LONG POND, PA – AUGUST 01: The truck of Korbin Forrister, driver of the #08 Trump for President Chevrolet, is seen on the grid prior to the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Pocono Mountains 150 at Pocono Raceway on August 1, 2015 in Long Pond, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)

A day before Super Tuesday, one of the biggest days of the presidential election cycle Donald Trump received an endorsement from the sports world that could help in the disproportionately Southern bloc of primaries about to be contested.

NASCAR CEO,Brian France pledged his support to Trump at a rally in Valdosta, Ga. on Monday, where he was accompanied by Hall of Fame driver Bill Elliot and three current drivers, Chase Elliot, Ryan Newman and David Ragan.

France’s rationale for why he wants Trump to be America’s next president is, um, interesting. Via Yahoo! Sports:

“I’ve known Donald for over 20 years,” France said at a rally in Valdosta, Ga. “I’m going to tell you one thing: you know about his winning and success. He wins with his family. Any of his children, you’d be proud to have in your family. That’s how I judge a winner.”

Sure he might say offensive and harmful things every other breath and the actual policies he wants to implement are murky at best, but hey his kids sure are great! It’s also somewhat of an oddity to see the head of any sport to make a political endorsement for any candidate given the divisiveness of politics although perhaps the NASCAR fanbase is a bit of an outlier that makes it less taboo. One distinction is France owns NASCAR and is not an employed commissioner hence his extra latitude here.

Via The Hill, here’s more of France’s explanation of his endorsement.

“Mr. Trump is changing American politics forever and his leadership and strength are desperately needed. He has had an incredible career and achieved tremendous success. This is what we need for our country,” France said.

“It is my great honor to endorse Mr. Trump for President of the United States. He is a leader representing strength and common sense solutions,” Bill Elliot said.  

France’s endorsement really came at a perfect time for Trump. Super Tuesday includes Republican primaries in, among other states, Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia. In other words most of the region where NASCAR is wildly popular.

Trumps certainly knows it.

“If the people that like and watch NASCAR vote for Donald Trump,” Trump said at the rally Monday, “they can cancel the election right now. Nobody [else] can win.”

A particularly fruitful Super Tuesday could essentially clinch the nomination for Drumpf, er, Trump.

 

About Alex Putterman

Alex is a writer and editor for The Comeback and Awful Announcing. He has written for The Atlantic, VICE Sports, MLB.com, SI.com and more. He is a proud alum of Northwestern University and The Daily Northwestern. You can find him on Twitter @AlexPutterman.