Jeff Gordon test drive prank goes viral, called fake

Posing as a timid driver at a car dealership, NASCAR driver Jeff Gordon appears to prank a salesperson in this commercial for Pepsi MAX that's been viewed more than seven million times in less than two days.

Wearing makeup and facial hair as a disguise, Gordon approaches a Chevrolet Camaro and the salesperson offers to let him test drive it. He feigns nervousness at first but before long Gordon is speeding around the parking lot while the salesperson clings to his seat in fear.

Many media outlets have posted the video with reference to how this salesperson will never be the same.

Others are calling bogus on the prank.

Travis Okulski at the car blog Jalopnik wrote that he spoke to someone who was there during the filming and discovered that Gordon wasn't even driving during the stunts.

John C. Dvorak at P.C.Mag.com points out the obvious issue that Pepsi would never expose itself to the risk of giving this poor man a heart attack, or having him cause a car wreck, much less the lawsuit that would follow such a disaster.

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He also describes logistical issues, such as Gordon reaching dangerous speeds in a lot where people could be walking if the stunt wasn't planned in advance. He says media outlets should be ashamed of themselves for not realizing that the real prank is on them — it's a ploy for free advertising.

I guess we could have seen that coming.

Nothing sells quite like a look of terror on a car salesman's face, apparently, even if it's acting.

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