NASCAR Drivers Vie for Cameos in 'Days of Thunder' Sequel

Joey Logano has won 71 NASCAR races and three Cup Series championships, but the Team Penske driver says nothing would impress his five children more than landing a cameo in the upcoming sequel to "Days of Thunder," starring Tom Cruise and Anne Hathaway and set for release in 2028.

"Yeah, are you kidding me — that's like wicked cool dad points to be in 'Days of Thunder,'" Logano said Wednesday at NASCAR playoff media day.

He isn't alone. Chase Briscoe also wants a role. "Absolutely, I would love to be," Briscoe said. "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."

Kyle Larson said it would be fun to be around during filming but joked, "I'm not an actor, so I don't want to make the film worse."

Filming is scheduled to begin early next year. Logano, who has watched the original film many times with his children, noted that NASCAR drivers Richard Petty, Rusty Wallace, Neil Bonnett and Harry Gant all appeared in the 1990 movie, and he's hopeful he can pull some strings for a small part in the sequel.

Cruise surprised drivers last weekend by showing up at the Cup Series race at Daytona International Speedway, arriving in a black Chevrolet Suburban and attending the drivers' council meeting. He and some of the film's screenwriters spoke with drivers and team owners about their routines and how the sport has evolved since the original film debuted 36 years ago.

"It was really neat," Briscoe said. "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 called Cruise "super nice."

Charlotte-based Hendrick Motorsports played a key role in the original film, helping build and repair the stock cars used in production. It's unclear whether the team will be involved in the sequel, though Jeff Gordon, now vice chairman at Hendrick Motorsports, has openly lobbied for the project and has a longtime friendship with Cruise.

Larson said meeting Cruise was memorable. "He's a celebrity like I've never met before in my life," Larson said. "You could tell he was different from the rest of us, in a cool way, like really, really cool."