NASCAR has seen a great deal of celebrity fanfare over the years. From Tom Cruise to Donald Trump, they’re all racing aficionados and love watching the cars go zoom. With stock car racing being an important element of American culture and a great form of entertainment that has spanned generations, it has found itself featured in pop culture media several times.
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Here’s the best among them.
Eminem’s song “Rap God”
Rap God was the third single from Eminem’s 2013 album, The Marshall Mathers LP 2. It entered the Guinness World Record for being a hit single with the most words (1,560).
Among those words was a special tribute to NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt Sr. The music icon sings, “The way I’m racing around the track, call me NASCAR, NASCAR, Dale Earnhardt of the trailer park.”
There is also a two-second footage from a NASCAR race in the music video. He also made a subtle, cheeky reference to Danica Patrick in the same song and other ones like Venom and Kamikaze. Eminem appears to be a huge fan of NASCAR but not of Patrick. No surprise there.
Dick Trickle in “That ‘70s Show”
Trickle’s name has been the point of fun for many. The driver was one of the grittiest men on the race track back in his day and displayed exemplary resolve throughout his long career.
But many from ESPN announcers to the casual fan have made jokes about his name. One such instance came in the popular sitcom, That ‘70s Show (Season 3, Episode 19).
The lead character, Eric Forman, talks about Trickle when he is high after smoking weed. His mother chides him for saying the driver’s full name. Eric responds, “What? He is a race car driver! His name is Dick Trickle!”
Days of Thunder
What better moment could a race fan have than watching the biggest star of cinema play a stock car racer? Tom Cruise starred in this blockbuster movie as Cole Trickle, a young driver looking to make his name in NASCAR.
The film had appearances from Richard Petty, Harry Gant, and other real-life racing stars. It was released in 1990 and was directed by Tony Scott.
It is an interesting fact that Cruise’s crew chief in the movie, Harry Hogge, was patterned after the legendary crew chief Harry Hyde.
Talladega by Eric Church
47-year-old country singer Eric Church released this popular song in 2014. It isn’t about a race in the Talladega Superspeedway itself but about the memories that a group of friends make when visiting the track after completing high school. It is a moving tune that found a lot of takers. It’s all about living in the current moment and making lasting memories.
Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby
Yet another venture that brought Hollywood and racing together. Will Ferrell plays Ricky Bobby, who becomes a driver for Dennit Racing. He ends up impressing people with his results on the track and convinces the team to field a second car with his friend, Cal Naughton Jr., as its driver.
The movie continues with Bobby falling out of favor and then returning to the pinnacle of the sport.
The sports-comedy flick was well-received by fans and stands tall as an enjoyable racing film for its hilarity. It was released in 2006 and was directed by Adam McKay.
