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NASCAR: President Donald Trump to attend 2020 Daytona 500

By Asher Fair

WASHINGTON, DC - FEBRUARY 10: U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a “White House Business Session with Our Nation’s Governors” event in the State Dining Room of the White House February 10, 2020 in Washington, DC. State governors gathered in the nation’s capital for the National Governors Association Winter Meeting. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC - FEBRUARY 10: U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a “White House Business Session with Our Nation’s Governors” event in the State Dining Room of the White House February 10, 2020 in Washington, DC. State governors gathered in the nation’s capital for the National Governors Association Winter Meeting. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images) /
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United States President Donald Trump is slated to attend this Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series season-opening Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway.

The 2020 NASCAR Cup Series season is scheduled to get underway this Sunday, February 16 with the 62nd annual Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway.

President Donald Trump, who has been endorsed by several key NASCAR figures and has spoken very highly of the sport and its fanbase on more than one occasion, is slated to be in attendance when the green flag flies.

UPDATE: President Trump is also slated to serve as the grand marshal for the race, giving the command to start engines. He is set to become the first president to do so.

Joanne Magley, a spokeswoman for Daytona Beach International Airport, stated the following, according to USA Today.

"“The president will be here for the Daytona 500. That is all of the information I have at this time.”"

Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood added that the plan is for first lady Melania Trump and Florida governor Ron DeSantis to also be in attendance, but official confirmation of the visit is still pending.

"“We are planning and preparing as if the president and the first lady and the governor are coming. Anything as far as definite confirmation has to come out of the White House.“You got to assume everything is going to be ramped up to a really high level than you would see at a normal race. I think it’s pretty cool that Air Force One is going to be landing at our airport.”"

Additionally, the U.S. Secret Service tweeted that they are securing the Daytona 500 by establishing a 30-mile “no drone zone” around the track.

President Trump would become the second sitting president to attend the Daytona 500, as George W. Bush did so back in 2004. Two other sitting presidents attended the July race at Daytona International Speedway: Ronald Reagan in 1984 and George H. W. Bush in 1992.

Here is what Chip Ganassi Racing’s Kurt Busch had to say about the excitement that having President Trump in attendance would bring to the speedway.

"“This is the Daytona 500. It’s already over the top, off the charts, fun, exciting, and you’re just rolling with whatever comes your way. They tell you to be in the car at a certain time, so you go when they tell you to put your helmet on. I can’t wait for President Trump to show up and for all of the race fans to acknowledge him and just to have that fun atmosphere of a president at the Daytona 500.”"

The starting lineup for this Sunday afternoon’s 200-lap race around the four-turn, 2.5-mile (4.023-kilometer) high-banked superspeedway oval in Daytona Beach, Florida is slated to be set in this evening’s two Bluegreen Vacations Duels, both 60-lap races at the track. Fox Sports 1 is set to broadcast these races live beginning at 7:00 p.m. ET.

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There are 43 drivers on the entry list for Sunday’s main event, and 38 are already locked in, with two having locked themselves in during this past Sunday’s single-car qualifying session. With the maximum field size being 40 drivers, the five drivers who have not qualified for the race will be battling for the final two open spots in this evening’s races.

The only two drivers who have already secured their actual starting positions for the race did so in this past Sunday’s single-car qualifying session, and they are set to share the front row. JTG Daugherty Racing’s Ricky Stenhouse Jr. took the pole position in his #47 Chevrolet, and Hendrick Motorsports’ Alex Bowman qualified alongside him in second place in his #88 Chevrolet.

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Fox is set to broadcast the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series season-opening Daytona 500 live from Daytona International Speedway beginning at 2:30 p.m. ET this Sunday, February 16.

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