Richmond grew up in a wealthy family and lived a freewheeling lifestyle , earning him the nickname " Hollywood " . In describing Richmond 's influence in racing , Charlotte Motor Speedway president Humpy Wheeler said : " We 've never had a race driver like Tim in stock car racing . He was almost a James Dean @-@ like character . " When Richmond was cast for a bit part in the 1983 movie Stroker Ace , " He fell right in with the group working on the film , " said director Hal Needham . Cole Trickle , the main character in the movie Days of Thunder , played by Tom Cruise , was loosely based on Richmond and his interaction with Harry Hyde and Rick Hendrick .