Perhaps due to the success of “Talladega Nights” — or maybe simply because the subject matter is good — Hollywood has decided to go racing again. Two new movies are in the planning stages, one chronicling the life and times of Dale Earnhardt and the other showcasing Junior Johnson.

The Earnhardt movie, if it gets off the ground, will have the blessing of Earnhardt’s family. The previous theatrical salute to the Intimidator, ESPN’s “3: The Dale Earnhardt Story” didn’t, although I thought it was a pretty good flick.

Barry Pepper was spot on as Earnhardt, and for a network that had failed miserably with some of its other films (such as “Hustle” and “Season On The Brink”), it was a solid effort.

Those closest to Earnhardt, however, disagreed. His wife Teresa called it “someone’s dramatic piece” while Richard Childress refused to watch it.

In 2007, the documentary “Dale” was released, and it’s hard to imagine Hollywood doing a better job than this effort narrated by Paul Newman. Still, the man who is arguably the greatest stock car driver who ever lived is worthy of a big budget, big screen movie and the moguls in LaLa Land realize that could translate into big bucks at the box office.

The Junior Johnson movie is based on the book “Junior Johnson: Brave In Life,” but it’ll be hard-pressed to top the first film about the former moonshine runner. In 1973 “The Last American Hero”, based on a Thomas Wolfe article, hit the silver screen and to me is still the best racing-themed movie ever made. The names were changed to give it more poetic license (Johnson’s character, played by Jeff Bridges, was named Junior Jackson), but it was a well-told story from wire-to-wire. In fact, Johnson himself served as technical advisor.

If the Earnhardt and Johnson movies are made I’ll certainly head to the local theater and watch them, although Hollywood doesn’t have a terrific track record when it comes to sports movies. For every “Hoosiers” and “Rocky” there’s 10 or 12 “The Replacements” and “The Fish Who Saved Pittsburgh.”

Motion pictures that use NASCAR as a backdrop — for the most part — are unwatchable as far as I’m concerned.

“Stroker Ace” is possibly the worst movie ever made, period. “Six-Pack” was laughable, although I guess if you are a 5-year-old it’s OK. “Days of Thunder,” even with the great Robert Duvall, Tom Cruise (before he jumped the couch) and Nicole Kidman (before plastic surgery gave her a perpetual look of surprise) had good racing action but was outlandishly inaccurate.

And “Greased Lightning” with Richard Pryor turned what could have been a cool biography of Wendell Scott into an absurd comedy.

Thankfully the NASCAR movie planned several years ago and set to star Britney Spears was shelved after Ms. Spears went through her wilding period.

But who knows? Maybe Hollywood will get it right with both an Earnhardt and Johnson movie.

If they don’t, true race fans will let them know.