Cruise’s Daytona appearance puts NASCAR in the global entertainment spotlight as Cole Trickle prepares to return to the track in 2028

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (FNN SPORTS) — Tom Cruise brought Hollywood star power to Daytona International Speedway, energizing the NASCAR garage and putting one of racing’s most recognizable movie characters back on the starting grid.

The global superstar’s appearance during the Coke Zero Sugar 400 weekend was more than a celebrity visit. Cruise came to Daytona to reconnect with NASCAR, meet today’s drivers and team owners, and introduce the next chapter of Days of Thunder, with Cruise returning as Cole Trickle and Anne Hathaway joining the franchise.

Florida National News was at Daytona capturing Cruise’s interaction with drivers, teams and fans as Hollywood and NASCAR came together at the World Center of Racing.

Cruise Brings Hollywood Star Power to Daytona

Cruise’s presence immediately became one of the biggest stories surrounding the NASCAR weekend.

The actor attended the pre-race drivers meeting and spent time with competitors and team owners as he learned more about how NASCAR has changed since the original Days of Thunder was released in 1990.

Cruise told NASCAR competitors that he wants the new movie to capture more than racing. His interest extends to the teams, people and culture surrounding the sport — an approach that could give NASCAR significant exposure beyond its traditional fan base.

For NASCAR, that star power matters.

Cruise is one of the world’s most recognizable movie stars, and a major theatrical production built around stock-car racing could introduce NASCAR’s drivers, teams and tracks to audiences who may rarely, if ever, watch a Cup Series race.

Tom Cruise and Anne Hathaway pose alongside a “Cole Trickle” Days of Thunder race car in a promotional image for Days of Thunder 2.
Photo Credit: Courtesy Photo: Tom Cruise’s X social media

‘Days of Thunder’ Returns for a New NASCAR Generation

Cruise will reprise his role as Cole Trickle, the fearless young driver at the center of the original movie.

Hathaway will co-star as a race-team owner and engineer. Jonathan Levine is set to direct from a screenplay by Will Staples, while Cruise, Jerry Bruckheimer and Tommy Harper are producing.

Paramount Pictures has scheduled the movie for June 2, 2028.

The sequel arrives nearly four decades after the original Days of Thunder brought NASCAR racing to movie theaters around the world.

The 1990 film starred Cruise alongside Robert Duvall, Nicole Kidman, Michael Rooker, Randy Quaid and Cary Elwes. Real NASCAR personalities were also incorporated into the production, establishing a connection between Hollywood fiction and the actual racing community.

Now Cruise is returning to a NASCAR that is dramatically different from the sport Cole Trickle entered in 1990.

NASCAR Drivers Already Want In

Cruise’s Daytona appearance also created another storyline: Which NASCAR stars will make it into the movie?

Three-time Cup Series champion Joey Logano, along with Chase Briscoe and Kyle Larson, has expressed interest in appearing in the sequel. Production is expected to begin in early 2027, leaving casting and potential NASCAR cameos among the major developments still ahead.

Their enthusiasm illustrates the cultural reach of the original film within NASCAR itself.

Many of today’s drivers grew up in an era when Days of Thunder had already become part of racing’s popular culture. Appearing alongside Cruise could now give a new generation of NASCAR competitors the opportunity once held by drivers who appeared in the original movie.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. Helps Connect Hollywood With Modern NASCAR

NASCAR’s involvement may extend well beyond cameos.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. has said he has been communicating with people developing the story, including discussions about how the movie can authentically portray today’s NASCAR while respecting what made the original memorable.

That input could prove valuable.

NASCAR has changed dramatically since 1990 — from its race cars and safety technology to team operations, media coverage and the way fans experience the sport. Capturing modern NASCAR while preserving the personality of the original movie will be one of the sequel’s central challenges.

Rick Hendrick Sees a Major Opportunity for NASCAR

Few people have a stronger connection to both chapters than legendary NASCAR team owner Rick Hendrick.

Hendrick Motorsports provided technical support for the original movie, beginning a relationship among Hendrick, Cruise and producer Jerry Bruckheimer that stretches back decades.

Hendrick believes the sequel could provide a significant boost for NASCAR, saying the movie could do the sport “a tremendous amount of good.”

That assessment gets to the larger significance of Cruise’s Daytona appearance.

A Days of Thunder sequel isn’t simply another Hollywood production using racing as a backdrop. If NASCAR teams, drivers and tracks become part of the production, the movie could function as a global showcase for the sport.

From ‘Top Gun’ to ‘Days of Thunder’

Cruise has already demonstrated the potential of revisiting a signature movie decades later.

Top Gun: Maverick introduced the Top Gun franchise to a new generation while bringing longtime fans back to theaters. There is no guarantee Days of Thunder will duplicate that success, but NASCAR offers many of the elements associated with Cruise’s biggest action films — speed, technology, competition, danger and spectacle.

The difference this time is that NASCAR itself could share the spotlight.

Cruise isn’t simply returning to the fictional world of Cole Trickle. He is immersing himself in the real NASCAR garage before cameras begin rolling.

Daytona Becomes the Starting Line

That makes Daytona an important part of the sequel’s developing story.

Daytona International Speedway represents generations of NASCAR history. Cruise’s decision to bring Days of Thunder back into that environment connected the original film, today’s NASCAR and Hollywood’s upcoming sequel in one place.

For longtime NASCAR fans, Cruise’s return revives memories of Cole Trickle.

For younger audiences, the new film could provide their first introduction to the character — and potentially their first meaningful exposure to NASCAR.

For the sport itself, the possibilities are considerably larger.

Cruise and Hathaway give the production international star power. NASCAR provides the speed, personalities, rivalries and authenticity. Daytona provided the stage where those worlds came together.

And NASCAR drivers are already lining up to become part of it.

What’s Next for ‘Days of Thunder’

Attention now turns toward production, which is expected to begin in early 2027. Additional casting, filming locations, participating NASCAR organizations and driver cameos remain among the biggest unanswered questions.

The finished movie is scheduled to arrive in theaters June 2, 2028.

Between now and then, NASCAR has an unusual opportunity: allow one of Hollywood’s biggest stars to take audiences behind the wheel and into the culture of American stock-car racing.

At Daytona, Cruise provided the first taste of what that combination could generate.

The thunder is coming back — and NASCAR could be one of its biggest stars.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (FNN SPORTS) — Hollywood megastar Tom Cruise brought movie-star electricity to Daytona International Speedway, surprising NASCAR fans, meeting drivers and officially putting Cole Trickle back on the starting grid.

More than three decades after Cruise raced onto movie screens in the NASCAR classic “Days of Thunder,” the 64-year-old actor returned to the “World Center of Racing” during the 2026 Coke Zero Sugar 400 weekend to announce that he will reprise his iconic role in the highly anticipated sequel.

The new Paramount Pictures film is scheduled to race into theaters June 2, 2028, nearly 38 years after the original. Academy Award-winning actress Anne Hathaway will star opposite Cruise as a NASCAR team owner and engineer.

But Cruise did more than announce another Hollywood blockbuster at Daytona.

Florida National News cameras captured the excitement and energy surrounding Cruise’s surprise appearance, including the megastar connecting with NASCAR fans, posing for photos and selfies, sharing hugs and spending time around the racing community.

For fans who arrived expecting the speed and drama of the Coke Zero Sugar 400, suddenly seeing — and even talking with — one of Hollywood’s biggest stars became a dream-of-a-lifetime moment.

Hollywood superstar Tom Cruise smiles and waves while making an appearance at Daytona International Speedway during NASCAR race weekend. Photo Credit: Arthur Dell Morgan / Florida National News

Cole Trickle Is Coming Back

Cruise first played talented but hotheaded NASCAR driver Cole Trickle in the original “Days of Thunder,” released in 1990.

Now, Cole Trickle is coming back.

Cruise announced the sequel from Daytona on Saturday, Aug. 29, hours before the NASCAR Cup Series regular-season finale.

Cruise will star and produce alongside longtime collaborator Jerry Bruckheimer and Tommy Harper. Bruckheimer also produced the original film.

Jonathan Levine, whose directing credits include “50/50,” “Warm Bodies” and “Long Shot,” is set to direct from a screenplay by Will Staples.

The film is being developed for a major theatrical release, including IMAX and other premium formats.

Paramount’s promotional materials currently call the film simply “Days of Thunder,” although the project is widely being referred to as “Days of Thunder 2.”

Days of Thunder. Summer 2028. pic.twitter.com/rD3QLXfUyi

— Tom Cruise (@TomCruise) August 29, 2026

Anne Hathaway Joins Cruise at Daytona

Cruise won’t return to the NASCAR world alone.

Academy Award-winning actress Anne Hathaway will co-star as a NASCAR team owner and engineer, marking the first major on-screen collaboration between the two Hollywood stars.

Hathaway joined Cruise at Daytona for the announcement, with the two posing beside a green-and-yellow race car carrying Cole Trickle’s name and “Days of Thunder” branding.

Hathaway is known for blockbuster and critically acclaimed films including “The Devil Wears Prada,” “Les Misérables,” “The Dark Knight Rises,” “Interstellar” and “The Princess Diaries.”

Plot details remain under wraps, including where audiences will find Cole Trickle nearly four decades after the original movie.

Cruise Meets NASCAR Drivers

Cruise didn’t simply announce the movie and leave.

He attended the NASCAR Cup Series pre-race drivers’ meeting ahead of the Coke Zero Sugar 400, addressing a room filled with NASCAR drivers and racing industry figures.

Bruckheimer, Harper and Staples also attended.

Cruise reflected on filming the original movie at Daytona, including the risks of shooting racing sequences at high speeds.

He also made clear that the sequel will be about more than cars traveling nearly 200 mph.

Cruise told the NASCAR community that the original “Days of Thunder” sought to capture something special about racers and the culture surrounding them.

For the new film, Cruise said the filmmakers want audiences to understand NASCAR as a team, a community and a culture, while also experiencing the speed, excitement and danger of the sport.

That message could prove central to the sequel as Cruise and the filmmakers attempt to introduce a new generation of moviegoers to NASCAR.

Cruise Honors Late NASCAR Champion Kyle Busch

One of Cruise’s most poignant Daytona moments came during the drivers’ meeting.

Cruise sat beside an empty chair bearing the name of late two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Busch, who died in May.

Photos from the gathering showed Cruise reaching over and patting the empty seat before looking down in a quiet gesture of respect.

The moment resonated with NASCAR fans as tributes to Busch have continued throughout the racing community.

It also carried an added connection to Cruise’s racing movie legacy: “Days of Thunder” was reportedly one of Busch’s favorite racing films.

Amid the excitement surrounding a major Hollywood announcement, Cruise’s simple gesture provided a solemn moment of remembrance for one of NASCAR’s biggest stars.

Hollywood superstar Tom Cruise makes an appearance at Daytona International Speedway during the 2026 Coke Zero Sugar 400, embracing NASCAR community and fans. Photo Credit: Arthur Dell Morgan / Florida National News

FNN Captures Cruise Showing NASCAR Fans Love

Outside the drivers’ meeting, Cruise’s interaction with fans became one of the most memorable parts of his Daytona appearance.

Florida National News video and photo coverage captured Cruise up close as he greeted NASCAR fans, stopped for selfies, shared hugs and talked with spectators.

The reaction was immediate.

Phones went up. Fans gathered. Smiles spread through the crowd.

Cruise wasn’t simply a Hollywood celebrity watching the race from a distance. Fans got an opportunity to see one of the world’s most recognizable movie stars up close.

Some got photographs.

Others got a handshake, a hug or a few words with the megastar.

For longtime Cruise fans who have watched him on movie screens for decades, suddenly standing face-to-face with him at Daytona transformed an already memorable NASCAR weekend into something personal.

A selfie. A hug. A handshake. A conversation with Tom Cruise.

For many, it was the kind of dream-of-a-lifetime encounter they never expected when they arrived at Daytona International Speedway.

And FNN cameras were there to capture it.

Hollywood superstar Tom Cruise visits with NASCAR drivers and members of the racing community during the 2026 Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway.
Photo Credit: Arthur Dell Morgan / Florida National News

Cruise Takes in the NASCAR Experience

Cruise immersed himself in NASCAR’s pre-race atmosphere after addressing the drivers.

He made his way toward the starting grid for pre-race ceremonies, getting an up-close look at the drivers, teams, cars and crews preparing for one of NASCAR’s biggest nights.

The experience offered Cruise and the filmmakers another opportunity to observe modern NASCAR firsthand as they prepare to bring Cole Trickle back to the big screen.

That authenticity could become especially important for a movie Cruise says will focus not only on racing, but also on the people and teamwork behind it.

From ‘Risky Business’ to ‘Top Gun: Maverick’

Cruise’s Daytona appearance brought one of the world’s most successful movie stars directly into the heart of NASCAR.

Over more than four decades, Cruise has starred in some of Hollywood’s most recognizable films, including:

• “Risky Business”
• “Top Gun”
• “Rain Man”
• “A Few Good Men”
• “Jerry Maguire”
• the blockbuster “Mission: Impossible” franchise
• “Top Gun: Maverick”
• and “Days of Thunder.”

His reputation for high-energy action movies and performing ambitious practical stunts makes his return to a racing film particularly intriguing.

Cruise even recalled at Daytona how dangerous filming the original could become, describing an incident in which the race car he was driving caught fire while cameras were rolling.

‘Days of Thunder’ Became a NASCAR Favorite

Directed by the late Tony Scott, the original “Days of Thunder” followed Trickle as he entered NASCAR and learned to harness his raw talent and aggression with the help of veteran crew chief Harry Hogge, played by Robert Duvall.

The movie also starred Nicole Kidman, Randy Quaid, Michael Rooker, Cary Elwes and John C. Reilly.

Although its initial critical reception was mixed, the movie developed an enduring following, particularly among NASCAR fans.

More than three decades later, Cole Trickle, his No. 46 race car and the movie’s depiction of NASCAR remain recognizable pieces of racing pop culture.

Can Cruise Repeat the ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ Magic?

Cruise’s decision to return as Cole Trickle inevitably draws comparisons with another enormously successful return to one of his signature roles.

In 2022, Cruise returned as Capt. Pete “Maverick” Mitchell in “Top Gun: Maverick,” 36 years after the original “Top Gun.”

The sequel became a worldwide blockbuster and the biggest box-office success of Cruise’s career.

Now Cruise and Bruckheimer are returning to another movie from their past.

“Days of Thunder” will arrive nearly 38 years after the original — giving Cruise another opportunity to introduce an iconic character to a new generation while bringing longtime fans back to the theater.

Days of Thunder. Summer 2028. pic.twitter.com/l7tWBQVONm

— Tom Cruise (@TomCruise) August 29, 2026

Daytona Provides the Perfect Stage

Few places could have provided a more fitting backdrop for Cruise’s announcement than Daytona International Speedway.

Daytona played an important role in the original movie, and Cruise filmed racing sequences at the legendary track.

Nearly four decades later, he returned to the “World Center of Racing” to tell NASCAR that Cole Trickle is coming back.

Cruise met drivers, addressed the NASCAR community, honored Kyle Busch and connected personally with race fans before the Coke Zero Sugar 400.

Hours later, the real racing delivered its own Hollywood-style ending as Ryan Preece captured the Coke Zero Sugar 400 in overtime, earning his first points-paying NASCAR Cup Series victory.

From Daytona Back to the Big Screen

Many questions about the new “Days of Thunder” remain unanswered.

The complete cast has not been announced. The storyline remains under wraps. NASCAR’s precise role in the production has not been fully detailed.

But several major pieces are now on the starting grid:

Tom Cruise is returning as Cole Trickle.

Anne Hathaway is joining him as a NASCAR team owner and engineer.

Jerry Bruckheimer is producing.

Jonathan Levine is directing.

And “Days of Thunder” is scheduled to race into theaters June 2, 2028.

For NASCAR fans at Daytona, however, the movie announcement was only part of the story.

They got Tom Cruise in person.

They watched one of Hollywood’s biggest stars step into their racing world, meet NASCAR drivers, honor a fallen champion and show fans some love.

For some, the unexpected opportunity to see, hug, photograph or simply exchange a few words with Cruise became a memory of a lifetime.

And Florida National News was on the scene to capture the excitement, energy and star power as Hollywood met NASCAR at Daytona.

WATCH FNN VIDEO: Hollywood megastar Tom Cruise connects with NASCAR fans at Daytona International Speedway as he announces the highly anticipated return of “Days of Thunder.”

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (FNN SPORTS) — Ryan Preece captured the checkered flag under the lights at Daytona International Speedway, surviving a chaotic overtime finish Saturday night to win the 2026 Coke Zero Sugar 400 and race his way into the NASCAR Cup Series Chase.

The victory was the first points-paying NASCAR Cup Series win of Preece’s career, coming in his 249th start and in the final race of the regular season.

Driving the No. 60 Ford for Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing, Preece overcame early damage, a 31-point deficit in the postseason standings and a tense fuel-mileage battle before emerging from the final-lap chaos at the “World Center of Racing.”

The race went six laps beyond its scheduled 160-lap distance, with Preece leading when NASCAR displayed the caution during a multi-car crash on the final lap. Post-race inspection later confirmed Preece as the winner.

2026 Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona. Arthur Dell Morgan / Florida National News

Preece Survives Wild Overtime Finish

Daytona delivered another dramatic finish as the field charged through overtime with the final Chase position hanging in the balance.

Preece battled near the front with Zane Smith and Tyler Reddick as the race approached its conclusion. After getting a strong run, Preece moved ahead before contact involving Smith and Reddick helped trigger a multi-car crash behind him.

NASCAR displayed the caution with Preece leading, securing the biggest victory of his Cup Series career.

Daniel Suárez escaped the late chaos to finish second, followed by Reddick, Michael McDowell and Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

Austin Cindric finished sixth, with Austin Dillon seventh, Alex Bowman eighth, Josh Berry ninth and Cole Custer completing the top 10.

2026 Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona. Arthur Dell Morgan / Florida National News

First Career Cup Series Victory

The Daytona triumph marked a breakthrough for the 35-year-old Preece.

He had gone 248 Cup Series starts without a points-paying victory before delivering when his season depended on it.

Preece led three times for five laps Saturday night, but the most important were the final ones.

The victory was also a major moment for RFK Racing, with Preece overcoming adversity early in the race before putting the No. 60 Ford in Victory Lane.

“I’m just speechless right now,” Preece said after the victory.

He credited his team for continuing to fight despite the pressure surrounding the regular-season finale.

Early Crash Fails to Stop Preece

Preece’s path to Victory Lane nearly ended during the opening stage.

A three-car incident involving Preece, Kyle Larson and Chris Buescher sent Preece sliding through the infield grass and damaged the left-front portion of his Ford.

His team made repairs, and Preece remained in contention.

Preece then charged back through the field and finished second in Stage 2 behind Ryan Blaney, putting himself back into position to challenge for the final Chase berth.

Fuel Strategy Sets Up Daytona Showdown

Fuel mileage became critical during the final 65-lap stage.

Preece and his team elected to stretch their fuel rather than make another late stop, keeping the No. 60 Ford near the front as other contenders faced difficult strategy decisions.

A late crash involving Carson Hocevar on Lap 155 forced the race into overtime and intensified concerns over whether the remaining fuel would last.

Preece made it last — and then took advantage of the opportunity when the race restarted.

2026 Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona. Arthur Dell Morgan / Florida National News

Daytona Victory Sends Preece Into The Chase

The win did more than deliver Preece his first Cup Series trophy.

It secured the 16th and final position in the NASCAR Cup Series Chase, completing a dramatic turnaround in the regular-season finale.

Preece entered Daytona 31 points behind Shane van Gisbergen for the final postseason position.

Van Gisbergen won Stage 1 and initially strengthened his advantage, but the battle changed dramatically as the race progressed.

Preece ultimately earned 67 points at Daytona compared with 19 for van Gisbergen, allowing Preece to claim the final Chase berth by 17 points.

Van Gisbergen finished 28th after being caught in the final-lap chaos.

Coke Zero Sugar 400 Top 10

1. Ryan Preece
2. Daniel Suárez
3. Tyler Reddick
4. Michael McDowell
5. Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
6. Austin Cindric
7. Austin Dillon
8. Alex Bowman
9. Josh Berry
10. Cole Custer

Redemption at Daytona

The victory carried additional meaning for Preece because of his difficult history at Daytona.

Three years earlier, Preece endured a violent rollover crash during the 2023 Coke Zero Sugar 400. He also experienced trouble in subsequent Daytona races.

Saturday night produced a much different ending: a trip to Victory Lane and a place in NASCAR’s championship chase.

“This is redemption,” Preece said.

For Preece and the No. 60 RFK Racing team, the regular-season finale became a career-defining night — first Cup Series victory, a Daytona trophy and the final ticket into The Chase.

The NASCAR Cup Series Chase begins Sept. 6 with the Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway.