Donald Trump told the drivers in NASCAR’s Daytona 500 that they are ‘great Americans’ while being taken around the 2.5mile circuit in the Beast during a stirring appearance at Sunday’s race in Florida.

The President sent NASCAR fans wild on Sunday afternoon as Air Force One flew over the track before his arrival. The thousands of fans cheered wildly as his plane roared over the racetrack, with Trump making it a second straight weekend of high-profile appearances at sporting events.

Last Sunday, he made history by becoming the first sitting President to attend a Super Bowl when he headed to New Orleans to watch the Philadelphia Eagles beat the Kansas City Chiefs.

This weekend, the President’s motorcade drove straight onto the track in Florida and traveled a short distance in front of the NASCAR fans packed into the stands before it entered a secure area. He later returned onto the track, with his motorcade doing two laps before the race started, where he spoke to the drivers over the radio.

As Trump’s limousine paced the track, he told the drivers: ‘This is your favorite President. I’m a big fan, a really big fan of you people. How you do this, I don’t know.

‘But I just want you to be safe. You are talented people and you are great people and great Americans. Have a good day, have a lot of fun and I will see you later.’