Top 5 NASCAR movies not to be missed if you are a fan of the sport

With a history as rich as NASCAR's, it is hard for filmmakers and Hollywood to catch up to what has been one of the most outrageous and unique stories of how a sport can originate.

NASCAR, or the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, came a lot later than when stock car racing originated in the southern regions of the United States of America.

In the days of prohibition, an era when alcohol was banned in all forms from the American continent, smuggling bottles of moonshine across borders into America from Mexico by 'bootleggers' is how the origins of this now popular sport came to be. Bootleggers were known to essentially use stock production cars, stripped of all their unnecessary weight to run bottles across borders while keeping a low profile from the authorities.

In popular pop culture, it is also believed that these moonshine runners were used to driving in the pitch dark without any headlights, to avoid being detected. Shady origins, coupled with the brash attitude portrayed by the sport throughout the years, have been a hot topic for Hollywood to cash in on.

The high level of on-track, as well as off-track drama, also lends the sport highly to a movie adaptation, and as we all know, modern-day NASCAR stands in no shape or form behind the olden days in terms of drama. Anyone who thinks otherwise should be introduced to the Ross Chastain wall ride from the 2022 Cup Series season.

There have been many adaptations of the sport in Hollywood over the years, but only a few had what it took to be recognized as classics.

5 must-watch NASCAR movies

The following five movies are a must-watch for any fan of NASCAR and racing in general:

#5 Stroker Ace (1983)

The 1983 Motion Picture Stroker Ace features Burt Reynolds as a NASCAR champion in his prime who is seemingly having sponsorship troubles. The Action-Comedy is one of the few aurate representations of the sport in cinema and while it is not the best out of the lot, it is certainly worth a watch for any fan of the sport.

#4 The Last American Hero (1973)

The Last American Hero stars American actor Jeff Bridges, who portrays real-life driver Junior Johnson in the movie. Based on an article by Tom Wolfe that featured Johnson, the movie is an adaptation of the same, featuring Johnson as an ex-bootlegger who left his past behind to compete in NASCAR. Often compared to other car movies such as Gone in Sixty Seconds, The Last American Hero is a worthwhile watch.

#3 CARS (2006)

Produced by Pixar and Disney, CARS is an animated movie that revolves around the story of an anthropomorphic NASCAR rookie, going by the name of Lightning McQueen. While the plot generally revolves around McQueen and his rise to the ranks in the NASCAR world, it also features prominent American car culture and pays tribute to American highway towns dotted along all of the country's roads.

#2 Talladega Nights (2006)

Talladega Nights, starring William Ferrel in the lead role, captures the essence of stock car racing in its own unique way. The portrayal of the sport and its drivers is satirical as the genre of the movie is a comedy. Along with healthy doses of satire, there is enough realism mixed into the movie to keep the die-hard fan enthralled as well.

#1 Days of Thunder (1990)

Often regarded as one of the best racing movies of all time, Days of Thunder stars Tom Cruise opposite Nicole Kidman in a movie that, in typical Tom Cruise fashion, ends on a feel-good note. The plot revolves around a young rookie driver who is hell-bent on climbing up the ranks in the sport while taking care of his romantic life. Robert Duvall plays the crew chief to Cruise in the movie as well.