The NASCAR Hall of Famer said he very much wants to see a sequel to the original Days of Thunder, the iconic racing film from 1990. Gordon spoke at Daytona International Speedway, revealing that he has spoken with Hollywood superstar Tom Cruise about the possibility of making it happen.
The Passion to Project It
"I've absolutely talked to Tom about it because I want him to do the project," Gordon said. "We want to be part of it if it were to happen."
The original Days of Thunder, starring Cruise as driver Cole Trickle, bust summer blockbusters with scathing reviews for painting the extravagantly beautiful picture of NASCAR. Yet, it revived from the dead as a cult favorite among racing fans. Such narrative treasures like "Rubbin', son, is racin'," from the mouth of Robert Duvall's character Harry Hogge, remain suspended in NASCAR lore.
A Legacy of Racing and Film
Gordon is now vice-chairman at Hendrick Motorsports and has just such a bond with the movie. Where Cruise's character had the loose inspiration of the late Tim Richmond, Gordon's career has, in many respects, been compared to that of fictional driver Cole Trickle. Gordon also shared many personal moments with Cruise throughout the years, including an event where Cruise attended the 2015 NASCAR banquet to honor Gordon's retirement.
This relationship might be vital in making a sequel actually happen. "He seems to like to tease it, so I don't know," as Gordon put it. "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 Impact of "Days of Thunder"
With Days of Thunder, NASCAR came to introduce a wider audience, many of whom had not known stock-car racing up till then. Racing films have previously included Thunder Road, Grand Prix, and Smokey and the Bandit, but none caught the mainstream pull of Cruise's NASCAR-themed movie.
Gordon admitted that pulling off this authenticity in the film would be quite challenging today. "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," he 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?"
NASCAR's Future in Entertainment
In fact, since Days of Thunder, you have had a hit-and-miss spectrum of NASCAR feature films and television. The box office smash Talladega Nights is one bright spot. Of course, others like KH's Netflix series, The Crew, have just tanked. Still, where might future wishes and expectations go for Mr. Gordon.
"This is much-more positive momentum towards projects coming through NASCAR and coming to Hendrick Motorsports and just more interest," he said. "So that is good, right? It talks a lot about where the sport is at, where it's going, the amazing crowd that was here all weekend, not just today, new TV partners."
A New Chapter for NASCAR on Screen
Gordon and Cruise are considering the Days of Thunder sequel, yet to spark a different kind of anticipation from the world of racing. It might either be a sequel, a docuseries, or possibly some other creative manifestation, but the fact that momentum is building up in telling NASCAR stories shows the promise of more riveting opportunities for everyone involved, both fans and filmmakers.