<P> The score for Days of Thunder was composed by Hans Zimmer, with Jeff Beck making a guest appearance on guitar . This was the first of an ongoing list of films in which Zimmer would compose the score for a Jerry Bruckheimer production . An official score album was not released until 2013, by La - La Land Records . </P> <P> The song film's theme song "Last Note of Freedom" was sung by David Coverdale of the band Whitesnake at the request of Tom Cruise himself . Coverdale's vocal parts were recorded in 1990 in Los Angeles during a day off of the Whitesnake Slip of the Tongue Liquor and Poker world tour . </P> <P> While the movie was neither based on a true story, nor a biographical film, the main character Cole Trickle was very loosely based on the career of Tim Richmond, and several scenes reenacted or referenced real - life stories and personalities from NASCAR history . </P> <P> The scene where Big John tells Cole and Rowdy they will drive to dinner together is based on an actual meeting Bill France, Sr. had in the 1980s between Dale Earnhardt, Sr. and Geoff Bodine . One scene in which Cole deliberately blows his engine by over-revving it reflects upon an incident in which Tim Richmond was said to have done so at Michigan in 1987 . </P>

Who was days of thunder based off of