Winning Tuesday’s Michigan primary is critical for Republican presidential candidates Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum. With the race even, both candidates are scrambling with hollow appeals to attract stereotypical Michiganders. Romney claimed he is “a car guy.” Rick Santorum is taking it one step further, by sponsoring a car at the Daytona 500 as part of his “Made in the USA” campaign.

From USA Today:

“NASCAR and the Daytona 500 are about as American as you can get, and it’s great to have my campaign represented by one of these incredible machines,” Santorum said in a release. “The race weekend is a wonderful tradition that we’re excited to be a part of as we spread our message. I like how Tony Raines turned some heads last weekend with his qualifying run, and we’d like to keep turning heads, too. I think we’re both looking for a win in the end.”

The car is a Ford Focus, lest you believe its not ‘Merican enough. Rumors that Santorum seemed inordinately concerned with regulating the car’s emissions are unconfirmed.

[Photo via Getty]