Trump unveils Freedom 250 Grand Prix in DC

Washington, July 14 (IANS) President Donald Trump on Monday announced the inaugural Freedom 250 Grand Prix, a two-day IndyCar street race through the heart of the US capital next month, calling it a signature event of America’s 250th anniversary celebrations and predicting it would become one of the biggest spectacles in motorsport.

Speaking at the White House alongside Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, motorsports icon Roger Penske and leading IndyCar drivers, Trump said the race would take place on August 22 and 23 along Pennsylvania Avenue and around the National Mall.

“As we count down to the Freedom 250 Grand Prix, this will be like no other race ever. I don’t think anything will ever top what we’re going to be having,” Trump said.

Calling it “one of the most unforgettable racing events the world has ever seen”, the President said spectators would witness cars “racing more than 190 miles and even higher than that down Pennsylvania Avenue.”

“It wasn’t exactly designed for that… It’s going to be a sight for the ages,” he said.

Trump said the event would mark “the first racing event of its kind in Washington, D.C. history”, adding that it was being organised as part of the nation’s celebration of “the 250th anniversary of American freedom.”

“The American people are invited to come watch this once-in-a-lifetime event,” he said, noting that admission would be free.

“We thought maybe we could make a fortune. No, it’s free, totally free, and it’s something they’re doing for the country.”

The President credited Penske and his team with pushing the proposal for years, saying they had held “more than 80 meetings in 90 days on Capitol Hill” before approaching him.

“When they came to see the President… in about 15 minutes it was done,” Trump said, adding that Pennsylvania Avenue offered “the exact track” organisers wanted.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the project became possible only after direct intervention by Trump.

“We hit a roadblock,” Duffy said. “I called Roger. I said, ‘Roger, you’ve got to call the President and tell him about this great idea.'”

“It was one phone call, and the President said, ‘Done. We’re going to celebrate America 250 with an IndyCar race for the first time in the US Capitol.'”

Duffy described the event as a natural extension of the year-long America 250 celebrations.

“America’s birthday doesn’t end on the Fourth of July,” he said. “Our birthday continues for the coming year.”

Roger Penske, chairman of Penske Corporation, said public interest had already exceeded expectations.

“Over 250,000 people signed up to come to this event, and we’ll be able to accommodate 100,000 each of the two days,” Penske said.

He said the race would showcase “the technology, the speed, the partnerships and the athletes that make such a difference.”

“We think about the Indy 500 as an iconic race, but this is going to move right up there next to it,” he added.

Bud Denker, president of Penske Corporation, said the revised plan to stage the race around the National Mall moved quickly after reaching the White House.

“Within 24 hours of this idea changing onto the city streets, we had an executive order in my inbox to review, and then four days later, I was in his office here to sign it,” Denker said.

He added that the winning driver would compete for “the only trophy that they’re ever going to possibly see here — and that’s the trophy to celebrate our country.”

The Freedom 250 Grand Prix forms part of the wider America 250 programme commemorating the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776. The year-long national celebration includes cultural events, military displays, educational programmes and sporting showcases across the United States.

Street races in city centres have become an increasingly popular format in international motorsport, with Formula One and IndyCar expanding into urban venues to attract wider audiences. The Washington event will mark the first time top-level IndyCar racing is staged through the ceremonial core of the US capital, making it one of the most distinctive races on the 2026 calendar.

–IANS

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