Keen-eyed NASCAR fans might have noticed that NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series driver Blaine Perkins is carrying sponsorship from John Travolta’s new movie, The Gentleman Thief.
Still, a closer look reveals that this partnership goes far beyond just a normal NASCAR marketing.
NASCAR and movies go hand in hand; in fact, one of the biggest rumors of the 2026 season is not about a driver change or overhaul of a points system, but rather talks of a reboot of the 1990 film Days of Thunder.
Of course, while NASCAR makes for great movie aesthetics, it also makes for some easy promotional airtime for films and TV shows. Over the years, everything from Pixar’s Cars to Transformers has taken to the hood of NASCAR race cars to promote their release.
So it’s not that big of a surprise that per this weekend’s NASCAR OAP Series entry list, another movie, this time an action thriller starring John Travolta titled The Gentleman Thief, is on the hood of Blaine Perkins’ No. 31 Jordan Anderson Racing Bommarito Autosport Chevrolet.
Even then, there is usually a reason, cross-promotion (such as 2025’s Superman sponsorship of Tyler Reddick through 23XI sponsor Upper Deck), or backstory to a Hollywood NASCAR sponsorship.
This time, the connection between JAR, Perkins, and The Gentleman Thief is not one drawn together by the driver, but rather the team co-owner, John Bommarito.
Bommarito, the President of Bommarito Automotive Group, who, alongside his co-ownership of the team, has his own lengthy sponsorship, is tied to the movie through a cast member, his son, Beau Bommarito.
Beau, an actor and influencer, has made several appearances in action-thrillers like the 2025 Scott Eastwood and Sylvester Stallone lead film Alarum, as well as a role in another Stallone film, 2024’s Armor.
In The Gentleman Thief, Beau plays Caras in the film alongside Travolta and other notables like musician DJ Khaled.
Though it may not be the biggest movie, this is by far one of the more interesting sponsorship connections that has brought Hollywood to the racetrack in recent seasons, and, if the deal works out, who’s to say that more films featuring Bommarito make it to the track?
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