DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Although he’s excited about the honor, Owen Wilson is actually the second “Wedding Crashers” star to serve as the Daytona 500 Grand Marshal.
Vince Vaughn was the Grand Marshal for the Great American Race two years ago. Prior to the race, Wilson will deliver the famous racing line: “Drivers, start your engines” and take a couple laps around the track before the green flag flies, indicating the official start of the 200-lap race.
So what advice did Vaughn offer Wilson?
AP Photo/Terry Renna
“He actually sent me a text the other day and his big tip was not to watch his YouTube clip of him doing it because why see perfection?” Wilson said with a smile. “That was his thing – remember I’m just competing with myself.”
Kicking off the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, the Daytona 500 will officially start at 2:00 p.m. ET (FOX).
With many movie stars, musicians and athletes often attending the Daytona 500, Wilson certainly isn’t the first actor to serve as the Grand Marshal. Others who have had the honor include Matthew McConaughey, Ben Affleck and John Travolta.
AFP PHOTO / JIM WATSON/AFP/Getty Images
Keeping the race car theme, Wilson voices the animated car character Lightning McQueen in Disney’s “Cars 3” movie, as well as the first two prequels. When asked what his favorite race car is, the actor joked he’s “contractually obligated” to say his Disney character.
Wilson also recalled how he first became a fan of racing.
“My passion [started] probably growing up in Texas with my brothers just going to the go-cart track and us racing and getting a go-cart one Christmas that my older brother promptly hit a tree with later that day,” Wilson said.
“Maybe it exists all over the world because Formula 1’s really big but it does seem to be kind of a particularly American love of the open road and racing.”
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