More than three decades after “Days of Thunder” first brought Cole Trickle to the big screen, Tom Cruise is officially preparing to climb back behind the wheel.
With a second “Days of Thunder” movie now in the works, NASCAR fans have plenty of reasons to revisit the 1990 original. And while Cruise, Robert Duvall and Michael Rooker played fictional characters, several real NASCAR stars were hiding in plain sight.
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So, which NASCAR drivers actually appeared in “Days of Thunder”?
Richard Petty, Rusty Wallace, Neil Bonnett and Harry Gant all made cameos as themselves. But the movie’s connection to real NASCAR drivers went even deeper than what audiences saw on screen.
Which NASCAR Drivers Made Cameos in ‘Days of Thunder’?
Four real NASCAR drivers appeared as themselves in the original movie: Richard Petty, Rusty Wallace, Neil Bonnett and Harry Gant.
Petty can be spotted during the movie’s opening sequence. It was an appropriate way to immediately establish some NASCAR credibility, considering “The King” was already a seven-time Cup Series champion and the winningest driver in NASCAR history.
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Wallace, Bonnett and Gant appear later as the movie builds toward its climactic Daytona 500. All three are shown being interviewed about Trickle, effectively placing Cruise’s fictional driver inside the real NASCAR garage.
Wallace’s appearance was especially timely. “Days of Thunder” arrived in theaters in 1990, just months after he captured the 1989 Cup Series championship.
The cameos weren’t limited to drivers, either. Familiar NASCAR media personalities were sprinkled throughout the movie, including Dr. Jerry Punch, Bob Jenkins, Benny Parsons and Ned Jarrett.
It was a relatively simple touch that made a major difference. Instead of creating an entirely fictional racing universe, “Days of Thunder” dropped Cole Trickle into a NASCAR world fans already recognized.
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Real NASCAR Drivers Also Drove the ‘Days of Thunder’ Cars
The NASCAR connection went well beyond cameos.
Hendrick Motorsports built specially equipped race cars for the production, and real NASCAR drivers were used to put them on track during actual race weekends. Two of the most notable were Greg Sacks and Bobby Hamilton.
At Phoenix in November 1989, Sacks drove the No. 46 City Chevrolet associated with Cole Trickle, while Hamilton drove the No. 51 Exxon Chevrolet associated with Rowdy Burns. Both cars qualified for the actual Cup race, with Hamilton starting an impressive fifth.
Hamilton even found himself at the front of the field during the race. According to contemporary reporting, he took the lead when other cars pitted under caution before NASCAR called him to pit because the movie cars weren’t there to affect the competition.
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The production later captured footage during the 1990 Daytona 500, where NASCAR allowed two picture cars to run the opening 100 miles before leaving the race. The extraordinary arrangement gave filmmakers something nearly impossible to replicate on a closed set: footage of the “Days of Thunder” cars surrounded by a real NASCAR field at Daytona.
It was all part of an unusually close relationship between NASCAR and the production. Instead of simply making Hollywood’s version of stock-car racing, “Days of Thunder” was able to film pieces of the real thing.
Could NASCAR Drivers Make Cameos in the New ‘Days of Thunder’?
That’s now one of the fun questions surrounding the sequel.
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Current NASCAR stars have already expressed interest in getting involved with the new movie, including Joey Logano, Chase Briscoe and Kyle Larson.
If Cruise and company decide to put today’s drivers on screen, they certainly have a precedent to follow.
Petty, Wallace, Bonnett and Gant were there for Cole Trickle’s first run through NASCAR.
Now we’ll see which drivers get the call for Round 2.
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