Dale Earnhardt Jr. shares how Hollywood superstar Tom Cruise prepped for his NASCAR blockbuster

Dale Earnhardt Jr. recently shared a clip on his Instagram story that revealed how Hollywood actor Tom Cruise prepared for his role in the 1990 film Days of Thunder, which was centered around NASCAR. In the clip, it was claimed that Cruise raced professionally for Paul Newman in the 1980s.

The clip also showcased him going around the track in a spec-made Nissan with spectators gathered around to watch the Hollywood star go around the Summit Point Raceway, a 2-mile track located in West Virginia, USA.

The video also mentioned how Tom Cruise used this experience around the track to put his foot down in the 1990 action film Days of Thunder, in which he plays the character of Cole Trickle, a strong racing driver.

Cruise is known for his roles and stunts in action movies and he performs his stunts without any duplicates. So racing in a car in the 1990s was quite an achievement on his portfolio.

Dale Earnhardt Jr's Instagram story of a post showing how Tom Cruise prepared for his role in Days of Thunder - Source: via @dalejr on Instagram

Tom Cruise seems to be no stranger to the world of motorsports. In 2011, he was invited by Formula 1's Red Bull Racing to drive their spec-made F1 car around the Willow Springs Circuit in California.

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When Dale Earnhardt Jr. met Tom Cruise for the first time

Dale Earnhardt Jr. before the 16th Annual Hampton Heat at Langley Speedway. - Source: Imagn

During the shooting days of Days of Thunder, it was rumored that Dale Earnhardt Jr. might act alongside Tom Cruise in the film. However, that did not happen and the 50-year-old is yet to make his Hollywood debut.

But he did have the chance to meet Cruise for the first time in his life. By that time, was already a superstar with his work in films like Top Gun and Born on The Fourth of July (although the latter was released shortly before the work for Days of Thunder began).

Naturally, this was set to be quite a moment for Dale Earnhardt Jr and his sister Kelley. But, Cruise turned out to be different from what he had expected. The former NASCAR driver mentioned that he expected him to be taller than he was.

"We are excited, we are going to meet Tom Cruise. I and Kelley are there — we are giddy. And he comes in…he is five-foot shorter than I thought he’d be and he had pimples all over his face. I remember that," he said. [via essentiallysports.com]

Tom Cruise's character in Days of Thunder was inspired by the real-life racing careers of Tim Richmond and Geoff Bodine. Although the film wasn't very well received by the critics, it remains a thrilling watch for racing fans around the world.