U.S. President Donald Trump’s appearance at the 2025 Daytona 500 has returned to the spotlight. Newly released federal records have shown how much it cost the government to secure his visit, with the Secret Service spending well over half a million dollars on the Great American Race.
Trump attended the season opener at Daytona Beach weeks into his second term in office. He arrived shortly before the race, made a ceremonial lap in the presidential limousine, met drivers and team owners on pit road, and led the field during pace laps. This followed appearances at other major sporting events, and new public records have detailed the scale of security expenses tied to those trips.
Thanks for the submission!
A report by Front Office Sports highlighted the scale of the Daytona operation. As Margaret Fleming wrote:
“According to new documents obtained through a public records request by Front Office Sports, the Secret Service racked up $561,842.63 in expenses for a trip to the Daytona 500. Hotel payments made up more than half of that total.”
The report showed that $335,448.26 was spent across 11 different hotels to accommodate agents and support staff, with some rooms booked at locations more than an hour away due to availability and federal rate limits. Another $213,738.20 went to an event services company for temporary infrastructure, including tents, heaters, and related equipment set up around the speedway.
Additional costs included $8,832 for a lodging adjustment, $3,544.18 paid directly to Daytona International Speedway for bike racks used in secured zones, and $279.99 billed to a local car wash service for the presidential motorcade’s logistical needs. The figures covered protection for Donald Trump’s close family members who traveled with him to the race.
Meanwhile, the Secret Service reportedly spent $65,252.31 for security at the NCAA Division I men’s wrestling championship in Philadelphia on March 22 and $45,310 for his appearance at UFC 314 in Miami in April. Across three events, hotel stays and temporary security structures made up the majority of the costs.
Trump chose not to attend the NFL’s Super Bowl earlier this year, due to distance, but he continued to attend major events closer to Florida, such as the college football national championship finale in Miami.
Donald Trump’s ‘quick’ warm-up laps at the 2025 Daytona 500
Donald Trump was not the first U.S. president to attend the Daytona 500. George H. W. Bush and George W. Bush both had ceremonial roles at the race in different eras. Jimmy Carter had a close connection with NASCAR when he was Georgia’s governor. However, Trump’s second visit in five years places him in a small group of sitting presidents to take part so visibly in pre-race activities.
Trump served as grand marshal in both 2020 and 2025, and issued the command to start engines. Asked on pit road what the pace laps would be like, Trump told Fox Sports:
“I’ll let you know in about two minutes, because they’re going to be going quite quickly, I understand.”
After greeting several drivers and team members, he added:
“I’m going to talk to them, and I say they have a lot of courage doing this. I see it, and I’ve been here, and they have a lot of guts, as they would say.”
With the 2026 Daytona 500 now less than a month away, there’s no confirmation about his return to the speedway this year.
Edited by Hitesh Nigam
