Eastern North Carolina got a visit from The King on Tuesday night. Midway through his rally at Pitt-Greenville Airport, President Trump paused to bring up a special guest. “And we have a legend here,” he told the crowd. “Should I call him up? That great Richard Petty? The King? Come on up, Richard.”
The President could not hide his admiration for the North Carolina racing icon, who won a record 200 NASCAR Cup Series races and seven championships. “He just turned a certain age, I’ll tell you,” Trump joked. “He’s unbelievable.” Then he marveled at the record: “How do you win 200 races? But this is a real… this is a legend.”
Petty, in his trademark hat and sunglasses, took the microphone and put the race in terms every fan understands. “He’s a big racing fan,” Petty said of the President. “But we’re in a big race here, guys.” He pointed to Trump and said, “This is the best driver we’ve ever had.”
“So what we’ve got to do is you all have got to pick out the best pit crew for him,” Petty told the crowd. “Let’s get out and get the very best pit crew we can for the best driver in the world. … If we can do that, then he’s the winner. Pit crew’s the winner. We’re all winners.”
The message for Nov. 3 could not be clearer. Earlier in the evening, Petty stepped off Air Force One alongside the President before the rally for Senate candidate Michael Whatley. North Carolina early voting runs through Oct. 31. The King says the driver is ready; now it is up to the voters to build the pit crew.
