JD Vance Makes Rare NASCAR Appearance at Charlotte Motor Speedway

Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance made a rare appearance at the highly anticipated Bank of America Roval 400 at the Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, North Carolina. The race marked the end of the Round of 12 in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs.

On October 13, Vance joined the crowds of avid NASCAR fans for this crucial playoff race. Unlike many political visits led by formal speeches and media coverage, Vance’s attendance was relaxed, although he did attend the driver’s meeting prior to the race.

NASCAR Fox Sports reporter Bob Pockrass shared to social media:

“JD Vance was introduced at the drivers meeting as a U.S. Senator from Ohio. The fact he is running for vice president was not mentioned. There are other politicians who also were introduced.”

JD Vance was introduced at the drivers meeting as a U.S. Senator from Ohio. The fact he is running for vice president was not mentioned. There are other politicians who also were introduced. https://t.co/JRoRkhLZjO

— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) October 13, 2024

Vance later took to X (formerly Twitter) to share some photos of the day. He posted:

“Had such a fun day with the family at Charlotte Motor Speedway! Thanks for having us North Carolina.”

The Charlotte Motor Speedway itself had been the scene of political appearances in the past year, including former President Donald Trump’s visit in May for the prestigious Coca-Cola 600. Trump’s visit had involved meetings with notable NASCAR figures and a tour of Austin Dillon’s pit box.

JD Vance — Republican vice presidential nominee, U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH) (R) poses with Kyle Busch, driver of the #8 Lenovo Chevrolet, and his wife, Samantha Busch and RCR team owner and NASCAR Hall of Famer, Richard…

Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images

Kyle Larson celebrated the victory of the Bank of America Roval 400, closely followed by Christopher Bell and William Byron who crossed the line in second and third position, respectively. Shane Van Gisbergen, who started from the pole position, finished in seventh.

Larson commented on his victory, as reported by Motorsport.com:

“It’s the first time in my playoff career I’ve not been close to the cut line so it was good to have a little bit of a stress-free week.

“I think it’s the first time I’ve been here without crashing. Good weekend … Obviously, we’re here at Hendrick’s home and got so many people here from there. Gonna be fun to celebrate with them.

“Knowing that I don’t really use the sim much and I was in the sim this week, so huge thank you to the guys there. It really helped me get into a rhythm early on and help us kind of fine tune our car. Hats off to everybody there.”