The best racing movies that put actors behind the wheel

Ben-Hur (1959)

Okay, so it may not be car racing, but William Wyler’s sword-and-sandal epic features one of the best racing sequences ever committed to film. Ben-Hur‘s famous chariot race retains its jaw-dropping, gasp-inducing power decades later, rivaling even modern action films for sheer scale. (The glorious widescreen photography lets you bask in the majesty of that set.)

And it still thrills — just look at the moment when Charlton Heston, as the title character, clambers back into his chariot after a jump nearly sends him flying. —Tyler Aquilina

The Cannonball Run (1981)

The great Burt Reynolds had quite the screen career behind the wheel: The Cannonball Run was part of a run of car-themed action comedies from Reynolds and director Hal Needham, which kicked off with 1977’s Smokey and the Bandit. This film follows J.J. McClure (Reynolds) and his trusty mechanic (Dom DeLuise) on an illegal cross-country race in a souped-up ambulance, with a bountiful supporting cast along for the ride (Farrah Fawcett! Roger Moore! Jackie Chan!).

Like many of Reynolds’ films, Cannonball Run was savaged by critics, but it roared to financial success, continuing the actor’s box office winning streak…before 1983’s Stroker Ace — another racing film directed by Needham — torpedoed it. —T.A.

Days of Thunder (1990)

Days of Thunder, starring Tom Cruise as a rookie NASCAR driver, is often dismissed as an inferior Top Gun rehash, and we won’t try to convince you it’s a cinematic classic. (Just look at those character names: Cole Trickle! Rowdy Burns! Harlem Hoogerhyde!) But director Tony Scott makes the most of the racing sequences, up-close bursts of speed and fury that put you right in the thick of the action.

In hindsight, though, Days of Thunder may be more notable as a historical document than a movie: The film was the first pairing of Cruise and Nicole Kidman, who met on the set and married shortly thereafter. —T.A.

Death Race 2000 (1975)

Produced by cult-movie legend Roger Corman, the unrepentantly violent and goofy Death Race 2000 is a triumph of B-movie filmmaking. (Archetypal Corman output, in other words.) In a dystopian future, costumed drivers compete in a deadly cross-country road race, earning points by mowing down innocent pedestrians.

Featuring David Carradine and Sylvester Stallone, the film stabs at political satire but is best enjoyed for its visceral campy pleasures. Call it The Hunger Games of racing movies, except less deadly serious…and more just deadly. —T.A.

Driven (2001)

Sylvester Stallone wrote and starred in this film, which also features Burt Reynolds (not behind the wheel, sadly) and cameos from several international racing figures. It also stands out for focusing on open-wheel car racing rather than NASCAR. (Stallone had originally wanted to set the film in the world of Formula One racing, but that plan fell through.) —T.A.

The Fast and the Furious (2001)

While the Fast & Furious films have largely left racing in the dust in favor of ever-grander car-based stunts (not a complaint, mind you), the franchise’s first installment is decidedly a racing movie (with a side of car-based heisting that foreshadows the later entries).

The film’s often-CGI-fueled action hasn’t all aged well, but Paul Walker and Vin Diesel’s climactic drag race remains thrilling, and packs an even greater emotional wallop after Walker’s untimely death. —T.A.

Ford v Ferrari (2019)

Academy Award winners Christian Bale and Matt Damon stick it to the Italians in James Mangold’s Ford v Ferrari, a full-throttle retelling of the real-life alliance between American car designer Carroll Shelby (Damon) and maverick driver Ken Miles (Bale). Together, they cut through corporate red tape and outrace the indomitable Ferrari, leading Ford Motor Company to a historic victory at 1966’s Le Mans — the grueling 24-hour endurance race in France.

While the drama keeps the engine running for non-gearheads, it’s the white-knuckle racing sequences that put this film in pole position. Filmed over 67 days and five different locations, the Le Mans scenes alone result in an immersive, Oscar-winning edit that looks, sounds, and feels like you’re riding shotgun with Bale. —James Mercadante

Le Mans (1971)

Steve McQueen’s most famous turn behind the wheel is probably Bullitt‘s iconic car chase, but 1971’s Le Mans is a must-watch for racing fans. A passion project for race car enthusiast McQueen, the film was partially shot at the actual 24 Hours of Le Mans race in 1970. And that authenticity shows on screen, with a bounty of classic cars and thrilling racing sequences. —T.A.

Rush (2013)

At last, some Formula One! Director Ron Howard and writer Peter Morgan (The Crown) reteamed after their Oscar-nominated Frost/Nixon to tell the tale of the actual rivalry between drivers James Hunt (Chris Hemsworth) and Niki Lauda (Daniel Brühl).

With heart-pounding races, two nuanced lead performances, and visual style to spare, Rush is a full meal. That it didn’t earn a single Oscar nod is a conundrum greater than out-racing a Ferrari. —T.A.

Speedway (1968)

It’s not exactly a high point of the King’s filmography, but Speedway has Nancy Sinatra, Elvis Presley as a NASCAR driver, and both of them singing on the soundtrack to its credit. The film also boasts cameos from such NASCAR legends as Cale Yarborough and the other King, Richard Petty. —T.A.

Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (2006)

Will Ferrell and Adam McKay’s satirical riff on the world of NASCAR is packed with hilarious touches: the superb comedic team of Ferrell and John C. Reilly (paired for the first time here), absurd sponsors (the sight of that Wonder Bread car never gets old), and kids named Walker and Texas Ranger, for starters.

Ferrell’s Ricky Bobby also serves as a pitch-perfect parody of the ego-driven, preening male protagonists of many a racing film. (We sense Ferrell and McKay watched Stroker Ace so you don’t have to.) —T.A.