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Trump administration officials pulled back the curtain on what the Freedom 250 Grand Prix will look like when the green flag flies for the Aug. 23 IndyCar race.
Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy, Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum, Ambassador Monica Crowley and Washington, DC Mayor Muriel Bowser unveiled the Freedom 250 car, which had the logos of the American celebration on it.
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Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy and Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum pose with racing helmets with their names on them during the unveiling of the Freedom 250 Grand Prix race track outside the U.S. Capitol, March 9, 2026. (Reuters/Evelyn Hockstein)
Officials noted that the event is free for fans to come and watch.
Duffy said he and Roger Penske had strategized to call President Donald Trump and pitch him the idea of a road race in Washington. He said it didn’t take much persuasion to have an All-American race in the nation’s capital to celebrate the America 250.
“This was a team effort,” Duffy said. “It’s Penske, it’s FOX, it’s the mayor, it’s Interior, it’s everybody else coming together not to make money, not to get your name out there, but to say, let’s celebrate America. Let’s celebrate America’s birthday.”
Officials also showed what the track would look like.
Secretary Sean Duffy speaks during the unveiling of the Freedom 250 Grand Prix race track in Washington, DC on March 9, 2026. (Reuters/Evelyn Hockstein)
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“A project of this magnitude must have vision from the top. We are here today because of President Trump’s executive order, which literally paved the way for this race to become a cornerstone of our national celebration,” said FOX Sports CEO Eric Shanks. “We want to thank the administration for recognizing that there is no better way to celebrate America 250 than by showcasing American speed and ingenuity than on the streets of our capital city.
“For everyone who’s going to be here, no matter what you look like, this will be the most distinctly American sporting event we’ve ever had.”
IndyCar drivers will tour the National Mall with the US Capitol as the backdrop for the event. The races will go down 3rd Street and turn down Pennsylvania Avenue to start.
The drivers will zoom past the National Archives, the National Gallery of Art, the Hirshhorn Museum and the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum before heading back to 3rd Street.
IndyCar drivers will tour the National Mall with the US Capitol as the backdrop for the event. (Reuters/Evelyn Hockstein)
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The IndyCar race is one of the major sporting events that will take place in DC to mark America’s birthday. The UFC announced the card for its White House event, which is scheduled for June.
