IndyCar street race planned on Pennsylvania Avenue for August 22-23
President Donald Trump is sponsoring a 250-mile IndyCar event on Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, D.C., scheduled for Aug. 22-23, with private funding covering most of the road work and infrastructure.
Washington, D.C. – An IndyCar street race will take place on Pennsylvania Avenue on Aug. 22 and 23, covering 250 miles over 147 laps on a 1.66-mile circuit that includes seven turns and passes landmarks such as the Capitol, the Washington Monument and the Smithsonian’s Air & Space Museum. The event, promoted as the Freedom 250 Grand Prix, is part of a series of activities marking the United States’ 250th anniversary.
Series owner Roger Penske, who received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2019, led the effort to bring the race to the capital. Penske said his company is financing the majority of the project, including road improvements estimated at under $3 million and the construction of safety barriers and metal-detector checkpoints staffed by the Secret Service. The District of Columbia will handle limited repaving, and the federal Interior and Transportation departments are assisting with permitting and vendor approvals.
"President Trump is focused on saving our country — not garnering recognition," White House spokesman Davis Ingle said in a statement.
Mayor Muriel Bowser described the race as the first of potentially several Washington events, while Penske race chair Bud Denker cautioned that it may remain a one-off. Denker noted that more than 288,000 free tickets were requested through a lottery, exceeding the planned capacity of 130,000 spectators per day.
The race will feature cars capable of reaching speeds near 200 mph, with torque sufficient to dislodge manhole covers unless they are welded or fitted with silicone. Organizers are reinforcing over 200 manhole covers and installing 1,800 concrete walls weighing about 10,000 pounds each. A 90-minute pre-race program and military flyovers are also planned.
Veteran motorsport commentator Bob Varsha said the short circuit will likely produce a mix of high-speed sections and slower corners, noting that “it’s a huge idea and I hope it goes as well as it possibly can.”
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy referenced the historical precedent of a 1801 celebration on the President’s Park grounds, though historians note that contemporary accounts of that event do not mention auto racing.
The race will be postponed in case of lightning or excessive rain, and officials say safety measures are in place to protect both participants and spectators.