The NASCAR world is buzzing since Tom Cruise’s tweet on June 27 marking 35 years of Days of Thunder and celebrating Jerry Bruckheimer’s new F1: The Movie. Cruise wrote, “I always love the fun and adrenaline of a racing film. Today marks two racing milestones for my friend Jerry Bruckheimer…”
Movies like Days of Thunder, where Cruise played rookie Cole Trickle, and Talladega Nights, featuring Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s quick cameo at Charlotte, helped NASCAR break into pop culture. NASCAR was presumed to be a niche sport, although legends like Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt became cultural icons. It needed a fresh rebranding, a story that could spark interest among sports fans to see NASCAR beyond their prejudice, and that happened with Tom Cruise dining in that Mello Yello firesuit, and NASCAR hasn’t been the same since then.
This movie, in essence, broke the barrier for NASCAR to go mainstream, and that resulted in Fortune 500 companies lining up to be on the hoods of a NASCAR race car, and sparked the heyday for the sport. Tom Cruise’s popularity was huge, and even Dale Jr. recalls his experience when Days of Thunder changed the perception of NASCAR and propelled it to new heights.
NASCAR once carried a schoolyard label of “stupid.” As Dale Jr. remembered on Dirty Mo Media. “As a kid, to see your favorite sport that you thought no one cared about or liked. Everybody at school thought NASCAR was stupid. All the people that I was in school with didn’t like NASCAR. They thought it was dumb. Now they’re making this big movie.”
That big screen moment wasn’t just a movie event. “I was like, hell, yes. And then they came out with the Nintendo game Days of Thunder. It was sucky, but I played the s–t out of it. Man, that was a big deal,” Dale Jr. admitted. The 1990 Nintendo game, licensed from Paramount and released on NES and other platforms, brought stock-car racing into living rooms worldwide. Despite negative reviews, the game gave fans, even casual ones, a hands-on taste of NASCAR’s high-speed drama. Even a flawed game stoked enthusiasm and widened the sport’s fan base beyond TV broadcasts.
Formula One F1 – British Grand Prix – Silverstone Circuit, Silverstone, Britain – July 3, 2022 Actor Tom Cruise before the race REUTERS/Andrew Boyers
Soon, the culture shifted again with Talladega Nights (2006). “All the people in LA will be walking around with NASCAR hats…after Talladega Nights,” Dale Jr. laughed. Will Ferrell’s comedy grossed $163 million worldwide, featured a Dale Jr. cameo, and portrayed NASCAR stars as larger-than-life personalities. Suddenly, urban audiences saw drivers not as backroad bumpkins but as heroes with charisma and humor. The hats and buzz weren’t just for show. They drew new fans to racetracks and TV screens.
By tying Hollywood glitz to real racing, Cruise and his collaborators helped NASCAR shed its “stupid” stereotype. Films offered a front-row seat to pit-lane drama, high-speed chases, and genuine personalities. The movie generated pop-culture buzz, and NASCAR’s presence in mainstream entertainment helped attract attention from new demographics. With the spotlight back on NASCAR in Hollywood, a new project is on the horizon. One that could revive the legacy of Days of Thunder for a whole new generation.
Jerry Bruckheimer confirms NASCAR-based movie sequel with Tom Cruise
Jerry Bruckheimer, long-time Cruise producer, told Entertainment Tonight, “Well, there’s always new technologies. There’s always new ways to do things and to see things, and Tom is such a great individual , comes up with phenomenal ideas. So we’ll have something really exciting for an audience once we pull it together.” Bruckheimer confirmed that Days of Thunder 2 is actively being written. He emphasized that modern filming techniques, tiny cameras, advanced effects, and streaming tie-ins could capture NASCAR like never before. His words signal a project built on spectacle and authenticity.
Jeff Gordon, former driver and Hendrick Motorsports chairman, jumped in with his own pitch. “Let’s do Days of Thunder 2, I am all for that. Tom Cruise has told me it’s gonna happen, so let’s make it happen…When I came into NASCAR, Days of Thunder had just come out. It played a huge role in the growth of NASCAR. So let’s bring it back.” Gordon wants current Hendrick stars Alex Bowman, Chase Elliott, Kyle Larson, and William Byron to appear alongside Cruise. He sees the sequel as a prime vehicle to introduce the sport’s new generation to global audiences.
On why now is the perfect time, Gordon noted. “There’s this kind of resurgence, which is awesome, and there’s also a whole new landscape of opportunities with streaming services and docuseries and also the big screen… It talks a lot about where the sport is at, where it’s heading.” With Hollywood and NASCAR in lockstep, the sequel promises to be more than a movie. It could be the sport’s next breakout moment.
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