NASCAR Hall of Famer Jeff Gordon is rallying for a Days of Thunder sequel and has even discussed the idea with Tom Cruise. Speaking at Daytona International Speedway, Gordon confirmed his interest in bringing the iconic racing film back to life.
“I’ve absolutely talked to Tom about it because I want him to do the project,” Gordon said. “We want to be a part of it if it were to happen.”
Reports first surfaced in November that Cruise had been in talks with Paramount about revisiting the 1990 film. While the original was met with criticism for its over-the-top portrayal of NASCAR, it has since gained cult status among race fans, with quotes like “Rubbin’, son, is racin’” still echoing through the sport.
Cruise, fresh off his Top Gun success in the late ‘80s, had envisioned Days of Thunder as a high-speed drama showcasing the world of stock-car racing. The film loosely drew inspiration from the late Tim Richmond, though Gordon’s rise in NASCAR made him a fitting real-life counterpart to Cruise’s character, Cole Trickle. Now vice chairman at Hendrick Motorsports, Gordon’s long-standing friendship with Cruise—who attended Gordon’s retirement banquet in 2015—could strengthen the chances of a sequel.
“He seems to like to tease it, so I don’t know,” Gordon said. “We’ll see what happens. If that doesn’t happen, I feel pretty confident there’s a project out there that will get NASCAR back on the big screen, if not just a really cool docuseries or something beyond even what we’re already seeing right now.”
The original Days of Thunder introduced NASCAR to a mainstream audience in a way few films had before. While Hollywood has attempted to capture the sport’s essence since then, the results have been mixed, with Talladega Nights standing out as one of the few hits among a series of flops.
Gordon remains optimistic about NASCAR’s future in entertainment, citing increased interest in motorsports content.
“I am seeing just a lot more momentum in projects like coming through NASCAR and coming to Hendrick Motorsports and just more interest,” he said. “So that’s good, right? It talks a lot about where the sport is at, where it’s heading, the amazing crowd that was here all weekend, not just today, new TV partners.”
Whether it’s Days of Thunder 2 or another major project, NASCAR fans could soon see the sport back in the cinematic spotlight.
