And apparently, it involved a race car, two heavy cameras and a whole lot of fire.
Tom Cruise Recalls Car Catching Fire While Filming at Daytona
Cruise’s memories of Daytona go all the way back to filming the original “Days of Thunder,” which was released in 1990.
He recalled being on the backstretch trying to finish a scene before losing the daylight, with two heavy cameras mounted to a car traveling around 180 mph.
“The sun is setting and I’m trying to get all my lines out before we lost the light,” Cruise recalled. “And suddenly the whole car was in flames. It would turn from a barbecue to a bonfire on the back straight.”
There was another problem.
Cruise said the radio wasn’t working on the backstretch, leaving him unable to immediately get the crew’s attention.
“Couldn’t even get the crew to come in and help me,” Cruise said. “But, just because the radio didn’t work in the back straight.”
Then came a line perfectly suited for a room full of NASCAR drivers.
“And I hear that that’s still possible. Correct?” Cruise joked. “And if you guys didn’t fix that, well, that’s good. All right.”
More than three decades later, Cruise was back at the same speedway, this time preparing to bring “Days of Thunder” back with him.
Cruise Tells NASCAR Drivers What He Wants From ‘Days of Thunder’ Sequel
Saturday was already a massive day for fans of the original film.
Paramount Pictures’ “Days of Thunder” follow-up is officially set for June 2, 2028, with Cruise returning as Cole Trickle. Anne Hathaway will star opposite him as a race team owner and engineer.
But Cruise’s comments at Daytona offered something the casting announcement couldn’t: a glimpse into why he wants to return to this world at all.
For Cruise, Days of Thunder was never supposed to be only about fast cars.
“It’s not just about racing, it’s about the community and the people here,” Cruise told the drivers. “There’s something very special about racers and the whole community. It’s a culture.”
That was the heart of his message.
Cruise explained that he was proud of the way the original movie introduced that culture to audiences outside NASCAR. With the sequel, he wants to do it again.
“I was very proud to be able to reflect that in the first ‘Days of Thunder.’ And an honor to share it with the world,” Cruise said.
He continued, explaining that the new movie will again try to give audiences a sense of what NASCAR actually feels like from inside the sport.
“Give the audience that opportunity to understand what it is as a team, as a community, what it is for NASCAR and the speed, the excitement, all that danger and stuff that, of course, I love anyway.”
That last part probably won’t surprise anyone who has followed Cruise’s career.
‘Days of Thunder’ Is Coming Back Nearly Four Decades Later
Cruise’s appearance at Daytona suddenly makes the sequel feel much closer to NASCAR itself.
The original “Days of Thunder” followed Cruise’s Cole Trickle as he tried to establish himself in NASCAR, with Robert Duvall playing veteran crew chief Harry Hogge. The movie became a lasting piece of NASCAR pop culture, one that remains immediately recognizable to racing fans 36 years after its release.
Now Cruise is going back.
But NASCAR isn’t the same sport he encountered while making the first movie. The cars, technology, teams, schedule and business surrounding the Cup Series have changed dramatically.
Cruise’s message Saturday suggests the sequel isn’t simply interested in recreating what worked in 1990.
The cars will matter. The speed will matter. The danger will matter.
But Cruise made clear to the people who actually compete in NASCAR that he believes the culture surrounding all of it matters just as much.
Before leaving the room, he offered one final message to the drivers whose world he is preparing to put back on the big screen.
“We’re just going to do the best we can and I really respect you all,” Cruise said. “And thanks for welcoming me.”
Thirty-six years after “Days of Thunder” introduced moviegoers to Cole Trickle, Cruise is back inside the NASCAR garage.
This time, he wants to show the world what NASCAR has become.
