Diesel, who stars as Dominic Toretto in the “Fast & Furious” film franchise, made a stop at FuelFest, a music and racing and car enthusiast event held at the Irwindale Speedway, to meet and take photos with 4-year Colton Pursglove.
Colton has been battling leukemia and was recently told he was in remission, according to event organizers.
The 4-year-old has been a fan of Diesel and his racing films for years, and in 2023, he even dressed up as Toretto for Halloween.
“When your 4 year old watches Fast & Furious movies on repeat and thinks he looks just like Dom, you gotta dress him up as his favorite movie character,” Colton’s mom, Jordan, wrote in a Halloween post on social media.
Jordan joked that, while most 4-year-old love cartoons and toys, her son loves “real cars, loud engines, Fast & Furious, and Dom,” in no small part because they were both bald — Colton has since grown his hair out since his cancer battle.
Colton and his family were given the VIP treatment for the event, posing for photos with with his hero and other stars of the beloved film franchise, including actor Tyrese Gibson and Cody Walker, the brother of the late Paul Walker, who starred opposite Diesel in many of the films.
Walker and Gibson stopped by the KTLA Weekend Morning News to promote the event, which was co-founded by Cody and is inspired by his older brother’s love of racing and vast collection of cars.
In addition to organizing FuelFest, Cody is also the CEO of Reach Out WorldWide, a nonprofit organization founded by his brother in 2010 following deadly earthquakes in Haiti that devastated the small island nation. The organization brings first responders and other skilled workers to areas affected by disasters.
“I’ve been grateful to witness the tremendous support of the car community of which Paul was so involved,” Cody Walker states in his bio on the FuelFest website. “Over the past five years, I’ve hosted car shows all over the world to benefit Reach Out WorldWide … Since taking over Paul’s foundation in 2014, it has been my honor to help carry on his legacy, and it is inherent in the mission of FuelFest to continue to provide this charitable aspect.”