President Donald Trump became the first president, sitting or former, to be named the Grand Marshal of the Daytona 500. As a result, on Sunday, he voiced the race's traditional opening commands, "gentlemen, start your engines" and also rode "The Beast," his armed-limo, around the track.
"It really is the Great American Race," Trump said on the FOX broadcast moments before the race began. "And I look at this as almost a patriotism kind of thing."
Trump said he has attended the race four times before, but not since 2001. He was joined alongside the First Lady.