Days of Thunder Cole Trickle (TOM CRUISE) Regie: Tony Scott aka. Days of thunder / TAGE DES DONNERS USA 1990 Copyright: KPA !AUFNAHMEDATUM GESCHÄTZT! Nur redaktionelle Nutzung im Zusammenhang mit dem Film. Editorial usage only and only related to the movie. Im Falle anderer Verwendungen, kontaktieren Sie uns bitte. For other uses, please contact us. UnitedArchives00857973

Jul 23, 2026, 6:07 PM CUT

NASCAR fans reeling in excitement as Tom Cruise officially confirms his cult classic sequel

NASCAR fans are already deciding what to snack on while watching the sequel of Days of Thunder despite not knowing the film’s timeline.

It was recently confirmed that Tom Cruise and Jerry Bruckheimer are on board as the producers of the upcoming sequel, while Paramount is trying to get Jonathan Levine on board to direct the film

As was speculated earlier, screenwriter Will Staples, who was shadowing NASCAR team operations, will indeed write the script for the sequel, and fans cannot hold in their excitement.

As multiple entertainment outlets continued their reportage of news around the sequel, the film is speculated to go into production in the early days of 2027. The Hollywood Reporter provided some updates on those locked in for the film.

DAYS OF THUNDER, Nicole Kidman, Tom Cruise, 1990 Paramount/Courtesy Everett Collection ACHTUNG AUFNAHMEDATUM GESCHÄTZT PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xParamount/CourtesyxEverettxCollectionx MSDDAOF EC017

This tentative timeline means that we could probably see Cruise taking to the Daytona track once again as Cole Trickle when NASCAR begins the 2027 season.

While Days of Thunder wasn’t as successful as Top Gun when Cruise starred in both, it has become a cult classic today and currently a beacon of hope for NASCAR fans.

The hope is that the sequel to Days of Thunder has a similar impact on NASCAR that F1:The Movie had on Formula 1, which has seen a rise in newer fans getting inquisitive about the sport.

As the puzzles start to fall in place, fans have been expressing what they would like to see.

Fans provide multiple cameo suggestions

Just like the F1 film featured multiple real-life drivers and seemed like the characters were woven into the real Formula 1 track action, NASCAR fans are hoping for a similar showing from the Days of Thunder sequel.

Fans have started flooding X with comments and resharing articles with some of their suggestions, which the makers of the film may want to take a look at.

One fan is hoping for an appearance from NASCAR’s favourite YouTuber turned driver. The fan wrote, “Please for the love of god give us a cleetus cameo.”

Another fan wants to see a Trackhouse driver get his moment in front of the camera. This fan wrote, “I really hope that this takes place in the real NASCAR world like the F1 movie. I wanna see Hocevar and Zilisch all up in this.”

One fan was optimistic about the attention the film could bring, “Imagine if this starts a NASCAR renaissance.”

While most were excited, a few fans even had a few laughs. One wrote, “60+ year old Cole Trickle coming back to NASCAR realizing he’s on the same grid as Noah Gragson and Cole Custer.”

The excitement levels are high, and so are the expectations of what the film could do for the sport.

One fan shared the intro music from Days of Thunder and wrote, “I can’t emphasize how massive Days of Thunder 2 is going to be for NASCAR. Hearing this intro again in theaters will send chills down the spine man.”

As the chatter around the sequel increases, we’ll keep bringing you all the updates on the sequel.

Written by

Debrup Chaudhuri

Edited by

Suyashdeep Sason