Washington, D.C., will host the first IndyCar race along a route through the National Mall
The Freedom 250 Grand Prix—the city’s first-ever IndyCar Series race—will take place in Washington over the next two days. For the event, part of the U.S. capital will be transformed into a temporary professional racetrack with seven turns and a length of 2.7 km. The event, consisting of 147 laps, is dedicated to the 250th anniversary of the United States.
In January, U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order to hold the race as part of the celebration of the country’s anniversary and its motorsports history. According to Al Jazeera English, the Grand Prix is not formally part of Trump’s Freedom 250 initiative, although it features similar branding. The District of Columbia government’s website states that the race is administered by INDYCAR in coordination with the America 250 Task Force. INDYCAR is a subsidiary of Penske.
The track will run, in particular, along the National Mall and near the National Gallery of Art and the National Archives, where the original copies of the U.S. Declaration of Independence and the Constitution are housed. Due to the expected speeds of up to 321 km/h, the National Gallery has covered some of its windows with protective panels and installed barriers around certain outdoor sculptures. A group of heritage preservation experts has also warned of the potential impact of vibrations on historic murals in the neighboring Cohen Federal Building.
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Preparations for the competition have already caused hours-long traffic jams due to the closure of several streets. The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration announced that it will suspend flights at Ronald Reagan National Airport in Washington for three hours on Sunday to accommodate aviation operations related to the event.
The race is expected to cost $35 million, making it one of the most expensive on the IndyCar calendar. Penske Corporation President and race chairman Bud Denker told the Associated Press that the company will cover the majority of the costs. The city is to fund limited road resurfacing and manhole sealing work, but the Washington Department of Transportation stated that the Grand Prix will reimburse these costs.
Organizers distributed approximately 100,000 general admission tickets for free. Meanwhile, a ticket to the Champions Club costs $5,000, and prices for premium boxes start at $250,000. U.S. media reported that Trump may attend the event and drive a lap around the track in a presidential motorcade on Sunday.
