The 20 Best Films About Auto Racing. In this series of sports-themed articles, we’ll be reviewing the best sports films from auto racing and baseball to tennis and surfing. These Best Of lists will include both popular and lesser-known films from a specific sports film subgenre and our plan is to release each list monthly near a major sporting event.
With the Las Vegas Grand Prix set to take place in Las Vegas on November 22, 2025, there’s no better time than the present for us to cover some of the best films featuring all the different variations of auto racing. From NASCAR to Formula 1 to iconic racing venues such as Le Mans and Talladega, we’ve outlined the best films that convey the pulse-pounding and exhilarating scenes of 200mph+ chaos. Also to note, because films involving motorsports is such a broad category, we’ll be breaking down individual motorsports segments involving automotive racing in this article and other motorsports verticals such as motorbike and motorcycle racing in future articles.
Unlike our past two articles on The 10 Best Films About Running and The 10 Best Films About Tennis, the pure adrenaline rush of automotive racing is a match made in heaven for cinema. Starting in the mid-1960s to early 1970s, there were a few films including Grand Prix (1966), Le Mans (1971) and The Last American Hero (1973) that introduced a new generation of moviegoers to the fast-paced and exciting action of racing on screen. Over the ensuing years, the subgenre would expand to include biopics of famous athletes and innovators of racing from Shirley Muldowney’s story as the first woman in professional drag racing in Heart Like a Wheel (1983) to a great biopic of NASCAR icon, Dale Earnhardt, in 3: The Dale Earnhardt Story (2004) to the rivalry between F1 racing icons, James Hunt and Niki Lauda, in one of the best films in the entire sports subgenre, Rush (2013).
Once we’ve completed the list of best films by individual sport, we’ll have a cumulative article with the absolute 50 best sports films. For now, you can view our tentative schedule below and we’ll try to fit in some articles for some other sports such as Volleyball and Rowing that aren’t typically depicted in many films:
- Best Films About Football
- Best Films About Baseball
- Best Films About Surfing
- Best Films About Basketball
- Best Films About Summer Olympic Sports
- Best Films About Soccer
- Best Films About Running
- Best Films About Tennis
- Best Films About Auto Racing
- Best Films About Hockey
- Best Films About Wrestling
- Best Films About Boxing, MMA & Competitive Martial Arts
- Best Films About Winter Olympic Sports
- The 50 Best Sports Films
For our rankings we’re going to use some criteria to help define and refine our list. First, the film must primarily be about auto racing. We’ll include all the popular professional auto racing associations such as NASCAR, F1 and the NHRA. We’re also going to include films about street racing that feature a competitive element. Examples of films we’ll include based on these criteria are The Cannonball Run (1981) and Need for Speed (2014).
Second, we’re going to exclude films about stunt racing as most of these films are Drama Films About the Film Industry and often focus on filmed stunts. This will exclude films such as Steel Arena (1973), The Stunt Man (1980) and The Fall Guy (2024). We’ll likely have a future article focused exclusively on films about stunt drivers or stunt work in films.
Third, as mentioned above, we’re segmenting different motorsport verticals so we’re also excluding films about motorbike racing for this article. We’ll have a separate article covering all the best films involving motorcycle or motorbike racing so you won’t see films like Little Fauss and Big Halsy (1970) to The World’s Fastest Indian (2005) on this specific list.
Fourth, the more racing action shown in the film, the higher it will rank on our list.
Fifth, we’re only including films about automotive racing on this list and not documentaries. There are some great documentaries about individual icons in the automotive racing realm including Senna (2010), The 24 Hour War (2016) and Shelby American: The Caroll Shelby Story (2019). All of these documentaries are worth checking out for any fan of racing but won’t be featured on our list here.
And sixth, we had to follow our rule for all of KBZ’s film listings where we only list films that have a 4.0/10 or higher rating and were released after 1970. We will make an exception here to move our list back 4 years to include one of the more popular comedies about auto racing, The Love Bug (1968) and another classic film of the subgenre, Grand Prix (1966).
Our complete list of Sports Dramas features over 587+ films from 1942 – 2024 and our complete list of Sports Comedies features over 254+ films from 1968 – 2024. Though we don’t yet break down films by sports discipline, we will list every individual sport-related film in their respective articles. You can also subscribe to our newsletter to get updated as we release future articles on each sport and add the latest and greatest subgenre films to our collection.
Note: We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
The 20 Best Films About Auto Racing
Films that didn’t make our list (and only for completists): Herbie Rides Again (1974), Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo (1977), Checkered Flag or Crash (1977), Fast Company (1979), Speed Zone (1989), Kart Racer (2003), At Any Price (2012), Alabama Dirt (2016) and Champion (2017).
Honorable Mentions: The Pinchcliffe Gran Prix (1975), The Gumball Rally (1976), King of the Mountain (1981), Six Pack (1982), Stroker Ace (1983), Driven (2001), Right on Track (2003), Herbie Fully Loaded (2005), Snake & Mongoose (2013) and Race for Glory: Audi vs Lancia (2024).
Ranks 20-1:
#20 Cannonball Run II (1981) Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon
#19 Lamborghini: The Man Behind the Legend (2006) Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon
#18 Death Race 2000 (1975) Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon
#17 The Last American Hero (1973) Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon
#16 Bobby Deerfield (1977) Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon
#15 Heart Like a Wheel (1983) Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon
#14 The Art of Racing in the Rain (2019) Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon
#13 The Love Bug (1968) Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon
#12 The Cannonball Run (1981) Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon
#11 Days of Thunder (1990) Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon
Plot: Dale Earnhardt (Barry Pepper) becomes a champion race-car driver but dies at age 49 in a crash at the Daytona 500.
KBZ’s Take: As far as biopics go, 3: The Dale Earnhardt Story is a by the numbers review of Dale Earnhardt’s life. However, what makes the film worth watching and a spot on our Top 10 list is the amazing performance by Barry Pepper (as Earnhardt) and some of the better choreographed scenes of NASCAR racing.
Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon
#9
Le Mans
Plot: Filmed during the annual 24-hour endurance race at Le Mans, Michael Delaney is a Porsche driver haunted by the memory of an accident at the previous year’s race in which a competing driver was killed. Delaney also finds himself increasingly infatuated with the man’s widow.
KBZ’s Take: Le Mans is a captivating film from start to finish with a first act that features little to no dialogue and an introduction to the Le Mans competition. With actual footage from the 1970 Le Mans race, the film gives the viewer a first-hand look at the exhilarating, yet exhausting, challenge these drivers face in the grueling competition.
Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon
#8
Ferrari
Plot: During the summer of 1957, bankruptcy looms over the company that Enzo Ferrari and his wife built 10 years earlier. He decides to roll the dice and wager it all on the iconic Mille Miglia, a treacherous 1,000-mile race across Italy.
KBZ’s Take: We can understand why some people might not think highly of this film as it takes awhile to get to its action-packed third act. Most of the film covers the family and business issues in Enzo Ferrari’s (Adam Driver) life, and while interesting, can get a bit tedious for subgenre fans that equate Ferrari with high-speed racing (and are expecting more action).
However, patient viewers will be rewarded, because like Director Michael Mann did with both The Jericho Mile (1979) and Ali (2001), he infuses his unique style into race sequences from the Mille Miglia race which are some of the best of the entire subgenre – even if it takes quite a bit of time to get there.
Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon
#7
Grand Prix
Plot: The most daring drivers in the world have gathered to compete for the 1966 Formula One championship. After a spectacular wreck in the first of a series of races, American wheelman Pete Aron (James Garner) is dropped by his sponsor. Refusing to quit, he joins a Japanese racing team. While juggling his career with a torrid love affair involving an ex-teammate’s wife, Pete must also contend with Jean-Pierre Sarti (Yves Montand), a French contestant who has previously won two world titles.
KBZ’s Take: Grand Prix is a classic film of the subgenre for a good reason. Behind John Frankenheimer’s direction, the film has some of the most exciting F1 racing action. Even though the film is 59 years old, its pre-CGI race choreography is still better than some recent films that have the benefit of modern special effects.
While the film also does an admirable job of character development, its calling card is the numerous race scenes that elevate the film to a must see of the subgenre.
Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon
#6
Gran Turismo
Plot: The true story of a team of unlikely underdogs – a working-class gamer, a former race-car driver, and an idealistic motorsport executive – who risk it all to take on the most elite sport in the world.
KBZ’s Take: Unlike our previous selection, Grand Prix (1966), Gran Turismo relies almost exclusively on CGI for its racing scenes. But that’s not a knock on the film as this is a case of how CGI can augment racing choreography to exhilarating action not seen before.
While the film is based on the true story of Jann Mardenborough becoming the youngest winner of the GT Academy competition, the fascinating story often takes a back seat to some of the most exhilarating race sequences ever committed to film.
Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon
Plot: NASCAR superstar Ricky Bobby (Will Ferrell) is at the top of his game; adored by fans, a trophy wife by his side, and incredible wealth. But Ricky loses it all when French Formula One champion Jean Girard (Sacha Baron Cohen) roars onto the scene. Ricky, with the help of his ruthless father, must pull himself out of the depths of despair and restore his honor on the racetrack.
KBZ’s Take: Will Ferrell has made a career of lampooning sports and their tropes from ice skating in Blades of Glory (2007) to basketball in Semi-Pro (2007). However, of all of Ferrell’s 2000s sports comedies, Talladega Nights is the funniest and most on point.
The film is a hilarious (and often ludicrous) satire of NASCAR racing that equally skewers and shows love for everything associated with The Big Race.
Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon
Plot: Tobey Marshall (Aaron Paul), a mechanic, races muscle cars in an underground circuit. Struggling to keep his business afloat, he reluctantly partners with wealthy but treacherous Dino Brewster (Dominic Cooper). However, Dino frames Tobey for a crime that sends him to prison. Two years later, Tobey is out and bent on revenge; his only chance to take down Dino is to beat him in a high-stakes race. But to get there in time, he must successfully evade an army of cops and bounty hunters.
KBZ’s Take: Need for Speed is an outlier on our list as it’s a mashup of different subgenre themes. It’s a street racing film (that leverages elements from its successful game franchise), a road trip film, a revenge film and features competitive racing (during the film’s De Leon competition). And while each of the film’s individual themes (and their scenes) are often retreads from previous films, it’s the sum of all these parts that add up to one of the best actions films of the subgenre.
Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon
Plot: American car designer Carroll Shelby and the British-born driver Ken Miles work together to battle corporate interference, the laws of physics, and their own personal demons to build a revolutionary race car for Ford Motor Company and take on the dominating race cars of Enzo Ferrari at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in France in 1966.
KBZ’s Take: Ford v Ferrari is the only film on our list nominated for four Academy Awards (including a Best Picture nomination and wins for Best Film Editing and Best Sound Editing) at the 92nd Academy Awards. And after seeing the film, you’ll understand why the film won these awards.
The film is an amazing accomplishment with standout performances from Matt Damon (as Carroll Shelby) and Christian Bale (as Ken Miles). And despite these engaging performances which drive the narrative of the film, you’ll be even more mesmerized by the technical achievements of its thrilling race sequences.
Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon
#2
F1
Plot: In the 1990s, Sonny Hayes was Formula 1’s most promising driver until an accident on the track nearly ended his career. Thirty years later, the owner of a struggling Formula 1 team convinces Sonny to return to racing and become the best in the world. Driving alongside the team’s hotshot rookie, Sonny soon learns that the road to redemption is not something you can travel alone.
KBZ’s Take: We had to put aside recency bias to not list F1 as our top film for this list. What Director Joseph Kosinski did for aerial combat in Top Gun: Maverick (2022) he does for F1 racing by upping the bar to stratospheric heights for race choreography.
This film uses a tried-and-true formula from the sports film subgenre with the older veteran helping a young rookie achieve the will to win. But, despite this overused trope, the film succeeds with its innovative and exciting race sequences.
Similar to how John Frankenheimer smashed technical barriers for racing choreography in Grand Prix (1966), Kosinski has elevated the cinematic experience with F1 racing by literally putting you inside the F1 experience with it’s pulse-pounding action on the track.
Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon
#1
Rush
Plot: The rivalry between the popular James Hunt and not-as-popular Niki Lauda during 1976 Formula One racing season.
KBZ’s Take: Many films of the sports subgenre feature individual rivalries from real-life tennis stars Björn Borg and John McEnroe in Borg vs McEnroe (2017) to boxing legends Muhammad Ali and Joe Fraizer. But many of these films often primarily focus on sports rivalry while minimizing the personal and emotional connection between rivals. And that’s where Rush excels as it has one of the best representations of a rivalry that transcended sports with its unfiltered look at the competitive nature between F1 drivers James Hunt (Chris Hemsworth) and Niki Lauda (Daniel Brühl).
This is a film that succeeds based on the performances from both Hemsworth and Brühl who convey the admiration both drivers had for each other during their intense rivalry. And with the focus on the emotional connection between the two rivals, the racing scenes become that much more intense as you feel the primal need of each racer to win – no matter what.
This has always been one of our favorite sports dramas and a film that will give you a deeper appreciation for how rivalries can often transcend sport into lifelong admiration.
Additional Lists: Top Sports Drama Films You Haven’t Seen #5
Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon
