Jeff Gordon and Tom Cruise turned heads and ignited rumors on the red carpet this week. The NASCAR Hall of Famer joined Cruise at the New York premiere of “Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning.” Fans quickly flooded replies demanding a Days of Thunder sequel, reviving decades-old hopes for NASCAR’s return to the big screen.
The duo’s friendship, spanning red carpets and racetracks, has long fueled these speculations. Gordon, now a Hendrick Motorsports Vice Chairman, has openly pushed for a follow-up to Cruise’s 1990 racing classic.
With NASCAR’s popularity surging and streaming projects like “NASCAR: Full Speed” gaining traction, the timing for a cinematic revival seems ripe.
Jeff Gordon and Tom Cruise Tease Long-Awaited Racing Sequel
Jeff Gordon recently posted a red carpet photo of his family with Tom Cruise at the NY premiere of the latest Mission Impossible movie with the caption:
“Thanks for rolling out the red carpet, @TomCruise!” The X post led to fans speculating a “Days of Thunder” sequel.
Days of Thunder pic.twitter.com/3fCyCjibfT
— Ray (@RACRaymond)
A fan wrote, “Big Tom Cruise and Jeff Gordon fan I hope we get a days of thunder sequel.” Another, confident with their speculation, wrote, “I’ve been saying it for a couple of years: Days of Thunder 2 is coming.”
Gordon’s lobbying for a Days of Thunder sequel isn’t new. At February’s Daytona 500, he revealed ongoing talks with Cruise.
“I’ve absolutely talked to Tom about it because I want him to do the project,” Gordon said. “We want to be a part of it if it were to happen.”
The original film, starring Cruise as fictional driver Cole Trickle, blended Hollywood glamour with NASCAR authenticity, a balance Gordon insists is crucial. Hendrick Motorsports supplied cars for the 1990 production, embedding cameras in actual race vehicles.
“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 noted.
“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?” he added.
Cruise, fresh off “Top Gun: Maverick” success, appears keen. He’s teased the project for years, even surprising Gordon with a speech at his [Gordon’s] 2015 NASCAR banquet honoring his retirement.
Their latest red carpet reunion amplifies the hype. Fans, meanwhile, aren’t subtle. They have flooded Gordon’s post with comments demanding to “start making Days of Thunder 2 already!”
Can NASCAR’s Hollywood Comeback Overcome Modern Hurdles?
The original Days of Thunder introduced NASCAR to mainstream audiences through its high-octane drama. A sequel faces higher stakes. Streaming docuseries and films like Talladega Nights have since shaped perceptions, demanding a fresh approach.
Gordon remains optimistic. “I am seeing just a lot more momentum in projects like coming through NASCAR and coming to Hendrick Motorsports and just more interest,” he said in February, citing sold-out races and new TV deals. A sequel could tap into this energy, but authenticity is non-negotiable.
Gordon’s final word? “He seems to like to tease it, so I don’t know. We’ll see what happens.” For NASCAR fans, that’s enough to keep the engines idling.