor Club’s overall performance challenges since their manufacturer switch to Toyota. 2025 was supposed to see an uptick or improvement in speed. Clearly, their tier-1 status as a Toyota partner is in question when 23XI Racing cars can outperform them.
“Should bring a car that’s capable of running in the top 30.” This comment only added to the critique of the driver and the team. Nemechek did manage to escape the carnage in his last two Talladega races, but his finishes of P33 and P31 paint a rather gloomy picture of where the #42 team stands in terms of performance. His teammate Erik Jones suffered a DNF during the spring race last year, but was able to bounce back with a top 5 run in the playoffs.
On the flip side, there were a few fans who were simply in awe of the paint scheme and demanded a roll of the die-cast for the Jack Link’s partnership. “Dude as a fan of the Club and Jack Links if this doesn’t get a Diecast ima rage make it happen ”
As the Jack Link’s 500 approaches this Sunday, April 27, fans will be watching to see if Nemechek can silence critics and give the sponsor the airtime they’re investing in. The pressure is on the driver and the team to perform; superspeedway races are indeed wildcard, and LMC will be hoping they can sneak a win and get one of their cars in the playoffs.
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