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Dale Earnhardt Jr. meets Tom Cruise at Daytona during film promotion

Yahoo Sports • 1 min read • Latest: Sep 2, 2026, 10:24 AM

Last updated Sep 2, 2026

Dale Earnhardt Jr. meets Tom Cruise at Daytona during film promotion

Summary

NASCAR arranged a meeting between Dale Earnhardt Jr. and actor Tom Cruise at the Daytona track. Dale Earnhardt Jr. was not originally scheduled to stay for the Cup Series weekend until league officials requested his presence for the interaction. The pair met at the NASCAR hangar on race morning, discussing the upcoming Days of Thunder sequel for approximately 20 minutes. Tom Cruise, who also addressed the drivers’ meeting, is reviving his character, Cole Trickle, for the new film project. Dale Earnhardt Jr. is providing consulting work on the production, including discussions with lead writer Will Staples regarding connections to the 1990 original. Production plans involve using camera-equipped stock cars on the track for filming sequences.

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Status Watch

•Dale Earnhardt Jr. met Tom Cruise at the Daytona NASCAR hangar on race morning.
•NASCAR officials requested Dale Earnhardt Jr. extend his trip to facilitate the meeting.
•Tom Cruise addressed the drivers’ meeting before the Coke Zero Sugar 400.
•Dale Earnhardt Jr. is consulting on the Days of Thunder sequel alongside writer Will Staples.
•The production expects to use professional drivers in camera-equipped cars for filming.

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