IndyCar race scheduled on Washington streets as preservation groups voice concerns
A 250-mile IndyCar event will take place on streets surrounding the National Mall this weekend, drawing up to 140,000 spectators, while historic-preservation advocates warn of potential damage to nearby monuments.
Washington, D.C. will host a 250-mile IndyCar race on a 1.66-mile street circuit that loops around the National Mall, with the main straightaways on Pennsylvania and Independence Avenues. The event, called the Freedom 250 Grand Prix, is slated for Saturday practice and qualifying sessions followed by the main race on Sunday at 1:10 p.m. ET, and will be broadcast live on Fox.
Organizers have installed concrete barriers, fencing, spectator risers and bridges, and have resurfaced the course while welding more than 200 manhole covers to prevent debris. About 100,000 free tickets will be distributed through a lottery, and officials expect roughly 140,000 attendees each day.
President Donald Trump, who signed an executive order authorizing the race, said the event will “showcase the majesty of our capital city in celebration of the 250th anniversary of America’s independence.”
Historic-preservation groups have raised objections, citing the risk that vibrations and high-decibel noise could damage frescoes in the Wilbur J. Cohen Building, a New Deal-era structure near one of the circuit’s turns. Mary Okin, assistant director of the Living New Deal, wrote to the General Services Administration expressing concern over “vibratory impacts likely with sound waves in excess of 130 dB” and the possibility of debris from a crash.
The GSA responded that it will conduct a post-race damage assessment, while a GSA spokesperson said the agency “identified no areas of concern” after reviewing the course. The National Parks Service, which issued the permits, declined comment. A Freedom 250 Grand Prix spokesperson noted IndyCar’s long history of street races and said the organization does not anticipate any impact on surrounding structures.
Museums along the route, including the National Archives and the National Gallery of Art, have performed vibration studies and implemented precautionary measures, according to gallery spokesperson Chris Abanavas.