Tom Cruise Wants to Race in ARCA for ‘Days of Thunder 2’ Prep, NASCAR CEO Says

A sequel to Days of Thunder is in the works, with original star Tom Cruise returning. Known for performing his own stunts as realistically as possible, Cruise reportedly told NASCAR CEO Steve O’Donnell that he wanted to actually compete in an ARCA event. The request would have put the 64-year-old actor directly against competitors in NASCAR’s fourth tier of national-level competition. Cruise has some past racing experience but has never competed at any level of NASCAR competition. His ARCA debut would rank among the most compelling stunts of his career, even if it never made it into the film. O’Donnell said he’s “not sure that’s going to happen,” though he stopped short of ruling out the possibility entirely. The new Days of Thunder sequel is expected to follow the original, alongside productions like F1: the Movie and Cruise’s Top Gun films, with extensive use of real-world race cars and potentially real races filmed for action sequences. More details should emerge once filming begins, though it seems unlikely Cruise will have to actually race in ARCA to get the movie made. The report was first brought to broader attention by Jalopnik, based on O’Donnell’s recent interview with Front Office Sports.