With D.C. streets in front of the U.S. Capitol transformed into a racetrack, drivers on Sunday were set to zoom past the National Gallery of Art, the National Archives and other landmarks in the Freedom 250 Grand Prix, a first-ever IndyCar street race in the nation’s capital.
Drivers will race at speeds of up to 185 mph — more than seven times the normal speed limit of 25 mph for the stretch of Pennsylvania Avenue that sits along the National Mall.
The Freedom 250 Grand Prix, which is expected to draw about 140,000 spectators, is the culmination of events this summer launched by President Donald Trump to mark the country’s 250th birthday.
Earlier festivities included an Ultimate Fighting Championship event on the White House South Lawn in June and a Fourth of July pyrotechnic show, which made history with more than 840,000 fireworks but was delayed when a lightning storm forced the crowd to disperse.
Trump to take ceremonial lap
Trump is expected to take the ceremonial lap Sunday in the presidential limousine, and will wave the green flag to start the competition, which is scheduled to begin around 1 p.m. Eastern and run for about 2½ hours.
The course spans 1.66 miles and includes seven turns. Drivers will complete 147 laps covering 250 miles.
Trump said it would be “like no other race, ever” — a sentiment echoed by IndyCar President Doug Boles, who called it “iconic” in an interview with Fox News. Boles described seven months of planning that went into setting up the track, including installing massive concrete barriers and the welding down of more than 200 manhole covers.
A tricky layout with 90-degree corners
IndyCar road courses usually run about 100 laps, but this race is 147 so the race can be 250 miles and match the 250 in the race’s name. Several drivers have also expressed concern about the length.
Freedom 250 also is a tricky race for IndyCar drivers because they are unfamiliar with the course, the road conditions and how well the street surfaces will grip, retired IndyCar racer James Hinchcliffe wrotein a Fox Sports column. Hinchcliffe said the D.C. track layout wasn’t laser-scanned for the most accurate course construction but created from a 2-D computer-aided design, which isn’t as accurate. Those factors could force the drivers to go slower and use their brakes more, he said.
Describing the layout at a news conference Thursday, Boles told reporters that there will be “actual 90-degree corners,” as well as two other corners that “will be very fast.”
“It’s going to be hard to pass here — could be a little carnage at this place,” he said.
Practice laps on Saturday highlighted the challenges. A particularly bumpy section of road ahead of the sixth turn caused several drivers to spin out or nearly lose control, including two from the same team: Graham Rahal and Louis Foster, who crashed nose-first into the wall.
Showcase for motorsports
Trump has been personally involved in the Freedom 250 planning from the start. In January, he signed an executive order launching the first IndyCar street race in the nation’s capital as part of the year-long celebration of America’s 250th birthday. The order directed the Interior and Transportation departments to help map a course around the National Mall and expedite the permits and approvals.
The president has promoted the race as a showcase for American motorsports and Washington’s monuments. In July, he hosted IndyCar stars Alex Palou, Felix Rosenqvist and David Malukas at the White House for a preview that included a live pit-stop demonstration outside the West Wing.
“I don’t think anything will ever … top what we’re going to be having,” Trump said of the Freedom 250 Grand Prix.
The race arrives at a point in the IndyCar season where the championship is nearly settled. Palou, a 29-year-old from Spain who drives for Chip Ganassi Racing, has a healthy lead over his competitors, who are vying for second place.
While officials have touted the Freedom 250 Grand Prix as an opportunity to showcase the city, some restaurants in the security zone saw disruptions to their businesses last week by road closures and parking restrictions. BASIS DC, a public charter school in Penn Quarter, had to dismiss classes early to accommodate increased security and event setup.
Preservationists, too, have raised concerns about the effect that racecars running more than seven times the speed limit could have on federal art collections, potentially causing damage through vibration.
Still, the White House and the office of Mayor Muriel E. Bowser (D) have touted the benefits of bringing a “world-class sporting event” to the District.
Bud Denker, the Penske Corp. president who chaired the race and spent seven months in Washington building it, has emphasized that this is a one-time event, staged for an anniversary that comes only once.
Most of the track will be gone by Labor Day, he said. But the viewing suites will take three or four weeks to remove.
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