DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – When President Donald J. Trump arrives at Daytona Int’l Speedway for Sunday’s 62nd Daytona 500, he will become the third sitting President of the United States to attend a race at the famed NASCAR track.
It will also be just the second time a U.S. President has attended the Daytona 500.
The first to attend a NASCAR race was President Ronald Reagan, who witnessed Richard Petty’s 200th career victory in the Firecracker 400 on July 4, 1984.
President George W. Bush was the first to attend the Daytona 500 while in office. That came on Feb. 15, 2004 with Dale Earnhardt, Jr. defeated Tony Stewart by .273 seconds.
President Trump’s visit on Sunday will be a rarity for a presidential visit to a sporting event, but he also attended this year’s College Football National Championship Game at the Superdome in New Orleans, La., on Jan. 13.
U.S. Presidents regularly attend the annual Army-Navy college football game every year, spending the first half on one side of the field and the second half on the other side.
Another thing that all three of these presidential visits have in common is that their visits came in election years when the incumbent was campaigning for re-election. Reagan won in a landslide in 1984, Bush was re-elected to a second term in 2004 and Trump is up for re-election on Nov. 3.
Team Penske driver Joey Logano visited the White House along with his key team members and team owner Roger Penske on April 30, 2019. President Trump invited the team to the White House to celebrate Logano’s 2018 NASCAR Cup championship.
The 2015 Daytona 500 winning driver was asked his thoughts on President Trump attending Sunday’s race.
“It’s amazing that, you think about the leader of our country is coming to the Daytona 500, how cool is that?” Logano said. “It solidifies what our sport is, right? It’s a huge event. We are a big sport, and to be able to have the President come here, that’s something we all should be proud of.
“Whether you support him or not, it doesn’t matter. It shows the unity in our sport and how big our sport really is.”
Logano recalled that talking to President Trump was almost like talking to a regular guy, not the leader of the country.
“I had a blast going to the White House,” Logano said. “That was an amazing honor to go up there with our whole race team and get the tour from the President, and he was a normal guy. Some of the conversations were very relaxed and kind of go with the flow up there. I felt very uncomfortable making a speech when you have Donald Trump, Roger Penske and this guy Joey Logano that nobody knows.
“Like, ‘What am I doing here? I don’t fit in.’
“But it was an amazing experience, and it’s something I’ll cherish forever.”
Security will be very high for spectators attending Sunday’s sold-out Daytona. 500. Fans are asked to arrive as early as possible for the race that is set to begin around 2:50 p.m. Eastern Time.
NASCAR and Daytona Int’l Speedway officials are anticipating security checkpoints to begin on Saturday night at 11 p.m. ET.
Every vehicle and every individual will be scanned entering the infield tunnel with no exceptions. Fans and competitors are asked to give themselves “an abundance of time to enter the garage area.”
Media members working from the press box, broadcast booths or visit any area of the grandstand side of the track, must arrive at those locations at least 90 minutes prior to green flag – if not earlier. Everyone has been asked to, “please be cooperative and patient with all security requests.”