In what’s likely the last partnership of Donald Trump and NASCAR during an election season, the president called out the heaviest of heavy hitters Tuesday night in Greenville, N.C.
A King, actually.
NASCAR’s all-time winningest racer, Richard Petty — “King Richard” — joined the pre-midterm election rally at the Greenville airport and urged his fellow North Carolina voters to vote Republican in order to give President Trump the “best pit crew” for his final two years in the White House.
To the surprise of no one, Petty spoke of the upcoming Nov. 3 election in racing terms.
“We’re in a big race here, guys, when we look at it. This is the best driver we’ve ever had,” he said, pointing toward Trump. “So you have got to pick out the best pit crew for him. And that’s what all this is about.
“Let’s get out and let’s get the very best pit crew we can for the best driver in the world ... If we can do that, he’s a winner, the pit crew’s a winner, we’re all winners all over the world.”
President Trump, NASCAR Nation are familiar with each other
President Trump has embraced the NASCAR world since first running for president in 2016, and as sitting president has attended two Daytona 500s (2020 and 2025). As a candidate in 2024, he also attended the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte.
Petty wasn’t President Trump’s only booster from the racing world this week. The previous night in Kansas, he was joined by former NASCAR and IndyCar racer Danica Patrick, who actually flew to the rally aboard Air Force One and shared a ride in the motorcade with Trump from the airport to the rally.
Trump: A person that flew on the a plane with me… Danica Patrick. Thank you, Danica. pic.twitter.com/HnLaBLp6zy
— Acyn (@Acyn) October 20, 2026
She was a regular at Trump rallies during the late stages of the 2024 campaign.
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Richard Petty races to Donald Trump's side at midterm election rally; Danica Patrick too