Trump, Melania rev up Daytona 500 ahead of race
It’s great to see our great American President at this great American event. Ones heart swells with patriotism with the flyover, the President there and the lap by the presidential limo the Beast. The people loved it. His tribute to God, Family, and country was special as well. A great day for our exceptional nation. 🗽🇺🇸
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
President Trump revved up NASCAR’s Daytona 500 on Sunday as the grand marshal, becoming the second-ever president to deliver the Great American Race's iconic command, "Gentlemen, start your engines!" and the first of any president to take a lap in the armored presidential limo, dubbed "The Beast."Trump and first lady Melania Trump addressed the 100,000-seat racetrack at Florida’s Daytona International Speedway ahead of the race he called "pure American glory."
“The Daytona 500 is the legendary display of roaring engines, soaring spirits and the American skill, speed and power that we’ve been hearing about for so many years,” Trump told the crowd before the race began.
He called the tens of thousands of fans present at the racetrack "patriots," adding that "NASCAR fans never forget that no matter who wins the race, what matters most is God, family and country."
In an interview from the track, Trump told Fox Sports that while he's not able to drive his own car as president, he was tempted to get behind the wheel of one of the race cars.
"Right now, if I can, I'm gonna hop into one of these cars and I'm gonna get into this race, if possible," he joked.
The motorcade with President Trump makes its way through Turn 1 after arriving at Daytona International Airport before the NASCAR Daytona 500 auto race at Daytona International Speedway on Sunday, in Daytona Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)
Trump and Melania took a lap in the heavily armored presidential limo, dubbed "The Beast," after delivering the command for racers to start their engines. The lap in the 22,000-pound, Cadillac-branded limousine around the speedway marked a historic first for any president.
Trump is only the second sitting president to attend the 500, behind President George W. Bush who issued the famous command in 2004, the year Dale Earnhardt Jr. won his first 500. Earnhardt was on hand Sunday and waved the green flag as honorary starter.
His appearance follows in the footsteps of former President Ronald Reagan , who in 1984 became the first sitting president to attend a NASCAR race at the speedway when he started the Firecracker 400, giving the command, “Gentlemen, start your engines!” from aboard Air Force One.
President Ronald Reagan congratulates stock car driver Richard Petty, who won the Firecracker 400 race at the Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla., in 1984. (AP Photo/Ira Schwarz, File)
It was at that race that Richard Petty captured his historic 200th victory. Reagan watched until the end, even doing a few laps of radio play-by-play during the race before he congratulated Petty and ate chicken with drivers, crew members, NASCAR employees and their families in the garage area.
President George W. Bush greeted drivers in the pit at Daytona 500 NASCAR race in Daytona Beach, Fla., in 2004. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais, File)
Former President George H.W. Bush also visited the track at Daytona, but not during the 500 race.
Democrat Bill Clinton attended a NASCAR race as a presidential candidate in September 1992, but many fans at the Southern 500 in Darlington, S.C ., booed and heckled him over the question of his lack of Vietnam-era military service that stalked his campaign.
President Barack Obama’s initial presidential campaign was presented with the opportunity to sponsor a car in a NASCAR race, but eventually declined that chance. However, Obama routinely invited the winners of the NASCAR Cup Series championship to the White House, a tradition Trump has continued.
Trump, who was endorsed in 2016 by former NASCAR CEO Brian France Jr., has hosted series champions Joey Logano and Martin Truex Jr. at The White House and gave NASCAR team owner Roger Penske the Presidential Medal of Freedom last year.
The Daytona 500 is set to start at 2:30 p.m. ET on the FOX broadcast channel. Drivers will battle through 200 laps around the speedway in the 500-mile stock car race for a chance to lift the champion’s trophy on Victory Lane.
About 100,000 people are expected to attend this year's race and millions more will watch on television. About 9 million people took in last year's race on television.
Fox News' John Roberts and Gary Gastelu and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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meh, I watch nascar to see the crashes. I was disappointed when the 11 ton chevy clone didn't roll coming out of a turn, fly apart, and then get hit by half the field that was trailing it.
I went to the first Long Beach Grand Prix in the hopes that Andretti would wipe out. He once really hurt the feelings of my niece when she was around 5 who thought he was the greatest thing since sliced bread. He was her idol and she cried for two days. Trump showing up at this was little more than campaign stumping.
sorry, but I doubt that will compare to the chants of 20 or more years when he's sentenced by a federal judge after this term.
Many people already give that credit to Trump, Sessions and Barr. Let's investigate the investigators ad nauseum. Fire any Cabinet members that won't toe the line.
And right there you prove the point. Well done.
with everyone turning left...?
These events are the life blood of politicians during an election year.
Yep & by the time they got his fat ass out of the track it was raining. Rain DELAY!!!!!
god's will. don't hold your breath waiting for some thumpers to connect those 2 side by side dots.
I thought it was OUR America?
By then, Haley's Comet will spread more crystals.
Read Nikki.
I thought it was classy as hell for Fox News to cut to commercial during trumps lap to air a commercial by Mike Bloomberg.