The thrill began small and grew louder on the sold-out Daytona Worldwide Speedway about an hour earlier than the inexperienced flag dropped to .
No, it wasn’t for Pitbull, a former automotive proprietor and Cuban American rapper and singer, taking the primary stage for a mini-set.
It wasn’t for Anthony Mackie, star of the No. 1 film “Captain America: Courageous New World,” who was to inform the drivers to start out their engines.
It wasn’t for “Reacher” star Alan Ritchson, who was to drive the tempo automotive.
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It was for a Boeing VC-25 which was doing a flyby close to the Speedway. The aircraft was additionally .
arrived at Daytona Seashore Worldwide Airport simply earlier than midday and took the five-minute journey to the Speedway in “The Beast,” the presidential automotive. After Trump bought out of the automotive, he waved to the group, pumping his fist. He frolicked speaking to drivers, each previous and current, and race officers.
Trump solely gave one interview, to Fox.
“I feel [the Daytona 500] is improbable, it’s nice for the nation,” Trump stated earlier than touting his accomplishments since taking workplace. He was accompanied by one among his granddaughters.
Earlier than the race, the modified and strengthened presidential automotive took a few laps across the banked speedway. Through the laps Trump talked to drivers by radio saying: “That is your favourite president. I’m an enormous fan. I’m a very massive fan of you individuals. The way you do that I don’t know, however I simply need you to be protected. You’re proficient individuals and also you’re nice individuals and nice People. Have a superb day, have a number of enjoyable and I’ll so long.”
There was no later as Trump left on schedule throughout the rain delay.
Trump additionally got here to Daytona in 2020 in a race that was halted due to climate and ultimately rescheduled.
It was Trump’s second main sporting occasion in every week. He was additionally on the Tremendous Bowl in New Orleans.
“I wasn’t sitting subsequent to him, however I noticed that he was there on the sport the opposite day,” stated Chase Elliott, who has received NASCAR’s hottest driver seven years in a row. “I feel having a sitting president come and be part of one among our greatest days of the 12 months — actually what I’d name our greatest occasion of the 12 months — I feel is particular. It actually brings a number of eyes and a unique perspective to what we do down right here for this race.”
The concept it’s a second when a president visits echoed all through the garages.
“Any time you get big-name individuals to return to the five hundred it’s fairly particular,” stated Kyle Busch, a two-time Cup champion. “I keep in mind when [President] Reagan got here [in 1984] and that was particular.
“It’s not simply the celebrities that do the pre-race live performance. The Rock [Dwayne Johnson] was right here final 12 months and I bought my image taken with him. Any time we will deliver big-name individuals to our sport shines a brighter gentle on how massive a deal that is.”
There was little doubt it was a Trump-friendly crowd each on and off the observe. However a number of eyes have been on Bubba Wallace, the one Black driver within the race. Wallace and Trump traded barbs in 2020, first when NASCAR banned the Accomplice battle flag at races. Wallace had lengthy been a proponent of excluding the flag from occasions due to its symbolic help of slavery. Trump criticized the choice by NASCAR.
Shortly after, a noose was present in Wallace’s storage. It led to an outpouring of help from fellow drivers and lots of followers. Some discovered it a really unifying second within the sport. An investigation discovered that the rope noose had been within the storage for a lot of months and was not directed at Wallace.
Wallace didn’t let it go unanswered, posting: “At all times take care of the hate being thrown at you with LOVE! … Love ought to come naturally as persons are TAUGHT to hate. Even when it’s HATE from the POTUS.”
It was no shock that at a media occasion on Wednesday, the primary query to Wallace was about Trump coming to race.
“I couldn’t care much less,” Wallace stated quietly. “We’re right here to race. Not for the present.”
It was clear Wallace wished to maneuver on and never create an issue.
Wallace got here up as a driver by means of NASCAR’s range program. Trump has pushed to eradicate range, fairness and inclusion (DEI) packages from the federal authorities and past.
“There are bitter apples on the market who by no means totally appreciated the [benefits] of range,” Wallace stated later. “It’s as much as you to have that great place in your coronary heart and simply deal with everyone equal and the way you wish to be handled and it doesn’t matter what they appear like. You simply should do issues proper. It’s not that arduous to do issues proper and be respectful to human beings.”
Two racing officers have been requested to remark about the way forward for NASCAR’s range program, however neither responded to the request.
This story initially appeared in .
