Shane van Gisbergen during the Cook-Out Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway. Image: HHP/David Graham
Tom Cruise and Anne Hathaway recently announced the long-awaited second NASCAR film instalment.
Cruise will reprise his role as Cole Trickle while Hathaway will star as a race team owner and engineer.
Several drivers were canvassed in the wake of the announcement, including van Gisbergen.
“Nah, I hate cameras,” said SVG when asked if he wanted a staring role.
“Other people can do that, but I’ll watch it.”
Cruise made a cameo at the recent NASCAR Cup Series race at Daytona shortly after the announcement was made.
He attended the pre-race drivers’ meeting where he spoke to the competitors.
Van Gisbergen used the opportunity to joke with his Trackhouse Racing teammate Connor Zilisch.
“I got Connor good last week. Tom Cruise walked into the drivers’ briefing and obviously the room stops, it’s crazy, and I said to Connor, ‘Who’s that?’, and he was wound up I didn’t know who it was,” van Gisbergen laughed.
“That was pretty funny.”
Tom Cruise attended the NASCAR Cup Series drivers meeting before the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona. Image: Chris Graythen/Getty Images
Van Gisbergen said he didn’t get to speak with Cruise, though his other teammate Ross Chastain did.
“It was pretty quick. Nothing in detail about anything. It was nice to meet him, he said the same,” said Chastain.
“It’s a literal movie star I’m meeting, so I was statstruck.
“I’m looking forward to whatever the plan is as they get back to the track to start filming.
“I’m excited to watch it unfold from in the garage. You don’t get to meet a movie star every day and I got to meet one.”
‘Days of Thunder 2’ is set for a June release in 2028.