What is the lifeline of most NASCAR fans? You know it – it is nostalgia. Be it the heartwarming and roaring sound of engines that fires up fans’ enthusiasm or the colorful souvenir haulers carrying your favorite driver’s merchandise, every little detail captivates the fans’ hearts. Hence, there is still hesitation to adapt to new times, like Amazon Prime’s streaming services of new racetracks. One of the sport’s stalwarts, Dale Earnhardt Jr, also harbors the same approach.
In fact, Dale Earnhardt Jr finds the importance of nostalgia everywhere. That is not just limited to NASCAR but also extends to the movie studios. With Tom Cruise’s Days of Thunder looking to hop into a sequel, Dale Jr is bubbling with anticipation and also expectation.
Dale Earnhardt Jr lays out his blueprint
Well, the movie remains a classic even after all this time. ‘Days of Thunder’ debuted in June 1990 and put NASCAR on a national stage like no other movie before. It outpaced the impact of the 1983 film ‘Stroker Ace’, especially by casting successful stars like Tom Cruise and Robert Duvall. Dale Earnhardt Jr admitted that he loved the movie when it was first released, calling it “cool” in an interview in May. Cruise features as the star driver, dreaming of owning a fictional City Chevrolet team someday. There was a NASCAR black hat in the movie as well, ‘Rowdy Burns’. Such crucial aspects of the film left a permanent mark on Dale Jr. So, as rumor pick up about an incoming second ‘Days of Thunder’, Dale Jr also has a set of demands.
Dale Earnhardt Jr brought in a nostalgic touch even to the silver screen. In a recent ‘Dale Jr Download’ episode, the two-time Daytona 500 winner touched on his primary expectation: “The more of the original cast members, the better.” He continued, “I would need Tom Cruise to still be racing. Tom Cruise not in a race car for the entire movie doesn’t work for me. So he can’t be an owner. Now I think Rowdy Burns can be an owner…He’s aged out, no longer driving, and he’s now maybe some owner in the sport…The Russ Wheeler character, I would love it if he was still racing. I don’t know really where he’s at or what he looks like these days, but if he’s taking good care of himself, I think you could pass him off as a veteran driver.”
Yet times do change, as NASCAR changed from cable TV to streaming with Amazon Prime. Dale Earnhardt Jr accepted the fact that younger faces would need to be there. He said, “I feel like we’re going to have to accept some younger cast members…There’s going to be this young driver, very similar to what we’re seeing in the F1 movie, where you have the old guard and the new guard, right? …That’ll be a part that either makes or breaks the movie.” He summed up his points: “Probably the most important person in the storyline outside of Tom Cruise, getting that cast correctly, and having the right person in the role that’s believable and truly do the work that Tom Cruise has done to understand NASCAR.”
Well, Dale Earnhardt Jr is clearly looking forward to a potential reboot of ‘Days of Thunder’. Plus his emphasis on nostalgia pervades everywhere – even in the realm of his hobbies.
Old is gold for Dale Jr
After all, Dale Earnhardt Jr’s prime was in the early 2000s. He debuted in the Cup Series in 1999 and paved the way for a successful career featuring 26 Cup Series wins. What is more, his father, Dale Earnhardt, passed away in the 2001 Daytona 500. Hence, Dale Jr’s mind lingers in the past. Even outside of NASCAR, he prefers a touch of the olden times. Dale Jr harbors many hobbies like keeping a vintage car collection, cycling, motorbiking, and spending time with his adorable family. Among his hobbies is also collecting vinyl records, despite the global streaming options we have today. He has an eclectic taste ranging from a mashup of ‘80s hits — some standard rock and pop to ’70s songs as well. Hence, Dale Jr also prefers to tune in on the radio.
In a 2023 interview with The Athletic, Dale Earnhardt Jr highlighted why this love of old musical forms is important for him. He said, “When we started listening to music, especially on our phones, we went from vinyl to tape to disc to digital, and we had all this access just right at our fingertips to play any song you want. And then we thought, “You know what? Let’s listen to some records.” So we love the old school way of having to put a record on a record player, right? So going back to the way it used to be is kind of fun sometimes. It’s the nostalgia.”
Clearly, Dale Earnhardt Jr’s love for nostalgia branches beyond just the racetrack. With Tom Cruise’s imminent collaboration with NASCAR for a second time, the veteran could not be any less excited. Are you?
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