Hendrick Motorsports reveals rare ‘Days of Thunder’ photos with Tom Cruise, others

A Christmas gift from Hendrick Motorsports! A collection of rare, behind-the-scenes photos of “Days of Thunder” was revealed for fans. Featuring Tom Cruise, Rick Hendrick, Geoff Bodine, and more, the photos show moments that were largely unseen until now.

“Days of Thunder 2” is likely to happen. Tom Cruise is going to be part of it, if it does happen. It is amazing to look back at these photos, more than 35 years ago, and see how this film came to be.

The collection of photos also includes some from a 1987 IMSA race at Road Atlanta. Cruise shared a Nissan 300ZX Turbo with Rick Hendrick in the race. A mechanical issue hurt their finish in the race.

Check out the photos at the Hendrick Motorsports website. There are a lot of great snapshots into these mostly forgotten moments.

Since “Days of Thunder” came out, Hendrick Motorsports sure has changed a lot. All of the wins, championships, and so much more in the time since 1990. More than 40 years of history in the Cup Series, the story of Hendrick only continues to grow.

Kyle Larson is fresh off his second championship. William Byron was so close to becoming a champion for the third year in a row. Hendrick was not nearly the organization it is now, back when Mr. H was working with Cruise. The sport has completely changed as well.

If “Days of Thunder 2” happens, I am sure that Hendrick will be involved in that effort as well. They are involved in just about every major NASCAR promotion and new venture. Why would the sequel film be any different?

Hendrick Motorsports ready to race for championship again

In the 2026 NASCAR season, Hendrick Motorsports is going to be just as good as they were this year, if not better. Kyle Larson and William Byron are going to be good for about five wins each. Chase Elliott should be back to winning two to three races a year. You have to expect Alex Bowman to win a race or be top-16 in sports.

In the Next Gen era, Larson and Byron have been two of the most successful drivers on the track. In terms of wins, they top the list since 2022. Hendrick knows that they have three legitimate championship drivers in their stable, and a fourth that can win races and be incredibly competitive otherwise.

Hendrick Motorsports is also going to get a new Chevrolet Camaro body. What they discover with that new downforce and how they build speed with it will be very interesting to watch.