Fast Cars And Freedom Will Take Over The Nation’s Capital For America’s 250th Anniversary

The nation’s capital will celebrate fast cars and freedom this summer as IndyCar hosts the first-ever street race on the National Mall as part of America’s 250th anniversary celebrations.

The Freedom 250 Grand Prix will host the best NTT INDYCAR drivers who will take on the 1.7-mile-long course that cuts through the nation’s historic landmarks in Washington, D.C.

The INDYCAR race celebrates the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence and was made possible through an Executive Order signed earlier this year by President Donald Trump entitled “Celebrating American Greatness with American Motor Racing.”

The race course features a .4-mile front stretch along Pennsylvania Avenue, where INDYCAR fans can see the Washington Monument and the U.S. Capitol. Pit row will run adjacent to the track, on Pennsylvania Avenue. Other landmarks along the race course include the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, the National Gallery of Art, and the National Archives. INDYCAR officials describe the course as “challenging” and “picturesque.”

“This circuit is unlike any other street race we’ve seen,” said two‑time NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion and back‑to‑back Indianapolis 500 winner Josef Newgarden.

The Nashville native toured the circuit Monday morning in Washington, D.C.

Credit: INDYCAR

“You’ve got a high‑speed section down Pennsylvania Avenue that will reward commitment and precision, mixed with technical corners around 9th Street that will demand respect,” Newgarden said. “Racing through the heart of American history, with those amazing landmarks lining the course, is going to be incredibly powerful. I can’t wait to be back here to race and celebrate America’s birthday at the Freedom 250 Grand Prix.”

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, Washington D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, and Fox Sports CEO Eric Shanks were alongside Newgarden and other race organizers Monday to kick off the countdown to race day.

“Freedom doesn’t ring, it revs! The Freedom 250 Grand Prix will showcase American ingenuity in engineering and technology along the backdrop of our historic capital in a spectacle that will leave the world in awe,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy. “President Trump and our partners at INDYCAR are preparing a historic celebration worthy of America’s 250th anniversary. The design of this unique and competitive track will deliver an exhilarating and safe experience for millions of Americans to enjoy and celebrate.”

Race course construction for the Freedom 250 Grand Prix circuit starts later this year, with the roads near the U.S. Capitol and around the National Mall expected to remain open and accessible throughout the majority of the course creation.

This race will take place after another historical sporting event planned in Washington, D.C., as part of the year-long America 250 celebrations. The Freedom 250 Grand Prix will take place in August follwoing the UFC Freedom 250 scheduled for June 14 live from The White House lawn.

It’s a summer full of firsts. Unlike the UFC fight, the INDYCAR race is free and open to the public.

The engines will rev throughout Washington D.C., August 22-23.