Can you list things that really happened in Days of Thunder from the old NASCAR days?

Question

I'm an old school NASCAR fan. Tim Richmond was my favorite driver (and a personal family friend - so please keep the comments positive). The movie Days of Thunder was based on Tim Richmond and moreoverly, his crew chief Harry Hyde (played as Harry Hogg by Robert Duvall) and the Quaid brother played Rick Hendricks. I know a lot of things that happened in the movie happened in real life, but how many can you add to my list?

1. Tim showed up to Ponoco to test drive on his Harley
2. Tim and Harry fought a lot because Tim didn't know technical terms
3. Thanks to friends at HMS, I've learned that the state trooper pull over really did happen on the way home from Michigan
4. Tim was part of the first two car Hendricks team
5. Tim did race Indy cars and did have the tire problem that Harry worked with him on
6. The pass on the outside to win
7. The ice cream incident
8. Engaged to a doctor before he died

OK, How many more scenes were real that you can share?

I forgot to mention that I've been told there were over 100 references in that movie to real life situations just between Tim and Harry.

Answer 1

He was a favorite of mine as well. I still wear an old hat i bought at Michigan the last time i saw him race.

Answer 2

Just about everything that was covered in "Days of Thunder" was based on actual or "legendary" stories. From the wrecking of the rental cars to some of the on-track stuff like the changing of the tires and then going out to wreck the winner. Some of those things may have happened before ESPN came along, so not too many people would admit to them.

I only wish that they had been a little more accurate with the race footage they used. In one scene, Cole radios that "Gant has spun out". At the time, Handsome Harry was driving the 33 car. The car shown spinning was the number 26 driven at that time by Ricky Rudd or Brett Bodine, I can't remember for sure.

Oh, and one more thing, Jimmy Spencer, it's "H-E-N-D-R-I-C-K", not "Hendricks". You are probably one of those who misspells "Jeff Gordon", too, huh? If you can read the name, you should be able to spell it correctly!

Answer 3

Tim Richmond Days Of Thunder

Answer 4

The scene where Robert Duvall's character teaches Tom Cruise about tire management was based on an actual incident between Hyde and Richmond.
Also, at the beginning they showed a car dealership that was named 'City Chevrolet' and that was in actuality the name of Rick Hendrick's dealership.

Answer 5

Days of thunder that was the best nascar movie made you see what a driver goes through with the crew Chief and sponsors i love the beginning to that movie im going to watch it now and the rental car part firkin hilarious also when they race in the wheel chairs and the cop joke and nures but the chevelle was sweet in talladega nights

Answer 6

I think the voices in the head part was true. Harry was a crew member on I believe Bobby Isaccs car when he heard voices from inside the car & pulled in and quit. A few years later he would die in a bad wreck.

Answer 7

It looks like you pretty much covered them all.

Taht being said, DOT is a good introduction to any new NASCAR fan, but from a technical standpoint, it's crap.

Dropping the hammer and downshifting while running full throttle at Daytona ?????? Yeah, not likely.

Anyway, as I said before, it's an ok movie.

Answer 8

when cole and rowdy had their scene with the rental cares steamed from an incident between Dale Earnhardt & Dale Waltrip..before that happened they didnt like each other and after that they eventually became great friends

Answer 9

I think you nailed it and it is a great movie

Answer 10

voices in the head for sure...that was a real thing