LEGACY MOTOR CLUB:
TALLADEGA PRE-RACE ADVANCE
EVENT: Jack Link’s 500
DATE: April 26, 2026
RACE: NASCAR Cup Series 10 of 36
TRACK: Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway | 2.66-Mile Oval
JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK
NO. 42 PYE-BARKER FIRE & SAFETY TOYOTA CAMRY XSE
JHN AT TALLADEGA: John Hunter Nemechek has six NASCAR Cup Series starts at Talladega, where he has earned two top-10 finishes. He finished eighth in both races in 2020. In the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, Nemechek has made four starts, including two top-10 finishes in April 2018 and April 2019. In his seven starts in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, he earned one pole award in October 2022 and two top-10 finishes, including a best finish of fourth in October 2021.
T-MACK AT TALLADEGA: Sunday’s race will be crew chief Travis Mack’s 12th NASCAR Cup Series race at Talladega. His first outing came in 2018 with Kasey Kahne. Mack returned to Talladega with Daniel Suárez in the 2021 season. The duo competed in six races together, and had three top-10 finishes (October 2022, April 2023, and October 2023). In 2024, Mack competed with Shane van Gisbergen for both races. He then returned in April 2025 with Nemechek. In the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, Mack has three starts with Michael Annett, where the pair earned one pole award in 2019 and one top-10 finish in 2020.
JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK QUOTE:
“I’m ready to get back to a superspeedway. We showed good speed in Daytona, and I feel like if we stay out of trouble, Talladega has the potential to be a great race for us. The new stage lengths will definitely be a factor, but I know the No. 42 team will be ready to adapt and make changes to put us in a good spot in the end when it counts.”
TRAVIS MACK QUOTE:
“We’re always happy with superspeedway racing. We feel like we have potential to win those races. The Toyotas showed great performance in Daytona, and our car ran really well up front. I’m ready to see where we can qualify, because if we can make improvements in qualifying and bring more speed in the car, then I think we’ll really have a shot. I’m excited about the new stage lengths and being more aggressive in Stage 3. We’ll have to maintain track position in Stage 2, and then really race it hard in Stage 3 with the new lap count. I’m excited that cars will be running more wide-open and racing harder.”
ERIK JONES
NO. 43 DORITOS DOLLAR TREE TOYOTA CAMRY XSE
JONES TALLADEGA STATS: Sunday’s Jack Link’s 500 will mark Erik Jones’ 19th NASCAR Cup Series starts at the 2.66-mile, behemoth track of Talladega Superspeedway. In total, he’s earned three top-fives and eight top-10 finishes at Talladega. He’s been especially consistent as of late, finishing in the top-10 in seven of his last 11 races while leading a total of 75 laps. He earned a best finish of second in October 2020, where he finished .086 seconds behind race winner Denny Hamlin. In the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, Jones has three starts at Talladega, never qualifying outside the top-10 and securing a best finish of fifth in May 2017, where he led five laps after starting 10th. In the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, the 2015 champion made two starts at Talladega, boasting an average starting position of 4.5 and an average finish of fifth. Jones earned a best finish of fourth in October 2015 and never finished outside of the top-10 in the Truck Series.
DORITOS TAKEOVER: This weekend at Talladega, Jones will replace his iconic green and white Dollar Tree paint scheme for a No. 43 Toyota Camry XSE decked out for Doritos, a vendor partner of Dollar Tree. Through social media and media activations, Jones will highlight the partnership and showcase the car both on and off the racetrack. In addition, LEGACY MOTOR CLUB will have a Doritos and Pepsi Co. inspired menu at its state-of-the-art hospitality for partners at the track curated by by Michelin-trained Chef Duyen Ha, a Chopped champion and Top Chef season 23 contestant.
ALEXANDER AT TALLADEGA: This Sunday’s Jack Link’s 500 at Talladega Superspeedway will be crew chief Justin Alexander’s 17th NASCAR Cup Series race at the 2.66-mile oval in Alabama. He’s earned a total of two top-fives and five top-10s at this track in his career on top of the box. His best finish of second came in April 2022 with Austin Dillon when the duo finished just .105 seconds behind race winner Ross Chastain. Alexander has one additional NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series start at Talladega where he made the calls from the top of the box with Ben Kennedy in May 2017. The duo started and finished fourth.
ERIK JONES QUOTE:
“Talladega should be good for us. Superspeedways in general have been a strong point for LEGACY MOTOR CLUB, and now I think it’s just a matter of putting it all together and having everything play out really well. I’m excited to get there. The new stage lengths should make it a lot of fun in the second half of the race since you’re not going to be focused on saving fuel as much. It should put on a good show. Looking forward to it – we’ve been close a handful of times at Talladega. Hopefully this time we can put it all together, close it out, and bring home a win.”
JUSTIN ALEXANDER QUOTE:
“Talladega’s always a place where a lot is out of your control, but the stage length changes should mix things up some. We won’t have to save as much fuel, so guys can race harder and be more aggressive, especially in the second and third stages. That’ll change strategy quite a bit and hopefully make for a more straightforward race. For us, it’s about staying out of trouble, executing all day and being in position at the end to win. We had a shot in Daytona, and we plan to finish that off in Talladega.”
CLUB MINUTES:
JJ AT TALLADEGA: LEGACY MOTOR CLUB owner and seven-time NASCAR Cup Series Champion Jimmie Johnson has 38 career Cup Series starts at Talladega Superspeedway. He earned two wins, seven top-fives, 13 top-10s, and led 474 laps. He scored back-to-back poles in his first two starts there in both of the 2002 races. His first victory came in May 2006 when Johnson started 16th and led the final lap of the race to beat Tony Stewart by .120 seconds. Johnson won his second race at Talladega in April 2011 after starting second and leading 14 laps. He bested Clint Bowyer by .002 seconds. Johnson has an additional two NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series starts at Talladega with a best finish of 28th in April 2001.
KENSETH TALLADEGA STATS: LEGACY MOTOR CLUB competition advisor and 2003 NASCAR Cup Series Champion Matt Kenseth has run 38 Cup Series race at Talladega. He earned one win, six top-fives, 10 top-10s and led 524 laps at the 2.66-mile, behemoth oval. He won at Talladega in October 2012 after starting 15th and leading 33 laps, beating Jeff Gordon under caution. Kenseth has an additional six starts in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series at Talladega. He earned one top-five and three top-10s in his starts with a best finish of fourth in April 1999.
THE KING WINS AT TALLADEGA: LEGACY MOTOR CLUB ambassador and seven-time NASCAR Cup Series Champion Richard Petty owns 46 Cup Series starts at Talladega. During his legendary career, the NASCAR Hall of Famer collected two wins, 11 top-fives, and 18 top-10s as well as led 273 laps. He scored his first victory in August 1974 when he started third, led 34 laps and bested David Pearson. He followed that up in May 1983 when he started 15th and led a total of 52 laps en route to a victory over Benny Parsons.
SOCIAL SPOTLIGHT:
CLUB APPEARANCES:
John Hunter Nemechek will be at the trackside merchandise trailer for an autograph session on Sunday, April 26 at 10:30 a.m. local time.
TUNE IN:
Fans can tune in to watch the Jack Link’s 500 at Talladega Superspeedway on Sunday, April 26 at 3 p.m. EDT on FOX, MAX, MRN, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Channel 90).
LEGACY MOTOR CLUB (LEGACY MC) is a premier auto racing organization owned by seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion and 2024 NASCAR Hall of Fame inductee, Jimmie Johnson and Knighthead Capital Management, LLC. Drawing from a rich tradition of success, LEGACY MC is dedicated to pushing the boundaries of motorsport and setting new standards of excellence. The CLUB competes under the Toyota Racing banner in the NASCAR Cup Series with the No. 43 Toyota Camry XSE piloted by Erik Jones and the No. 42 Toyota Camry XSE driven by John Hunter Nemechek. Johnson also races on a limited basis in the No. 84 Toyota Camry XSE. With NASCAR legend and Hall of Famer Richard Petty, “The King”, serving as CLUB Ambassador, LEGACY MC blends timeless racing traditions with a new forward-thinking vision. As an inclusive community for motorsport enthusiasts, LEGACY MC honors both its storied past and the promising future of its members, always striving for victory and championship glory at the pinnacle of NASCAR competition.
