15 best and worst racing movies of all time, ranked from Ford v Ferrari to Herbie

What is your favorite auto-racing movie? 

Is it about NASCAR? Indy Car? Formula One? The range of auto-racing movies have changed from the 1960s – which produced "Grand Prix" – to the present day. "F1 The Movie" — the latest racing movie — is poised to join the list of hits in 2025. The film, starring Brad Pitt and a supporting cast with Damson Idris, Javier Bardem and Kerry Condon, is the latest film adaptation of F1 racing. 

Where does it fit on the list of greatest racing movies? The list of auto-racing movies we looked at ranges from Academy Award-winning dramas to quotable comedies. Sporting News took a look at some of those movies. Documentaries were not included. 

Using Rotten Tomatoes, we totaled the points those movies had with the Tomatometer and Popcornmeter as a gauge, but this is still our list. Here is a look at the best — and worst — auto racing movies.

1. 'Ford v Ferrari' (2019) 

It's hard to beat the standard set by a film that earned four Academy Award nominations, including best picture, in 2019. Matt Damon and Christian Bale brilliantly portray Carroll Shelby and Ken Miles, respectively, in a fast-paced story about Ford, Ferrari and the 24 Hours of Le Mans race in 1966.

2. 'Grand Prix' (1966) 

James Garner leads a strong cast in a movie that won four Academy Awards and might have got more best picture consideration if not for "The Sound of Music." Grand Prix follows the lives of four F1 drivers in a fictionalized tale that shows the risks and rewards of racing at that level. This movie was ahead of its time. 

3. 'Rush' (2013)

Ron Howard directed this film – which depicts the Formula 1 rivalry between James Hunt – played by Chris Hemsworth – and Niki Lauda – played by Daniel Bruhl. Rush won the BAFTA Award for best editing – and it has solid performances and racing sequences throughout. 

4. 'Cars' (2006)

Ask a teenager what movie they watched most as a kid. Pixar crushed it with the story of Lightning McQueen – voiced by Owen Wilson – in the children's movie that finds a way to appeal to all ages. "Cars" ranks second to "Finding Nemo" for the most DVDs ever sold. A-list stars can be heard everywhere in this movie, which supplied a catch phrase that stuck: "Ka-Chow."

5. 'Days of Thunder' (1990)

We don’t care what the critics say. Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman and scene-stealer Robert Duvall carry "Days of Thunder" — which was a must-see summer movie from director Tony Scott in 1990. Cruise plays Cole Trickle, the rookie who takes NASCAR by storm. It’s corny and commercialized, but it’s also quotable — "I’m dropping the hammer!" — and easy to watch 35 years later. 

6. 'Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby' (2006)

With all due respect, this is the best racing comedy ever made. Will Ferrell plays the NASCAR driver with two first names, and the supporting cast contributes to the constant flow of 108 minutes of one-liners that have been repeated for nearly 20 years. Gary Cole gave the one that sticks the most in the first five minutes. "If you ain’t first ..."

7. 'Gran Turismo' (2023)

It's the video game come to life, and it delves into the tale of British racer Jann Madrenborough, who went from gamer to professional race-car driver. Archie Madekwe, David Harbour and Orlando Bloom deliver solid performances in the feel-good story. 

8. 'The Love Bug' (1968)

This movie brought Herbie – a Volkswagen Beetle – into popular culture as the "53" car brought to you by Disney. Dean Jones stars as Jim Douglas, who helped bring this film to life. Disney rebooted the film in 1997. 

9. 'Le Mans' (1971)

Steve McQueen – a 1970s icon – stars as Michael Delaney in this fictionalized drama that also takes a closer look at 24 Hours of Le Mans. This movie popularized the Porsche 917.

10. 'Winning' (1969)

Paul Newman is Frank Capua, whose dream is to win the Indianapolis 500. Robert Wagner and Joanne Woodward are co-stars. Bobby Unser is among the real-life racers that make a cameo in this movie. This is among the middle-tier racing movies – and it uses real-life footage from the iconic race. 

11. 'Cannonball Run' (1981)

Does this comedy about a cross-country race count? Burt Reynolds, Dom DeLuise, Roger Moore and Farrah Fawcett star in this classic 1980s comedy that features several cameos. The movie was not critically-acclaimed, but it definitely is a cult classic. We'll allow it.

12. 'Speed Racer' (2008)

This was a live-action movie based on the popular anime series, and Emile Hirsch, Christina Ricci, John Goodman and Susan Sarandon highlight a solid cast. Despite middling reviews, it's a fun movie for fans of the original series. 

13. 'Six Pack' (1982)

Country star Kenny Rogers stars as a race-car driver who has to navigate through small-town corruption in this comedy-drama that follows the 1980s script. This movie did give us the top-ranked country hit "Love Will Turn You Around."

14. 'Death Race' (2008)

This Jason Statham-led movie about a prison-sanctioned race, which came out the same year as "Driven." The entertainment value is high — but is this a true racing movie? 

15. 'Herbie: Fully Loaded' (2005)

We might have brought Herbie back one too many times on this one. Lindsay Lohan starred in the most-modern adaptation of the franchise. It still fits as a children’s movie 20 years later.

What is the worst auto racing movie of all time?

"Driven" (2001) is the lowest-rated movie among those on this list. Sylvester Stallone and Kip Pardue starred in that box-office miss. Burt Reynolds, who was a co-star in "Driven," was the lead in "Stroker Ace" – a 1983 racing film where he portrays a NASCAR star. Reynolds, of course, did hit on the "Smokey and the Bandit" movie series. 

Is 'The Fast and Furious' a racing movie?

This is more like the "Star Wars" of racing movies. The franchise has produced 10 movies from 2001-23, which starred Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez and the late Paul Walker. These movies revolve around street racing. It ranks No. 26 on IMDB's "Best Movie Series of All Time."

Auto racing movies ratings (Rotten Tomatoes) 

Here is how the movies on this list scored according to the Rotten Tomatoes scales – the Tomatometer and Popcornmeter. We combined the totals on those movies: