Tom Cruise had NASCAR drivers laughing at Daytona International Speedway after recalling a frightening incident from the original Days of Thunder and joking that the track still had the same problem.
Cruise was speaking at the drivers’ meeting on Saturday after announcing that he will reprise his role as Cole Trickle in the long-awaited sequel to the 1990 racing film.
The 64-year-old actor was back at Daytona, a track that played an important role in the original movie. He also took the opportunity to explain what the sequel will try to capture about NASCAR and its racing community.
Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images
Tom Cruise’s Daytona story leaves NASCAR drivers laughing
Cruise recalled filming at Daytona while travelling at around 180mph with two heavy cameras attached to the car.
Things quickly went wrong when the car’s hood came off and the vehicle caught fire as the sun was setting.
‘It turned from a barbecue to a bonfire on the backstraight,’ Cruise told the drivers.
The biggest problem, however, was that the film crew could not reach him because the radio communication did not work on the backstraight.
Cruise then turned the story into a joke, asking the drivers: ‘I hear that that’s still possible, right? You guys didn’t fix that.’
The comment drew laughs from the room before Cruise continued with a more serious message about the sequel.
He explained that Days of Thunder 2 will not simply be about fast cars. Cruise wants the film to show the teamwork, community and culture surrounding NASCAR, along with the speed and danger that attracted him to the sport in the first place.
The sequel is now officially moving forward, with Anne Hathaway set to co-star alongside Cruise.
She will play a team owner and engineer, although further plot details have not been revealed.
Production is expected to begin early next year, with the film scheduled for release in summer 2028.
Daytona was an appropriate place for Cruise to make the announcement. The track featured heavily in the original film, including the dramatic final act where Cole Trickle returned to compete in the Daytona 500.
Cruise also has plenty of experience with racing stunts, having performed much of the action himself in the original film.
Now, almost four decades after the first Days of Thunder began taking shape, he is preparing to return to the track and bring Cole Trickle back to the big screen.
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