Rumors of a "Days of Thunder" sequel have persisted over the years, but questions remain regarding Cole Trickle's future. Now a NASCAR Hall of Famer has weighed in.
"I've absolutely talked to Tom (Cruise) about it because I want him to do the project, and we want to be a part of it if it were to happen," Jeff Gordon told media members after last weekend's Daytona 500.
"He seems to like to tease it, so I don't know. 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 Hollywood Reporter released an exclusive report in November 2024 saying that Cruise was eyeing a sequel to "Days of Thunder" in partnership with Paramount. The outlet reported that the studio is out to potential writers.
No major movement has happened on this project since the 2024 report, but the Sports Business Journal reported in January that NASCAR remained interested in participating.
"Hendrick Motorsports being a part of that project, hard to imagine how you pull that off today because they actually had race cars with cameras in the race, and the cameras were big," Gordon said.
"Cameras have gotten a lot smaller so maybe you could pull it off, but how do you do it and make it realistic and really authentic?"
Released in 1990, "Days of Thunder" stars Cruise as Cole Trickle, an open-wheel racer who moved to NASCAR after joining forces with crew chief Harry Hogge (Robert Duvall) and team owner Tim Daland (Randy Quaid).
The hot-headed Trickle dealt with struggles early in the film and even clashed with rival driver Rowdy Burns (Michael Rooker). However, he learned the art of stock car racing, fell in love, and delivered for his team in the film's final race.
"Days of Thunder" featured numerous racing sequences, which the crews filmed during actual NASCAR events. These cars had cameras on them to capture the authentic racing experience.
Hendrick Motorsports was heavily involved in the production of the film. The organization was responsible for building and repairing the race cars used in the racing sequences. The City Chevrolet sponsor on Trickle's race car was a nod to Rick Hendrick's car dealership.
Gordon doesn't know if Cruise will make another "Days of Sequel," but he knows that Hendrick Motorsports would be ready to jump on board once again.