Most actors prepare for a racing role with a simulator, a few supervised laps, and a stunt driver on standby. Tom Cruise apparently asked NASCAR for an actual race.
Speaking at Front Office Sports’ Tuned In summit in New York on Tuesday, NASCAR CEO Steve O’Donnell said Cruise has asked about running an ARCA Menards Series race as part of his preparation for the Days of Thunder sequel. O’Donnell made clear the request caught him off guard. He also made clear he isn’t sure it will happen. That second part is the one to watch.
Cole Trickle Rides Again
Cruise confirmed the follow-up at Daytona on August 29, returning as Cole Trickle, with Jerry Bruckheimer and Tommy Harper producing alongside him. Anne Hathaway plays a team owner and engineer, and Paramount has the film dated for June 2, 2028. Cruise is 64.
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NASCAR is involved far beyond a logo license. O’Donnell said the sanctioning body is producing more than 80 cars for filming, and he was blunt about their life expectancy: “Some we don’t expect to get back as they’re wrecked as part of this,” he told FOS.
Eighty-plus cars is a larger fleet than most race teams field in several seasons. Some of them are budgeted as crash debris from the start. The 1990 original did it the old way, with Hendrick Motorsports building and repairing cars for the production. This time the sanctioning body is the supplier, so the cars should match what fans see on Sundays.
What Cruise Would Actually Be Strapping Into
ARCA sits below NASCAR’s three national series, but don’t confuse “development series” with “slow.” The spec ARCA Ilmor 396 is a 6.49-liter V8 rated at 700 horsepower and 530 lb-ft. It revs to 7,500 rpm and runs Holley EFI, according to Ilmor’s spec sheet. It’s designed to last 1,500 race miles between rebuilds. That durability is why the engine exists: ARCA wanted big-track speed without Cup-level engine bills.
The trouble isn’t the horsepower. It’s the company. An ARCA field is full of hungry teenagers and twentysomethings trying to impress Cup team owners. Drivers on that ladder don’t lift for movie stars.
The Gatekeepers Have Already Said No to a Famous Name
NASCAR doesn’t let anyone onto the grid just because they can get a ride. Drivers need approval, and 2026 has already shown the committee will turn down a celebrity. In April, NASCAR declined to clear YouTuber Cleetus McFarland (Garrett Mitchell) for an O’Reilly Series start at Talladega. NASCAR’s John Probst explained that McFarland’s approval covered short tracks, which “means he’s good for all of ARCA, all of truck and then O’Reilly up through the short tracks.”
That quote shows how the ladder works. ARCA is the entry rung, but you still have to earn a spot on it. McFarland earned his by actually racing. Cruise has a pilot’s license, a long list of stunts, and serious charisma. Whether that adds up to the competition experience NASCAR’s approval committee wants is a separate question. My guess is the most likely path is a short track rather than a superspeedway, if he gets approved at all.
The Insurance Problem
There’s also a contract issue. Major productions are insured and bonded around their lead actor. A star crashing during a scripted stunt is a manageable risk. A star in a live, 40-car race is a risk no one controls: unpredictable traffic, other drivers’ mistakes, and no reshoots. If Cruise hurts his wrist in practice, a 2028 release date that depends on him could slip. Insurers and completion guarantors tend to have strong opinions about that, probably stronger than O’Donnell’s.
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There’s a liability angle for NASCAR too. If a sanctioning body approves an inexperienced driver and that driver collects a real competitor’s car, it has a hard conversation ahead with a team that didn’t sign up to be a movie extra.
Why NASCAR Is Still Glad He Asked
The request is still useful to NASCAR. O’Donnell framed the sequel as a door into a new audience, quoting Cruise’s pitch: “I’m going to put you in front of an entirely new audience.” He also said Cruise “wants this to be as authentic as it can be.” For a sport that spent decades wincing at Hollywood’s version of it, a star who asks for a real race entry is better than one who wants a green screen.
Don’t bet on Cole Trickle in the ARCA standings. Bet on private test days, a lot of laps with NASCAR’s blessing, and a fleet of 80 cars that won’t all come home. If Cruise does land an ARCA start, it will come from the same approval process every rookie goes through. That would be the most authentic thing about the movie. Should NASCAR clear a 64-year-old movie star for a real ARCA start, or keep him on test days?
Images Via: Wikipedia
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