As the most popular motorsport series in the USA, NASCAR has carried immense weight in the country. So much so that many presidents have contributed to its popularity. Among these heads of state is Jimmy Carter, a much-beloved politician who served as the President of the United States in 1977-1981. Besides his political achievements, he is also remembered for his intimate ties with stock car racing.
On Sunday, former POTUS Jimmy Carter passed away at the age of 100. The racing community rallied together to pay their respects to the great man one last time. His ties to the sport are deep-rooted, ranging from working on speedways to sticking to his promise made to the best NASCAR drivers. As the world mourns the loss of a political icon, let’s celebrate his life and his connections to the sport we all love.
Jimmy Carter – a NASCAR fan himself
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Looking back at when he was rising to power, a unique connection to motorsport stands out. Jimmy Carter had a close bond with Atlanta Motor Speedway – he worked as a ticket vendor at the 1.54-mile intermediate racetrack in the 1960s. Then when he was the governor of Georgia in the 1970s, he attended races here and developed friendships. This mingling led to a promise – that Carter would host a contingent of NASCAR drivers once he assumed the role of POTUS. Many believed that both ideas were speculative at best.
However, Jimmy Carter proved all the skeptics wrong. He won the presidency at the end of 1976, and sure enough, invitation cards arrived at NASCAR by 1978. Fox Sports’ NASCAR commentator Mike Joy recollected Carter’s undeniable love for the sport recently. “Jimmy Carter was the first US President to celebrate stock car racing; he invited the sport’s biggest stars to a reception at the White House. Carter had very close friends within the sport, and spent considerable time at Atlanta Motor Speedway when he was Georgia’s governor.”
Although he kept his promise, Jimmy Carter could not grace the occasion on September 13th, 1978. While he brokered a peace deal between Israel and Egypt, First Lady Rosalyn Carter hosted the famous stock car drivers. The latter included some veterans – Cale Yarborough, David Pearson, Benny Parsons, and others. Country-western singer Willie Nelson was the night’s special guest. He played a concert set and later talked to drivers and other guests. Mrs. Carter was true to the racing spirit, as she opened festivities by waving a green flag as the drivers wheeled their race cars along the White House driveway.
With Jimmy Carter’s passing, the NASCAR community rallied to hail him as a beloved politician and NASCAR fan.
Fans pay their heartfelt tributes
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Jimmy Carter’s love for motorsports was visible at every step of his presidential journey. For the 1976 election, he rivaled George Wallace in Florida, where the latter had won in 1972, and even nurtured good ties with NASCAR founder Bill France Sr. Yet with the Daytona underway and Carter attending it, he won – it was a narrow, 35%-31% victory, a “severe defeat” for Wallace. This immense dedication enthralled fans, as they saluted the late legend. “Seriously. Politics aside, I don’t know a single person who didn’t like Jimmy Carter the man. The world lost a great servant.” Somebody else also espoused Carter’s motorsport passion, which threw into shadow the rest of his political work. “I can’t speak on all his policies, but there was never a better man who was president….” Another fan dropped a mournful message, saluting the late president. “R.I.P.🌹🌹🌹🙏🏼❤️😢”
Fans even compared Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan’s presidential tenures. Well, not concerning their policies, but their attitude to racing. While Carter was a diehard racing fan, Reagan was a supporter. The latter attended the 1981 Daytona 500 won by Richard Petty – but arrived halfway through the race. So somebody said if it was Carter, he would not have missed any of it. “He showed up halfway through the race, Jimmy would’ve been there for the start.” Another fan chimed in that Carter’s passion for the sport topped the charts. “Unlike Reagan and the next one, Jimmy knew what tf NASCAR was!!”
Jimmy Carter’s contribution to NASCAR, as we saw, has been unparalleled. He also received support back in reciprocation for the 1980 elections, when racing icons rallied to push him. So somebody enlisted those great names who showed up for Carter: “Will also add the following drivers endorsed Carter for re-election in 1980: Neil Bonnett, Richard Childress, Roger Hamby, Tommy Gale, Harry Gant, JD McDuffie, Jody Ridley, Connie Saylor, DK Ulrich, and Cale Yarborough.”
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Jimmy Carter was a beacon of hope for NASCAR, building the sport forward out of pure love for the sport. His work will be cherished for many more racing seasons to come.