NASCAR drivers hit speeds of nearly 200 km / h when Green Flags waves to Daytona 500 on Sunday when the season begins at Daytona International Speedway.
President Donald Trump was ready for the start of the “big American race.” He led the drivers on a lap before the race started. This is the second time he attended the event.
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President Donald Trump shakes his hands with Nascar Hall of Fame driver Richard Petty on Nascar Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway, Sunday February 16, 2025, in Daytona Beach, Florida. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
Prior to the call for drivers to start their engines, Trump spoke with Fox Sports’ Jamie Little and welcomes the races to compete in the event.
“They have a lot of courage that is doing this. I see it and I have been here,” the president said. “They have a lot of gut that they would say.”
Trump, gathered on the field by his grandson, highlighted the US progress since he started his second term as president.
“I think it’s great. I think it’s great for the country, ”he said. “The country is doing well again. We have spirit all over the world. There is spirit again, we brought it back and it has been less than four weeks. You will see what we do in a small period. It gets only a few better.
Trump had a message to the drivers on their radios before the green flag waved.
President Donald Trump, with grandson Carolina, speaks during an interview on Nascar Daytona 500, Sunday 16 February 2025, in Florida. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)
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“This is your favorite. I’m a big fan. I’m a really big fan of you people. (How) you do this, I don’t know. But I just want you to be sure. You are talented people and big people and great Americans.
Trump proclaimed the American spirit in a statement before arriving in Daytona Beach, Florida.
“This iconic race shows the fastest, most fearless drivers in motorsport, representing our country’s love for tradition, competition and car innovation,” the statement reads. “The Daytona 500 brings together people from all walks of life-from lifelong racing fans to first-time spectators-they all participate in celebrating a common passion for speed, adrenaline and the tension of the race.
“From the roar of the engines on the track to the echo of ‘The Star-Spangled Banner’ sky-high through the stands, Daytona 500 is a timeless tribute to the speed, the strength and the unmanageable spirit that makes America great. This spirit is what burns America’s golden age , and if we take advantage of it, the future is really ours.
President Donald Trump waves when arriving in Daytona Beach International Airport, Sunday 16 February 2025, on his way to Nascars Daytona 500. (Pool via AP)
The president was gathered on the field by Eric Trump, Luke Trump, transport secretary Sean Duffy, John Paul Duffy, Patrick Duffy, domestic secretary Doug Burgum, Kathryn Burgum, Sens. Todd Young and Ashley Moody and Reps. Jason Smith, Byron Donalds and Mike Haridopolos.
