Republican Thom Tillis, running for Senate in the state that invented NASCAR, is getting a boost from a racing legend in a new ad.
Former NASCAR driver Richard Petty endorsed Tillis in a new television spot from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, a major backer of Tillis’s bid to unseat Democratic Sen. Kay Hagan in North Carolina.
“In racing and in life, there’s always a leader, someone who knows how to get to the finish line, who makes the tough decisions,” Petty says in the ad, as he stands beside a race car.
“For me, there’s no question,” Petty adds. “It’s Thom Tillis for U.S. Senate, because Thom Tillis is a winner.”
Tillis has struggled to keep pace with Hagan in recent public polling, although the race is still considered one of the most competitive in this election cycle.
The Chamber of Commerce has played a major role in the race on behalf of Republicans. The pro-business group has invested considerable money in North Carolina and was instrumental in helping Tillis to win his primary contest earlier this year.
The buzzy ad featuring Petty is also in-character for The Chamber of Commerce, which has featured a few notable endorsers in its ads this cycle, including Mitt Romney and Brett Favre.
Petty unsuccessfully ran for North Carolina Secretary of State as a Republican in 1996.
