(TNND) — An IndyCar race is coming to the nation’s capital this summer, and President Donald Trump will host top drivers Monday afternoon to preview the big event.
The Freedom 250 Grand Prix in Washington, D.C., will wind through the capital around the National Mall on Aug. 23.
Trump set the race in motion with a January executive order, which directed the White House Task Force on Celebrating America’s 250th Birthday to designate a race route through the capital.
“So, the president gave us all the directive, which I’m grateful for. We’re going to celebrate America’s 250th birthday, and he asked all of us to think outside the box. How do we make this historic and cool? And let’s all do this together,” Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said at the signing ceremony for the executive order this winter. “And he loves the country and loves the birthday. And so, we at DOT were working on this concept. … But to think 190 mph down Pennsylvania Avenue, this is going to be wild.”
Duffy said the last race in the capital was with horses, back in 1801.
FILE – President Donald Trump holds up a signed executive order alongside Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy, Roger Penske, Chair of the Penske Corporation, Bud Denker, President of Penske Corporation, and U.S. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, in the Oval Office of the White House on January 30, 2026, in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)
“President Trump has bestowed an incredible distinction upon our sport, and we’re grateful for his trust and support as INDYCAR prepares to honor our country with a tremendous racing spectacle,” said IndyCar owner Roger Penske in a news release. “This will be a truly memorable event that celebrates our country’s independence and the legacy of patriotism, innovation and excellence that powers motorsports across America.”
The Freedom 250 Grand Prix will be a street circuit event, broadcast live on Fox Sports.
IndyCar’s next race is this weekend in Tennessee.
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