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New details emerge in NASCAR’s involvement in possible ‘Days of Thunder’ sequel

JHby:Jonathan Howard•01/03/25•

Jondean25

Daytona
Nigel Cook/News-Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK

In the fall of 2024, it became known that NASCAR was interested in a Days of Thunder sequel, and since then, we haven’t had much update. However, one, albeit minor, detail has been revealed recently.

In 1990, Days of Thunder starring Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman, Michael Rooker, and others was a major deal for NASCAR. It came out at a time when the sport was still experiencing exponential growth and helped propel it to the heights it reached in the late 90s and early 2000s.

Right now, a Days of Thunder sequel could be equally beneficial for NASCAR. The series already has a Netflix series. A film starring Tom Cruise as Cole Trickle in a similar role as his reprisal of Maverick in Top Gun: Maverick, would be awesome.

Adam Stern of Sports Business Journal spoke to NASCAR COO Steve O’Donnell about a potential sequel. The series remains interested. However, interest doesn’t make a film.

“It would be great to see it happen, but that’s as far as any discussions have gone,” O’Donnell said, via Stern.

The more NASCAR can remind the country that it exists and is still putting on great races, the better. With Netflix, going to streaming on Prime Video, and even putting the Xfinity Series on The CW the series is moving in the right direction.

A Days of Thunder sequel would be another notch in NASCAR’s belt. It just remains to be seen. While the sport should focus on these extracurricular items, the racing is the most important thing. Can’t lose track of that.

Can NASCAR convince people to watch again?

Despite the fact that ratings are down compared to the heights of the 1990s and 2000s, NASCAR is doing well compared to many sports. Every series outside of the NFL is wondering how to pull in more viewers. The MLB, NBA, and other leagues are all trying to attract more eyeballs.

What these leagues can’t do, NASCAR included, is chase ghosts. Nostalgia is part of sports and it serves a purpose. But chasing the past will only lead to disappointment. Putting on a new, exciting product is the best way to get people to tune in. As well as putting your product in the right place.

I’m not sure we will ever see a NASCAR race get 10 million TV viewers again. But there is room for growth. Motorsports as a whole are pulling in fans globally and are growing. The job of Steve O’Donnell and others is to convince those people to tune into their style of motorsports.

When it comes to intermediate tracks, the racing has never been better. There is something to be desired on superspeedways, as well as road courses and short tracks. But NASCAR has shown a willingness to make changes to tires and other aspects of the car. Maybe we’ll get a little horsepower one day…