Romney’s problems connecting to working class voters hit the national media again after he told a reporter at the Daytona 500 Sunday that while he doesn’t follow car racing closely, “I have some great friends who are NASCAR team owners.”

It came a day after Romney told a crowd in hard-hit Detroit that his wife drives “a couple Cadillacs” — costly luxury cars that are out of reach for most Americans.

The increasingly negative and gaffe-ridden race to become the Republican standard-bearer is providing ample fodder for Obama as he prepares for the November 6 election amid an improving economy and rising job approval ratings.