NASCAR Drivers Vying For Cameos in ‘Days of Thunder’ Sequel

Actor Tom Cruise’s bombshell announcement regarding the upcoming sequel of “Days of Thunder” coming in summer 2028 has the NASCAR community buzzing. Many of the sport’s top stars are looking forward to seeing the film, hoping that they themselves might be featured.

Throughout The Chase media day this week, numerous drivers were asked about the return of “Days of Thunder” and whether they would like to make a cameo.

With all the different personalities NASCAR has to offer, every driver who wants to be featured has a creative idea.

Carson Hocevar wants to wreck Tom Cruise’s character

One NASCAR Cup Series driver has played a hand in developing the movie. Carson Hocevar, driver of the No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet, told racing insider Steven Taranto this week that he has offered input towards the making of the “Days of Thunder” sequel.

Last Saturday at Daytona, Hocevar got to meet Cruise, who is apparently a huge fan of “The Hurricane.”

“Since January, I feel like I’ve been helping them work on that movie. … They were telling me, ‘When he sees you, he’s going to recognize you. He loves you.’ I was like, ‘Oh, that’s super cool. That’s fun.’ It’s been super cool that I’ve been able to put a lot of my input on the movie and help them out,” Hocevar said.

Hocevar previously joked that, in a cameo, he would like to wreck Cole Trickle, the movie’s main character portrayed by Cruise, and said the well-renowned actor knows about his desire to trade paint on the big screen.

“I think so. I think he does know that,” Hocevar said.

Former Cup champions Joey Logano, Kyle Larson express interests in movie cameo

NASCAR’s two latest Cup Series champions, Joey Logano (2024) and Kyle Larson (2025), would also be open to making an appearance in the “Days of Thunder” sequel. Logano, a father of three biological children and of two foster children, would love the chance for his kids to see him in a movie.

“Yeah, are you kidding me? That’s like wicked cool dad points to be in ‘Days of Thunder,'” Logano said. “Hopefully that happens. … I wouldn’t say no, that’s for sure. Absolutely I’d do it.”

Larson, too, would not mind appearing in the film. However, the driver of the No. 5 hopes he does not take the movie down a notch.

“I’m not an actor, so I don’t want to make the film worse,” Larson joked.

The defending Cup Series champion spoke highly of Cruise, who he said was unlike any other celebrity he has met in the past.

“You could tell he was different from the rest of us, in a cool way, like really, really cool. He kind of already knows a little bit about us, so I thought that was neat,” Larson said.

Chase Briscoe was surprised by Cruise’s Daytona appearance

Cruise’s appearance at the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona came as a shock to many, including Joe Gibbs Racing driver Chase Briscoe. When the Cup Series stars were sitting in the pre-race drivers meeting, the 64-year-old actor came walking in.

“It was really neat. All of a sudden, Tom Cruise walked in and none of us knew that was happening. And he’s just sitting there and talked with us for like 20, 25 minutes about his goal of what to do with the movie and how he wants to paint us out to be,” Briscoe said.

Much like other Cup drivers, Briscoe would love the opportunity to be in the “Days of Thunder” sequel.

Even if it just features his No. 19 JGR Toyota.

“I would love to be [in it]. I would think they are going to use some of the drivers. Maybe our car will just be in it, but I would love to be in there,” Briscoe said.