Trump's Daytona 500 appearance could include lap in presidential limo
President Donald Trump arrives at 10 Downing Street for a reception on Dec. 3, 2019 in London, England. (Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images)
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - President Trump’s appearance at the Daytona 500 on Sunday may feature a guest appearance from the presidential limousine known as “The Beast.”
Trump is planning to take a lap around the track at Daytona International Speedway prior to the venerable NASCAR event, Fox News chief White House correspondent John Roberts reported on Friday, citing multiple sources familiar with the matter. Plans have not yet been finalized.
NASCAR named Trump the grand marshal of the Daytona 500, marking the first time a sitting president has held the honor. He is the latest of several presidents to visit the historic race.
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“Daytona International Speedway has been privileged to have hosted several sitting Presidents of the United States over our history,” Daytona International Speedway President Chip Wile said in a statement. “We’re honored that the President of the United States has chosen to experience the pageantry and excitement of ‘The Great American Race’ by attending Sunday’s 62nd annual Daytona 500.”
Former President George W. Bush attended the Daytona 500 in 2004. His father, former president George H.W. Bush, attended a July race at Daytona in 1992 and Ronald Reagan attended a race in 1984.
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Trump’s presence at the race was first reported Wednesday when the Federal Aviation Administration issued a flight restriction over the racetrack for Sunday. The announcement of a flight restriction is standard when the president attends a major sporting event.
The U.S. Secret Service tweeted Wednesday that it was securing the Daytona International Speedway. The presidential security branch noted that drones are banned within a 30-mile radius of the event.
The Daytona 500 will mark Trump’s latest trip to a major sporting event in recent months. The president previously attended the NCAA College Football Playoff’s national championship game in January, the Army-Navy college football game in December, the Alabama-LSU college football game in November and the World Series in October.
The Daytona 500 begins at 2:30 p.m. ET on Sunday on FOX 35.
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