NASCAR's popularity was aided by Hollywood superstar Tom Cruise and singer Elvis Presley

NASCAR, just like any other top-level sport in the world, is an aspirational place for most people. With the stakes being so high and the entry into the world of racing already so difficult for the average Joe, Hollywood has brought the sport to the masses since its inception in 1948.

With stock car racing an ever-popular phenomenon, Hollywood movies also tend to lend themselves perfectly to the storyline around NASCAR, which usually centers around a blue-collar hero, aiming to please the fans alongside adrenaline-filled racing action.

One of the premier examples of Hollywood taking an interest in the sport has been the cult classic movie from the year 1990, Days of Thunder. Starring heartthrob actor Tom Cruise, Days of Thunder remains among the top-2 highest-grossing NASCAR films ever made, alongside Will Farrell starrer Talladega Nights.

Cruise played rookie driver Cole Trickle in the movie, who worked his way up the ranks in the sport while also juggling his personal and romantic life. Robert Duvall also starred in the film and played Cole Trickle's crew chief. Days of Thunder, to this day, remains one of the top movies representing NASCAR and has created numerous fans for the sport by just showcasing it on the big screen.

Actors such as Will Farell and Elvis Presley have also contributed to growing the sport's fanbase as they starred in their own interpretations of a movie based around stock car racing. Farrell-starrer Talladega Nights remains one of the most popular films to have featured in the sport and portrays it on a lighter, comedic note.

Elvis Presley also starred in a movie that incorporated stock car racing in 1968 by the name Speedway, which was one of the final films he ever starred in.

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Other notable NASCAR movies

Ever since Talladega Nights and Days of Thunder, there have been quite a few other interpretations of the sport done by Hollywood. Possibly rounding out third place in terms of popularity, the Disney-Pixar animated movie Cars also introduced the sport to a grown, as well as young, audience.

With many of the sport's current and former stars voicing animated characters in the movie, Cars also gave the more mature fan a nice Easter Egg to look back at.

Lindsay Lohan starrer Herbie: Fully Loaded was also a somewhat popular movie that involved a young girl growing up in the ranks of the sport in a Volkswagen Beetle, primarily aimed towards younger audiences.

All this attention from Hollywood towards the sport does solidify one fact: NASCAR has surely benefitted from movies over the years.

Meanwhile, the 2023 Cup Series regular season kicks off on February 19, 2023, with the Daytona 500