William Byron Publicly Backs Kyle Larson in Dismissing Talladega Nights’ NASCAR Credibility William Byron backs Kyle Larson in slamming 'Talladega Nights' for hurting NASCAR’s credibility. Click here

Let’s talk about a movie that put NASCAR on the map for all the right reasons. Days of Thunder hit theaters in 1990 and turned stock car racing into a cultural juggernaut. Tom Cruise as Cole Trickle, a cocky driver loosely based on Tim Richmond, brought the sport’s raw energy to life with screaming tires and a killer soundtrack. Back then, NASCAR was huge in the Southeast but barely a blip in places like New York or L.A.

The movie changed that, making racing cool for a whole new crowd. With Rick Hendrick and Harry Hyde lending real-world credit behind the scenes, it wasn’t just Hollywood fluff; it felt authentic. Suddenly, NASCAR was pulling in big sponsors and national fans, paving the way for the 1990s boom when drivers like Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt became household names. Even