Published 12/26/2022, 8:00 AM EST
2023 is going to be a special year for NASCAR as the sport and the organization complete 75 years. In its history, NASCAR has had some very special moments – one of which came in 1984 through the hands of then-President Ronald Reagan.
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NASCAR had been around for 35 years and 15 days until July 4, 1984. If that doesn’t seem enormous, that translates into 12,799 days! The Cup Series had witnessed 1,421 races, yet no American President had attended one of them. This was despite the sport being a rage in the Southern USA.
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A firecracker of a race at Daytona
President Ronald Reagan broke that duck. His appearance at the Firecracker 400 in Daytona Beach became the first race that a sitting POTUS had attended. Reagan, who was the 40th President, gave his iconic “Gentlemen, start your engines” command from 38,000 feet in the air using a special phone and video feed.
But it wasn’t until the race was halfway over that President Reagan and his entourage arrived in their Air Force One. The security measures didn’t allow Reagan to attend the race from the grandstands. As a result, they gave him a seat in a special suite overlooking the Daytona track.
Sitting alongside the Frances and some selected VIPs, Reagan witnessed a thrilling affair as Richard Petty beat Harry Gant and Cale Yarborough to the checkered flag in the 160-lapper.
Interest might have been a big reason behind Reagan’s visit to Daytona, but no action is bereft of political capital. There was a motive behind this visit as well.
What made Reagan grace the NASCAR race?
People had elected Reagan to the White House in 1980, having beaten Jimmy Carter’s re-election bid. With George Bush Sr. on his side, Reagan and the Republicans were looking for a second term in the Oval Office.
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Battling against Walter Mondale and his running mate, Geraldine Ferraro, the pair were looking to cover their bases. It was an attempt to woo Floridians and the Republican-leaning Conservative base of NASCAR. They believed a move like this would be beneficial.
And it did end up turning out like that. Reagan witnessed Petty win his final Cup Series race and celebrated with a post-race picnic of KFC and Pepsi-Cola products. He also did radio and chat shows with the Frances, the Petty family, and Bobby Allison.
At the end of it all, it was 12 hours spent fruitfully.
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There have been other sitting Presidents who attended Daytona races since then, but none were as successful as Reagan. A masterful move!