Donald Trump, who attended the Daytona 500 on Sunday for the second consecutive time as President, helped further enhance his image as an avid sports fan.
In 2020, he was running for a 2nd term and attended the race. Trump received the honor of being the grand marshal at NASCAR’s most prestigious and biggest event of the year. He also gave the command to the drivers to start their engines.
Trump delighted thousands of NASCAR fanatics in the stands by flying over the track in his presidential limousine before riding into the Daytona International Speedway.
Trump was the first president to ever attend the Super Bowl while in office. Trump is a golfer and attends UFC fights, college football matches, and college football.
When asked what he liked most about NASCAR during a Fox News interview in 2020, Trump replied that he was impressed by the courage and bravery of the drivers who pursued “pure American Glory.”
He called the Daytona 500 a “legendary show of roaring engine, soaring spirit, and the American speed, skill, and power we’ve heard about for many years.” The tens and thousands of patriots who are here today came for the fast cars, the world-class motorsports. But NASCAR enthusiasts never forget that God, family, and country are more important than who wins the race.
The sport’s fans are seen as leaning conservative. In 2018, Trump presented Martin Truex Jr., the NASCAR Cup Series winner, and Furniture Row Racing with a plaque at the White House.
As a former President and a candidate for re-election in North Carolina, Trump attended the Coca-Cola 600 race last May at the Charlotte Motor Speedway. A NASCAR driver described the presence of a President on Sunday as “special” because it was “one of our most important days of the year.”
Chase Elliott said, “It brings a new perspective and a lot more eyes to what we are doing down here in preparation for the race.”
