Five NASCAR movies they should make

A movie about Tim Richmond (above) would be AOK with Observer NASCAR writer David Poole. And not just because he wrote the book.

Tom Cruise was interviewed Friday's edition of "NASCAR Now" on ESPN2. Cruise, of course, starred as Cole Trickle in the 1990 movie "Days of Thunder," which unlike a lot of people in racing Observer NASCAR reporter David Poole didn't hate. But there are a bunch of true-life racing stories he would love to see made into movies. Here are five David thinks would make good ones, with his comments on each:

1. "Never Lose a Party" -- A biopic on Tim Richmond. And not because (well, not at least totally) I wrote a book that would serve as a fine basis for the screenplay. There are many elements of the story about how Richmond lived and how he died that would have resonance 20 years after his passing.

2. "Brasington's Folly" -- The story behind how Harold Brasington, defying all convention and logic, build Darlington Speedway and got it open 60 seasons ago.

3. "Awesome" -- The 1985 season through the eyes of Bill Elliott and his brothers, who turned NASCAR on its ear and won the first $1 million bonus ever paid to a NASCAR race winner.

4. "Race with Destiny" -- A look at the 1992 Hooters 500 at Atlanta Motors Speedway, which with no disrespect to the 1979 Daytona 500 or any other race I consider to be the most dramatic and historically significant race in NASCAR history. Alan Kulwicki, Bill Elliott and Davey Allison battle for the title in Richard Petty's last Cup race and Jeff Gordon's first. Yeah, I wrote a book about that one, too.

5. "Full Throttle" -- A movie based on a book I didn't write. Robert Edelstein wrote this biography of one of the most interesting men in NASCAR history, the great Curtis Turner.

What other real-life stories, NASCAR or otherwise, do you think would make good sports movies? Post your thoughts in the comments section below.