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President Donald Trump on Monday ended the debate over whether race drivers are athletes as his administration showcased the power of IndyCar vehicles ahead of the Freedom 250 Grand Prix of Washington, DC, next month.
Trump attended the Freedom 250 Grand Prix showcase at the White House with IndyCar star Álex Palou, race team owner Roger Penske and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy.
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President Donald Trump reacts after receiving a helmet on West Executive Drive at the White House during a preview of the upcoming Freedom 250 Grand Prix auto race, Monday, July 13, 2026, in Washington. Alex Brandon/AP (Alex Brandon/AP)
“Next month these are exceptional sportsman drivers, athletes, they are amazing athletes,” Trump said. “Nothing, nobody can do. They’re born with something special. They’re born with the ability to push that pedal all the way to the ground. Most people can’t do that. Very few people can.
“These are beautiful cars. They are going to make freedom roar. This is going to be a freedom that roars like never before.”
The showcase also featured a live pit stop.
The Freedom 250 Grand Prix of Washington, DC will take place on August 22nd and 23rd. The track layout features a 1.66-mile drive and seven turns.
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Alex Palou, the reigning IndyCar champion, gives President Donald Trump a helmet on West Executive Drive at the White House during a showcase for the upcoming Freedom 250 Grand Prix auto race, Monday, July 13, 2026, in Washington. (Alex Brandon/AP)
Trump’s statement comes amid a hotly contested debate in the racing world over whether professional racing drivers are actually athletes.
ESPN star Stephen A. Smith waded into the territory in April when a caller on his radio show suggested that Richard Petty was one of the greatest athletes of all time. He said that driving does not “count” as an athlete.
NASCAR greats Jeff Gordon and Kyle Larson pushed back on Smith’s insinuations in an interview with Pakinomist Digital in May before the Indy 500.
President Donald Trump speaks with Alex Palou, Bud Denker, David Malukas and Roger Penske on West Executive Drive at the White House during a showcase for the upcoming Freedom 250 Grand Prix auto race, Monday, July 13, 2026, in Washington. (Alex Brandon/AP)
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Larson, the reigning NASCAR Cup Series champion, challenged Smith, or anyone for that matter, to go one lap in a race car “without feeling like they were going to die.”
