President Trump Expected To Attend NASCAR’s Daytona 500 This Weekend

NASCAR is officially back this weekend.

The Cup Series will return to Daytona International Speedway for “The Great American Race” on Sunday, February 16th, as the season gets underway once again. Joey Logano will look to defend his Cup Series Championship, and secure his 4th title in 8 years. Joey won the NASCAR Cup Series Championship in 2018, 2022 and then last year in 2024. As it stands right now, Kyle Larson is the favorite at +1000 to win, followed by racing veterans Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch at +1100. Joey Logano, Ryan Blaney and Chase Elliott, the last 3 Cup Series champs, are all at +1200.

Of course, we know the Daytona 500 has become a little bit of a crapshoot with the way it has finished in recent years, but everyone would like to start the season with a win, plus, there’s nothing quite like taking the checkered flag at Daytona. It’s every driver’s dream.

The green flag is scheduled to drop at 2:30PM EST, and the 2025 Daytona 500 starting grid will run 200 laps. And while many fans will certainly be excited to see racing back in action, there will be one very famous person in particular attending the race.

President Trump is expected to attend the Daytona 500 once again, after previously attending in 2020. CBS News Senior White House & Political Correspondent Ed O’Keefe broke the news, saying that “The Beast,” the United States presidential state car, is expected to do a few laps on the track, as well:

START YOUR ENGINES: Per @NicoleSganga @kristincbrown and me: President Trump will attend the Daytona 500 next Sunday, Feb 16, multiple people tell us. We’re told we may “see the Beast do a few laps on the track.”

Trump was previously there in 2020.

— Ed O’Keefe (@edokeefe) February 6, 2025

President Trump has been to four other NASCAR races, notably in 1999, 2000 and 2001 when he was in talks with officials to potentially build a speedway in the New York City area. For the aforementioned 2020 trip, he served as the grand marshal for the race, and Air Force One did a low flyover at Daytona International Speedway.

First Lady Melania Trump also attended, and the President gave the famous “Drivers, start your engines!” command to start their cars:

NASCAR driver @ClintBowyer on @realDonaldTrump leading the field at #Daytona500, “He’s gonna pace the field? Ha ha, love it, God it’s awesome.” pic.twitter.com/8r4yRZo3UK

— ForAmerica (@ForAmerica) February 16, 2020

Most recently, President Trump attended the 2024 Coca Cola 600 race in Charlotte at Charlotte Motor Speedway, where he became the first sitting or former President to attend a race there. He sat with team owner Richard Childress.

Yesterday, President Trump also attended Super Bowl LIX, where the Kansas City Chiefs got a good old fashioned beat down by the Philadelphia Eagles, losing 40-22. He was met with a positive reaction from the crowd inside Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana:

WOW! The entire crowd at the Super Bowl went NUTS after seeing President Trump on the screen during the National Anthem. pic.twitter.com/CMhDUy5iiK

— George (@BehizyTweets) February 9, 2025

Considering how Trump won Florida by a margin of 3.4-points, the largest margin for any presidential election in Florida since 2004, I think NASCAR fans will be just as excited to see him at the race.

We’ll take it from here. #DAYTONA500 pic.twitter.com/w2PSMwI4Uu

— NASCAR (@NASCAR) February 10, 2025