Dale Jr. says $600M Hollywood star wanted Dale Earnhardt to act in famous NASCAR movie ‘Days of Thunder’

According to NASCAR icon Dale Jr., Hollywood icon Tom Cruise wanted his father, Dale Earnhardt Sr., to act in the popular NASCAR film Days of Thunder. The film stars Cruise as a talented but reckless race car driver aspiring to succeed in the high-stakes world of stock car racing.

The storyline follows Cole Trickle, played by Tom Cruise (who is worth $600 million according to Celebrity Net Worth), a talented but inexperienced open-wheel racer recruited to compete in NASCAR’s Winston Cup Series. Cole faces challenges including intense rivalries, crashes, and communication issues with the crew. With the help of veteran crew chief Harry Hogge, played by Robert Duvall, who comes out of retirement to guide him, Cole learns the nuances of racing and centers on the Great American Race for an exciting climax.

Dale Earnhardt Jr., on his popular podcast, Dale Jr. Download, recalled the actor visiting Dale Earnhardt Incorporated back in the day to talk to his father about the role of Rowdy Burns, the antagonist who was eventually played by Michael Rooker in the film. He said:

"Tom Cruise came by Dale Earnhardt incorporated back when it was just the deer head shop. This was before they had ever started shooting Days of Thunder. He and dad go into dad's office and they talked for like an hour. They come out, shook hands, hey man, great time. Basically came by to sit down and talk to dad because dad's character was Rowdy Burns and dad even said that in the conversation. Tom mentioned that dad should play the role and dad was like, 'You know I really don't want to be the villain'. Dad is not an actor."

"The people that actually produce and direct and make all those decisions would have had a problem with that because dad's not an actor," he added.

Dale Jr. is a renowned former NASCAR driver and one of the most popular figures in the sport. Throughout his 18-year Cup Series career, he raced to 26 NASCAR Cup Series victories, including two Daytona 500 wins in 2004 and 2014, and received 15 Most Popular Driver awards, a series record.

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Dale Jr. makes a case for NASCAR’s ‘life-changing’ $1,000,000 In-season challenge

Dale Jr. has expressed strong support for NASCAR’s new In-Season Challenge, a bracket-style tournament offering a $1 million prize to the winner. He described the cash reward as "life-changing" for many drivers, especially those who are not as financially established as top stars like Denny Hamlin.

“I'm not asking everybody to embrace the bracket, but it is going to be fun. I hope NASCAR continues to do it,” Dale Earnhardt Jr. said on the Dale Jr. Download (54:35). “It's a million bucks, which is a lot of money. It's life-changing for a lot of drivers in the field.”

“A guy like Denny Hamlin or somebody like that might not feel it, (but) it's still a cool prize. For most of the drivers, it's a big deal,” he added.

While Hamlin, the No. 1 seed entering the tournament, crashed out early and missed the chance at the prize, Dale Earnhardt Jr. emphasized that for most competitors, the tournament’s stakes are a significant opportunity and add excitement to the season.