Posted on February 18, 2013 by Presidents Race Fan
Teddy and Tom on Snowmobiles at Recreational Springs Resort in Lead, South Dakota
Teddy Roosevelt and WH Taft met up with their fellow Nats racing presidents and mascot Screech at Mt. Rushmore to celebrate Presidents Day, after Teddy trounced Bill in their “Executive Adventure” Twitter contest.
After Teddy played poker in Deadwood, the racing presidents went snowmobiling at Recreational Springs Resort, and Ice Skating in Rapid City. First photos below.
The Nationals Racing Presidents with Mascot Screech at Mt. Rushmore
The Racing Presidents on Snow Machines in the Black Hills of South Dakota
Teddy Playing Poker at Old Style Saloon #10 in Deadwood, South Dakota
Posted on February 16, 2013 by Presidents Race Fan
Teddy Roosevelt met the Jolly Green Giant in Blue Earth Minnesota, tweeting this photo just before sundown Saturday, as the Hero of San Juan Hill continues to race “The Big Chief” William Howard Taft across the country this weekend.
After making stops in Iowa this morning, the duo headed north, with Taft trailing Teddy and checking in from the Minnesota border at 7:34pm.
Posted on February 16, 2013 by Presidents Race Fan
Racing president William Howard Taft gained ground on Teddy Roosevelt late Friday evening as they both crossed the Illinois line after just one day of their race to Mt. Rushmore.
The Big Chief followed Teddy in tweeting from the border just before sunset, nearly 700 miles from the day’s starting point.
In a Nationals-sponsored Twitter contest, fans have been asked to use the hashtags #VoteBill or #VoteTeddy to show support for either Taft or Roosevelt. Teddy shot out to an early lead, but voting has been light, meaning a Taft comeback isn’t out of the question.
Given that one randomly selected user of each hashtag will win a private mascot appearance with that racing president, a vote for Taft right now is
carrying pretty nice odds.
Posted on February 15, 2013 by Presidents Race Fan
Racing president Teddy Roosevelt appears to be making excellent time in his race to Mt. Rushmore, tweeting that he beat rival William Howard Taft to the Indiana border just after 5:00pm Friday.
That’s nearly one third of the driving distance from Nationals Park to the South Dakota landmark on just the first afternoon.
Teddy continues to get triple the fan votes as his rival Taft in the corresponding Twitter contest, but at just 100 fan tweets as of Friday evening, one has to wonder whether the Nationals mascot team had higher expectations from their newly fabricated rivalry.
Posted on February 11, 2013 by Presidents Race Fan
Racing president auditions will not be held on Presidents Day weekend this year.
The Washington Nationals announced this evening that they would break the tradition in order to promote their newly-conjured rivalry between racing president fan favorite Teddy Roosevelt and newcomer William Howard Taft.
The two presidents will take off Friday in a 4-day race to race to Mt. Rushmore National Memorial in South Dakota, where they will meet up with their fellow racing presidents on Presidents Day.
The Nationals will promote the race as “Bill and Teddy’s Executive Adventure,” and ask fans on Twitter to use the hashtags #VoteBill or #VoteTeddy beginning Friday to pick their favorite. One supporter of each president will win a “private mascot appearance” with her choice.
The Nats had been mum about confirming the date for auditions, and now we know why. Ted and Bill’s road trip have pushed the auditions to Saturday, March 2.
Applicants have only until next Wednesday, February 20 to apply for the part-time summer position by sending a cover letter, resume and photo to entertainment@nationals.com.
As always, applicants must be adults between 5’7” and 6’ 6” in height, can handle wearing a 45-pound costume for hours, can commit to at least 35 home games, and can run 200 yards in 40 seconds or less (yes, that’s with the costume still on).
The Nationals typically select 50 to 60 applicants to be invited to auditions, in which they will race against each other, run a 40-yard dash, dance, and show their celebration skills.
For a sense of what’s in store, check out our video chronicle from last year’s auditions:
For the second year in a row, the Nationals’ racing presidents appeared in the annual Cupids Undie Run on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC on Saturday.
Volunteers stripped to their underwear and ran 1.5 miles in near-freezing weather. George, Tom, Abe, and Teddy all participated, donning boxer shorts over their usual racing uniforms. New racing president William Howard Taft did not make an appearance.
The Washington Nationals racing presidents let loose on Saturday evening as the Rushmore Four warmed up for Katy Perry and Usher, and Michelle Obama, then traded in their racing shoes for cowboy boots to kick off inaugural weekend.
The DC Convention Center hosted its first unofficial presidents race early Saturday evening as the Nationals mascots warmed up the crowd at the first Kids’ Inaugural Concert:
Photo:Tanya Pai/Washingtonian Magazine
Photo:Ken Smith/Instagram
Photo:Charlie Neibergall/AP
Charlie Neibergall/AP
The invitation-only event, hosted by Michelle Obama, Jill Biden, and their children, featured performances by Usher and Katy Perry, and honored hundreds of kids from military families and Washington D.C. area schools.
George, Tom, Abe and Teddy then changed out of their red racing uniforms and joined the revelry at the 2013 Texas Black Tie and Boots Inaugural Ball at the Gaylord National Harbor resort.
Unlike four years ago when the racing presidents were spread thin across a number of evening events, the Texas State Society ponied up and staked their claim to all four of DC’s famous ten foot tall mascots on the first of three nights of inaugural festivities.
Notorious as one of the largest inaugural balls, The Black Tie and Boots affair was spread across five ballrooms, but the presidents were hard to miss as they joined the revelers on the dance floor, getting down to the music of Tracy Byrd, Jack Ingram, and Asleep at the Wheel.
Leveraging the privileges of higher office, the racing presidents took their turns joining the bands on stage. These AP photos captured Abe and George with Asleep at the Wheel’s Ray Benson.
Let Teddy Win T-Shirts
The Washington Nationals announced this evening that they would break the tradition in order to promote their newly-conjured rivalry between racing president fan favorite Teddy Roosevelt and newcomer William Howard Taft.
