There are certain things NASCAR fans simply assume every Cup driver has done. They’ve raced go-karts as kids. They’ve watched old Dale Earnhardt highlights. And somewhere along the way, they’ve sat through Days of Thunder. That’s why Christopher Bell’s latest admission caught everyone off guard. At the very moment Hollywood is bringing the iconic racing film back, Bell revealed he’s never actually watched it from start to finish.
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Speaking with Bob Pockrass, the Joe Gibbs Racing driver revealed his unexpected viewing habits.
“Yeah, I’ve seen, obviously, the clips and stuff,” Bell said. “I haven’t ever watched it straight through, but yeah.”
When asked why, the Joe Gibbs Racing driver had a simple explanation. “Not a movie guy. Not a movie guy. I’ve probably count on one hand how many movies I’ve watched straight through,” Bell said.
The questions kept coming, especially with Days of Thunder 2 now officially in development. Asked whether he would finally watch the original if he landed a role in the sequel, Christopher Bell laughed.
“Maybe, although I haven’t watched, like, the Netflix documentary yet, or the Netflix season of NASCAR, so I don’t know. I’m just not really a TV guy. We don’t have them in Oklahoma, Bob.”
That answer was probably more surprising. Bell admitted he hasn’t even watched NASCAR’s own Netflix series. The timing also made the confession impossible to ignore. Paramount Pictures is moving ahead with Days of Thunder 2, with Tom Cruise returning as Cole Trickle alongside producer Jerry Bruckheimer. The sequel is expected to follow the veteran driver as he adapts to today’s NASCAR while mentoring a younger racer, with filming currently targeted for early 2027.
The original 1990 film is one of NASCAR’s biggest pieces of pop culture. It followed Cole Trickle’s move from open-wheel racing into the NASCAR Cup Series, mixing fictional drama with real teams, real tracks and cameos from legends including Richard Petty, Rusty Wallace, Neil Bonnett and Harry Gant. Several scenes were even inspired by real moments from NASCAR history.
Bell’s revelation didn’t take long to reach the rest of the garage. Kyle Larson’s reaction said what many fans were thinking. After hearing Christopher Bell had never watched Days of Thunder, Kyle Larson could only laugh.
“I don’t know, man. That’s crazy. They have TVs in Oklahoma, I think. I don’t know. Christopher… I don’t know. He’s an interesting fella, and this makes him even more interesting, so… that’s wild.”
Still, Bell’s explanation makes sense in its own way. He wasn’t rejecting the movie or dismissing its place in NASCAR history. He simply admitted that watching films or TV shows isn’t how he spends his time.
Whether that changes remains to be seen. But with Days of Thunder 2 now officially on the way, fans may finally get to see Christopher Bell cross one of NASCAR’s most famous films off his watchlist.