CHARLOTTE, N.C. — There isn’t another active NASCAR driver that has a list of film and television credits as long and as diverse as Ryan Blaney.
The mustached driver of the No. 12 Ford for Team Penske has been in racing movies like “Cars 3” and “Logan Lucky,” but he’s also popped up in roles on television shows like “Taken,” “Magnum P.I.,” and as a voice in the animated “Spider-Man.” Back in June, ahead of NASCAR’s unique street course race at Naval Base Coronado, Blaney was arguably the lead star of the Amazon-distributed short film “NASCAR vs. Navy,” in which a group of drivers go head-to-head with some hot-shot pilots.
Acting is a door that opened to Blaney not by just winning NASCAR races, but also by being an engaging and charismatic personality.
And filmmaking is something that is very intriguing to him.
“There's a correlation between making movies and motorsports I think, because there's so much that goes on behind the scenes that you don't see that goes into it,” Blaney told USA TODAY Sports. “There's so many people that have their hands in this thing that aren't on screen or aren't on the racetrack, and those people are just as important as anybody. And so for me, I could really relate to stuff like that. And gosh, I mean, who doesn't like movies and TV shows? So it's cool when I can do that stuff.”
Now, Blaney and every other driver in the sport is anxiously awaiting a casting call.
Last weekend at Daytona, Tom Cruise announced a long-awaited sequel to his 1990 hit film, “Days of Thunder.” Cruise is set to star in and produce the film with a release date set for June 2, 2028. Oscar-winning actress Anne Hathaway will star alongside Cruise.
After breaking the news on social media with a photo of himself and Hathaway standing in front of a green-and-yellow splashed car on the track at Daytona International Speedway, Cruise roamed the garages, snapped photos with drivers and spoke at their pre-race meeting.
“I feel fully confident that they're going to really do a great job. Anything that Tom Cruise seems to do, he puts everything into it, and he's going to put everything into this,” Blaney said. “I mean, gosh, who isn't a 'Days of Thunder' fan? Especially if you're in the racing industry. I never would have thought it was possible.”
Several drivers have said they’ve communicated with the filmmakers on the sequel, answering questions about racing, offering advice on stories and scenes. Carson Hocevar, the hard-charging driver of the No. 77 Chevrolet for Spire Motorsports, says he’s been talking with Cruise’s team since January.
The original movie is told through the eyes of Cruise’s iconic character Cole Trickle, a brash racecar driver making the leap into NASCAR from open-wheel racing. Veteran crew chief Harry Hogge, played by the late Robert Duvall, is lured out of retirement to be his crew chief, and Trickle develops a fierce rivalry with Michael Rooker’s Rowdy Burns. Of course, the film also stars Cruise’s ex-wife Nicole Kidman as his love interest, Dr. Claire Lewicki.
“It's one of the more accurate racing movies, for sure,” said Austin Cindric, driver of the No. 2 Ford for Team Penske.
A handful of drivers had cameo appearances in the original film, with Richard Petty, Rusty Wallace, Neil Bonnett and Harry Gant all popping up on the big screen.
For many of the drivers in today’s NASCAR who grew up watching the movie, they’d jump at the opportunity to be included in the sequel in any capacity.
“My phone line is open,” Blaney said with a laugh. “If they need me for anything, I would love to be part of it. I’ve been fortunate to do a decent amount of that stuff and I find it incredibly fun and unique. I’ll do whatever if they come calling.”
Despite the movie being released 38 years after the original and Cruise being 64-years-old, don’t expect Trickle to be relegated to a role as an owner or crew chief. As the superstar actor recently told ESPN’s Pat McAfee, “Oh, he’s driving. Here’s the thing: If I’m making a movie about airplanes, I’m flying.”
Knowing that Trickle is going to get behind the wheel and return to the racetrack, USA TODAY Sports posed this question to a handful of NASCAR drivers this week: If you're cast in the "Days of Thunder" sequel, would you rather be Trickle’s teammate or his rival?
Here’s what they said.
Joey Logano
“I pick the rival. Always pick the rival… I think that's one of the first movies you watch as a kid is ‘Days of Thunder.’ I know my kids have watched it already. I don't know if they're old enough to actually do that, but we watched it because it's a classic.”
Austin Hill
“I would say teammate. I'm already too much on the bad guy program as it is, so I want to be on the good side of things. So, I'll be his teammate, I'll push him to the win.”
Carson Hocevar
“Probably the rival. I think he’d get a little more screentime.”
Chase Briscoe
“I'd rather be his teammate. I feel like the fan perception of the people that go and watch the movie — if they're not NASCAR fans — if they turn on a race on Sunday, they'd probably rather cheer for Cole Trickle’s teammate than his rival.”
Rajah Caruth
“Well, think about it: What this will probably be like is, Cole Trickle is probably, what, 50-something? Like close to retired. So, I'd say teammate because then — I mean, you saw ‘F1,’ right? So you could be the young teammate.”
Chris Buescher
“I’m going to have to be his rival because we're going to be in a Ford and we're going to be working against him… That is pretty exciting. That was my favorite racing movie growing up. And I know a lot of people my age will lean towards the ‘Talladega Nights’ side, but that one didn't do it for me.”
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Tom Cruise's teammate or rival? NASCAR drivers pitch for 'Days of Thunder' sequel
