The Days of Thunder Sequel: Everything We Know (So Far)
What’s Happening? One of the more intriguing storylines in motorsports right now blends the worlds of racing and Hollywood, as rumors…
During his post-race press conference at Martinsville Speedway, NASCAR legend Jeff Gordon stressed that he believes his friend Tom Cruise is “serious” about making a sequel to the 1990 NASCAR film Days of Thunder.
What’s Happening? One of the more intriguing storylines in motorsports right now blends the worlds of racing and Hollywood, as rumors…
If you’re a NASCAR fan, the phrase “What’s old is new again” is likely beginning to get a little annoying.
But this is the case in 2026, with NASCAR reintroducing the Chase format to the sport.
Nonetheless, old things being renewed in NASCAR doesn’t stop anytime soon, as rumors, now dating back nearly two years, suggest that Paramount is considering, and perhaps in early development of, a sequel to the 1990 film Days of Thunder.
The film, which followed Tom Cruise’s Cole Trickle through his introduction into NASCAR, is often praised by race fans as one of the most accurate depictions of NASCAR on screen.
This accuracy was thanks in part to the sport itself, alongside Hendrick Motorsports, which entered cars into the race solely for the purpose of filming for the movie.
With rumors picking up about re-entering the world of Days of Thunder, NASCAR legend Jeff Gordon, now the Vice Chairman of Hendrick Motorsports, and a well-known friend of Tom Cruise, was asked if he knew anything about the potential sequel following HMS’ win this past Sunday at Martinsville.
When asked if he had heard about reports that Hollywood writers were interviewing the driver, Gordon said he didn’t know anything but assumed it was the early stages of building out a story for the film.
I don’t have any new updates or insight,” Gordon said. “I just assume that whatever was taking place was building a storyline or some characters, something to go do, maybe some sort of a pitch to some studios or whoever.”
Nonetheless, the four-time Cup Series Champion said he is optimistic about a sequel for the film, and said that during an interaction with his Cruise in the past few years, he took away that the 63-year-old actor was serious about making the movie.
“I saw Tom one or two years ago. He actually brought it up then. We were just laughing a bit. He said, ‘No, I’m serious, this is going to happen.’ When Tom Cruise says that, you take it serious.” — Jeff Gordon
Though Gordon was limited in his knowledge of a Days of Thunder sequel, the NASCAR fanbase is hyper-focused, following that March 12 report from Adam Stern of Sports Business Journal that said writer Will Staples had been in attendance at races and in race shops.
At Las Vegas Motor Speedway earlier this month, NASCAR Cup Series Champion Kyle Busch told the media that he had spoken with a writer “a couple times” about a potential sequel.
As of press time, neither NASCAR nor Paramount Studios has confirmed the production of or early planning for a sequel to Days of Thunder.
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