warrant a story, however, when the race is the Daytona 500 and the former
neighbor is John Travolta, a few people take some interest.Prior to the start of Sunday’s race the media was treated to a walk-on visit by the event’s grand marshal as he entered the media room stage. The appearance by an actor of notable films including: Pulp Fiction, Primary Colors, Face/Off and The Thin Red Line gave the media opportunity to learn more about one of the sport’s drivers and an admirer.
Travolta, a licensed 747 first officer for Quantis Airline as well as their goodwill ambassador, lived in the same fly-in neighborhood, located just south of Daytona Beach, Fla., as Mark. Travolta has since moved to Ocala, Fla., but shares fond memories of the time he spent with one of the sport’s smartest drivers.
“Being Mark’s neighbor was a great thing because he is also a jet owner and we could share and commiserate on our passion for flying,” Travolta said in the hours before the start before the Great American Race. “We’d help each other; he would hanger my airplane once in a while when I needed assistance.”
Travolta, scratching his chin as he recalled his time with Mark added, “I think I borrowed his pilot one time as well. It was a pretty good relationship.”
Travolta also shares another passion with Mark. The actor has completed a lap around the monster speedway in one of the Petty Experience cars. Travolta’s runs, however, measured up a tad short of Mark’s 188 mph blasts on Daytona’s high banks. The runs by Travolta, which were clocked in at the 130 mph range, were enough to put Travolta at the top of the list for celebrities who have run Daytona, according to Travolta.
Asked if he’d like to get a NASCAR license to accompany his pilot’s license Travolta joked, “Now that I hold the record in NASCAR for this speedway probably not. I would love it though, speed is my thing. It would be fun to do it.”
Travolta, who had the jaded NASCAR media eating out his hand with his laid back personality and quick humor, then practiced a few approaches to giving the command to start engines. He offered various impersonations of “gentlemen, start your engines” if Nicolas Cage, Marlin Brando or Bette Davis offered the command. Between rounds of laughter Travolta then added an offering from the character who helped propel him to stardom, Vinnie Barbareno. “Whaaaaat,” said the straight-faced Travolta to the howls of appreciation from the crowd.
Ultimately, Travolta, who said that he’s looking forward to seeing the script for the sequel to Pulp Fiction, went with a blend of Vincent Vega, his character from Pulp Fiction, and Gabriel Shear, his character in Swordfish, to deliver the command to the field.
