NASCAR CEO Steve O'Donnell has revealed that Tom Cruise has interest in taking part in an actual race as the Days of Thunder sequel moves closer to production.
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O'Donnell provided the information during a wide-ranging conversation with Front Office Sports. He spoke about streaming, how the Paramount and CBS merger affects NASCAR, and many other topics.
This obviously included Days of Thunder, which releases in 2028, and NASCAR's active involvement in the production.
"We have an ARCA racing series, which is kind of our national touring series, and Tom wanted to go race in one of those," O'Donnell said with a laugh. "I'm not sure it's going to happen, but he wants it to be as authentic as it can be.
"We'll still see how the storylines (progress), but that's all kind of playing out right now. I will tell you we're producing probably over 80 race cars that are going to be part of this."
Cruise is no stranger to racing cars. He said during the Drivers Meeting at Daytona International Speedway that he grew up racing cars on the back streets of Kentucky.
The longtime blockbuster actor has also controlled numerous vehicles throughout his film career, especially while starring as Ethan Hunt in the Mission Impossible series.
He has ridden motorcycles without a helmet during multiple chases. He has controlled coupes and sedans while sliding them around various cities and taking them down sets of stairs. Cruise also jumped a motorcycle off a cliff in Norway before deploying a parachute.
Stunts provide one level of danger, but so does the ARCA Menards Series. This racing series features 20 races annually and a field filled with vehicles of varying levels of performance.
A select few race teams bring cars that consistently contend for wins and championships. Others bring cars that ride around at a much slower pace. These cars create obstacles to be navigated.
In order to participate in an ARCA race, Cruise would have to overcome some hurdles. He would need a car and a sponsor. He would also need approval from NASCAR, which would most likely require participating in the preseason test at Daytona International Speedway.
This is not out of the realm of possibility. After all, YouTuber Cleetus McFarland made his way into the ARCA Menards Series last year before expanding his schedule this season with Craftsman Truck Series and O'Reilly Auto Parts Series starts.
