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Dale Earnhardt Jr. reveals whether he'd play role in 'Days of Thunder' sequel

FaceProfileby:Thomas Goldkamp•07/02/25
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© Peter Casey-Imagn Images

Legendary movie producer Jerry Bruckheimer recently confirmed he is ready to do a Days of Thunder movie sequel with Tom Cruise. And instantly the NASCAR world caught fire with word of the news.

Everyone in the sport is itching to see how the sequel might be made. Could there be roles in the movie for drivers, crew members or even broadcasters?

It’s certainly possible. And one man would absolutely want in if approached.

“No question, yes. That’s an automatic yes,” Dale Earnhardt Jr. said on the Dale Jr. Download. “Yeah. I would damn sure be interested in doing that. And I think that’s the way that anybody feels in the industry, right? If you’re a current driver, you’d absolutely want an opportunity to be a part of that.”

The original Days of Thunder movie aired in 1990, starring Tom Cruise as Cole Trickle, a young NASCAR driver looking to make his way to the top of the Cup Series. Days of Thunder was a financial success as it made over $157 million worldwide. It also earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Sound.

Cruise has shown no signs of slowing down in recent years, and he’s confirmed he’s up for the project, too. Earnhardt pointed out one potential role for himself in a Days of Thunder sequel, and it’s not necessarily the one you’d most readily expect.

“This movie, if ever made, will — and I’m putting myself, putting my neck out there — but this movie, if ever made, will need, at some point in the movie, some broadcasting chops,” Earnhardt said. “So there will be a lot of people eager to find out if they’re the ones that will get called up for that.”

Regardless, it seems there’s plenty of momentum to get a Days of Thunder sequel made. With the biggest names already on board, it seems just a matter of time at this point.

Getting someone like Earnhardt aboard? That would only lend more credibility to the project.

“I don’t know. I would do anything they would ask me to do to try to support it,” Earnhardt said. “But because I feel like it’s what you’re supposed to do.”