TORONTO -- There weren't any delusions of being a famous race car driver when David Soren was growing up in Toronto. In fact, he failed his drivers license test multiple times.

Now, though, he has a connection to IndyCar racing through an underdog gastropod as the director of the DreamWorks Animation 3D adventure film "Turbo." Soren was on the red carpet during the Canadian premiere July 11 of the movie, distributed by 20th Century Fox, at the Yonge and Dundas Cineplex.

"Turbo" is the story of a common garden snail who dreams about going fast, which is what it takes to win the Indianapolis 500.

"When you think about the hallmarks of a good underdog story and a character who has no possible chance of success, a snail who dreams of speed is kind of exactly that. And trying to marry Turbo’s dream with the most outrageous goal is where the Indy 500 came in,” Soren said.

IZOD IndyCar Series drivers joined Soren for photos and interviews. The movie, which made its U.S. premiere July 9 in New York, opens in theaters across North American on July 17.

"There's not a single kid that doesn't like a race car. If you ask, they always have a little car," said reigning Indianapolis 500 champion Tony Kanaan, who will be involved in promotion of the film in Brazil next week. "My son (Leo) asked me when I'm going to race against the snail. He asked me if (Turbo) was going to be part of the Indy 500 next year."