Buzz
For many, Days of Thunder served as their thrilling introduction to the high-speed, adrenaline-pumping world of NASCAR. The 1990 film starring Tom Cruise brought him back together with the director and producers of Top Gun, earning it the playful nickname Top Car during its early stages. While it didn’t achieve the massive success or passionate fanbase of Top Gun, Days of Thunder has since become a cult classic, cherished by Cruise fans and racing aficionados alike. Here are some lesser-known facts about this beloved NASCAR film (non-comedy category).
1. TOM CRUISE'S ROLE, COLE TRICKLE, WAS PARTLY BASED ON A REAL NASCAR DRIVER—AND IT WASN’T DICK TRICKLE.
The character was inspired by Tim Richmond, a charismatic, fast-living NASCAR star who passed away from AIDS in 1989. While there was a driver named Dick Trickle, who entered NASCAR in 1989 and won the Winston Cup Rookie of the Year at 48, he shared no similarities with Cruise’s flamboyant character beyond the surname.
2. THIS IS WHERE TOM CRUISE AND NICOLE KIDMAN FIRST MET.
This marked the Australian actress’ debut in an American movie. She and Cruise began their relationship during filming and tied the knot on Christmas Eve in 1990, just half a year after the movie premiered.
3. THIS IS ALSO WHERE DIRECTOR TONY SCOTT MET HIS FUTURE WIFE, A "PIT GIRL" INITIALLY BROUGHT ON BY PRODUCER DON SIMPSON.
One of Simpson’s many indulgences was insisting that screenwriter Robert Towne create a minor role for his then-girlfriend, actress Donna Wilson. Though her role consisted of just one line, it provided Simpson with a reason to bring her to Daytona for the entire production. However, their relationship fell apart due to Simpson’s rampant drug use, and Wilson eventually started a relationship with the director. She and Scott married in 1994 and remained together until his passing in 2012.
4. FILMING WRAPPED JUST SIX WEEKS BEFORE THE MOVIE'S THEATRICAL RELEASE.
This was an exceptionally tight timeline for a high-budget, effects-driven film, but production delays left Paramount with no other option. Producers Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer (more on them later) were deeply involved in overseeing Scott and Towne, often clashing with each other over even the smallest details. The production ran over three months behind schedule, finally concluding in early May. Its initial Memorial Day release, which would have pitted it against Back to the Future Part III, was delayed to June 27, where it faced competition from Ghost Dad.
5. THE MELLO YELLO PRODUCT PLACEMENT WAS COMPLETELY AUTHENTIC.
NASCAR teams are well-known for showcasing their sponsors' logos prominently on their cars, so creating a NASCAR movie without similar branding would have been unrealistic. The studio eagerly embraced the opportunity to craft a film filled with product placements that seamlessly fit the narrative. While Mello Yello is never explicitly mentioned in the movie, its logo is clearly visible on Cole Trickle's car. Additionally, a TV ad linking the soda to NASCAR and
6. LIKE MANY GREAT THINGS, THIS FILM OWES ITS EXISTENCE TO PAUL NEWMAN.
The iconic actor and amateur racer introduced Tom Cruise to the world of motorsports while they collaborated on The Color of Money. The pair later met NASCAR team owner Rick Hendrick (the basis for Randy Quaid's character), who allowed Cruise, an aspiring racing fan, to test-drive a stock car. Cruise's response after hitting 175 mph on the track: “We have to make a movie about this!”
7. THE SCRIPT WAS PENNED BY AN OSCAR-WINNING WRITER, FOLLOWING AN ATTEMPT BY ANOTHER OSCAR-WINNING SCREENWRITER.
Robert Towne, the acclaimed writer behind Chinatown, was ultimately brought in by Cruise to develop his initial story concept. Before Towne, however, two other screenwriters took a shot at it: Warren Skaaren (known for Beetlejuice and Batman) and Donald Stewart, a car enthusiast who had won an Oscar for Missing and later co-wrote the first three Jack Ryan films.
8. THE SCRIPT WASN'T COMPLETED ON TIME, AND TOWNE LIKELY WOULDN'T CONSIDER IT HIS FINEST WORK.
Amid the numerous production challenges, Cruise was frequently dissatisfied with the screenplay, which 1) wasn’t finished when filming began, and 2) required constant revisions. Actors often received new dialogue pages just before shooting—or even mid-scene. As noted by Don Simpson's biographer Charles Fleming, “For a time, Cruise read fresh lines off his car’s dashboard while racing, until taking his eyes off the track caused a crash. After that, Cruise relied on Towne dictating lines through a headset.”
9. THE PRODUCERS TRANSFORMED THE DAYTONA, FLORIDA SET INTO THEIR PERSONAL SPRING BREAK DESTINATION.
So it’s claimed. Allegedly. The delays caused by Simpson and Bruckheimer’s constant meddling (though weather issues also played a role) left the crew with ample free time. One crew member recalled that the producers’ “primary focus [was] on hooking up.” Simpson, a well-known party enthusiast, reportedly used studio funds to construct a private gym at their hotel, complete with a neon sign announcing the film’s (and Tom Cruise’s) presence. They rented out a local club for a cast and crew party, which was mostly male, and invited beachgoers and escorts to balance the numbers. By most accounts, Bruckheimer was the one keeping things on track, while Simpson indulged in partying, sleeping, and socializing.
10. SIMPSON THE PRODUCER ASPIRED TO BE SIMPSON THE ACTOR, INSISTING TOWNE WRITE A ROLE FOR HIM IN THE FILM.
Simpson saw himself as a performer, even claiming he had uncredited appearances in his and Bruckheimer’s movies, which wasn’t true. However, he succeeded in Days of Thunder, convincing Towne to create a four-page scene where Simpson, playing a driver named Aldo Bennedetti (a nod to Mario Andretti), interacted with Cruise and Robert Duvall. On-set film editor Billy Weber described Simpson’s performance as “agonizing.” “Tony [Scott], Towne, and even Don knew the scenes weren’t working … They were unusable.” Another source revealed it was Cruise who opposed the scene, deeming it unnecessary and a further delay to the already troubled production. Ultimately, Simpson’s role was reduced to a single line: Aldo telling an ESPN reporter, “I’m glad he’s well enough to come back, and I hope I beat him, at the same time.”
11. THE MOVIE (AND ITS LACKLUSTER BOX OFFICE PERFORMANCE) SIGNALED A SHIFT TOWARD FINANCIAL CAUTION IN HOLLYWOOD.
The 1980s were defined by studios lavishing producers with funds to churn out crowd-pleasing blockbusters. By the decade’s end, production costs were skyrocketing. When Days of Thunder’s budget surged from around $35 million to approximately $70 million (estimates vary due to Hollywood’s opaque accounting practices), Paramount executives grew anxious. The film’s earnings barely covered its production, marketing, and distribution expenses, prompting the studio to terminate the five-year deal with Simpson and Bruckheimer less than a year after signing it. (Despite their earlier hits like Flashdance, Beverly Hills Cop, and Top Gun, the studio decided enough was enough.) The duo rebounded elsewhere, producing films like The Ref, Bad Boys, Crimson Tide, Dangerous Minds, and The Rock before Simpson’s death in 1996.
12. AS EXPECTED, THE RACING SCENES WERE SHOT WITH THE CARS MOVING MUCH SLOWER THAN ACTUAL RACE SPEEDS: ONLY 120 MPH.
This was significantly slower than the 200 mph speeds these cars achieve in actual races. Even at these reduced speeds, the filming was perilous. Tony Scott explained to The New York Times, "There’s a major crash scene in the movie filmed at 120 to 140 mph, performed by professional stunt drivers. At 140 mph, metal behaves in ways it never would at 60 mph." Despite the risks, Scott proudly noted that the entire production resulted in only 13 stitches worth of injuries.
13. TOM CRUISE'S LACK OF STOCK CAR EXPERIENCE LED TO THE DESTRUCTION OF A $100,000 CAMERA.
Early in production, NASCAR driver Hut Stricklin, who served as a consultant and stunt driver, explained to Cruise that stock cars are designed to turn left. "He didn’t fully grasp what I meant," Stricklin later said. Cruise quickly learned the hard way when he successfully turned left but spun out attempting to turn right. The car clipped a wall, destroying a high-end camera mounted on the right side. "[He] finally understood," Stricklin remarked. "It’s just unfortunate he had to wreck a $100,000 camera." (Incidentally, Stricklin noted he earned more from his Days of Thunder gig—where he was a contractor and uncredited—than he ever made from racing.)
14. THE FILM WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN POSSIBLE WITHOUT NASCAR'S BACKING.
While NASCAR enjoys nationwide popularity today, in 1990, it was primarily a regional phenomenon, dominant in the Southeast but less so elsewhere. Simpson and Bruckheimer required NASCAR’s complete cooperation to ensure the film’s authenticity. Initially, NASCAR president Bill France Jr. was hesitant. He agreed after Simpson convinced him the movie would showcase NASCAR as a cutting-edge, professional sport. From that point on, NASCAR provided unwavering support, even permitting the film’s cars to participate in real Winston Cup (now Sprint Cup Series) races, including the 1990 Daytona 500.
15. THE SCENE WHERE NASCAR CHIEF BIG JOHN WARNS TRICKLE AND BURNS ABOUT BEING FIRED IF THEY COLLIDE ON THE TRACK AGAIN—AND THEN MAKES THEM DRIVE TO DINNER TOGETHER—WAS INSPIRED BY A REAL-LIFE EVENT INVOLVING GEOFF BODINE AND DALE EARNHARDT.
Bodine and Earnhardt, however, didn’t wreck two rental cars in the process. Such antics were instead credited to 1950s racers Curtis Turner and Joe Weatherly, who were the original Cole Trickles of their era.
