08/21/26 03:45:00
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08/21 15:44 CDT IndyCar drivers amazed at downtown DC course: 'It's stuff that
you dream of'
IndyCar drivers amazed at downtown DC course: 'It's stuff that you dream of'
By NOAH TRISTER
AP Sports Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) --- Even for well-traveled IndyCar drivers, a track with the
U.S. Capitol in the background is a little awe inspiring.
"We get to race at a lot of cool cities, but this one is by far the best that
we've ever had, and I can say that very truthfully," Kyle Kirkwood said Friday.
"Going by the Capitol building, the views here, all the architecture of all the
buildings around here, all the museums, it's stuff that you dream of.
"It's a serious honor and privilege."
This weekend's Freedom 250 Grand Prix is the second big sporting event staged
by President Donald Trump in Washington as part of the nation's 250th birthday
celebration. The first was a UFC fight card on the White House's South Lawn in
June.
IndyCar racing --- an open-wheel counterpart to NASCAR --- doesn't have quite
the same association with the right-wing "manosphere" or the MAGA movement, but
series owner Roger Penske received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from Trump
in 2019 and led the effort to put together this race in the District of
Columbia.
For the drivers, it's a welcome moment in the spotlight.
"What's been the coolest part of this week? Honestly, the media covering us,"
Kirkwood said. "It's cool to see IndyCar in this light. We don't get these
opportunities very often outside of the Indy 500, and to have an event that is
sought after as much as the 500 is something that's special."
Washington has little history with high-level motorsports. In 2002, the parking
lot at RFK Stadium on the city's east side was transformed into a course for an
American Le Mans Series event.
The Freedom 250 is downtown in one of D.C.'s prime tourist areas. If you're not
in a race car, it's not the greatest weekend to be driving around the area
given all the road closures, but if the weather holds up, the setting has the
potential to be spectacular.
"As a boy from the Netherlands that just got his green card, it is really
cool," said Rinus VeeKay, who has six top-10 finishes this season. "We didn't
get too much U.S. history in school ... but learning so much about it here,
seeing all the monuments and museums and just how every building kind of has a
special purpose here around the city, is very cool. Getting to see the White
House, this is stuff you see in movies."
The White House is not part of the D.C. course, although after Turn 1, the
track does include a lengthy straightaway along Pennsylvania Avenue, heading
northwest away from the Capitol. Then there's a sharp left turn between the
National Archives and the main Justice Department building, followed by a
couple quick 90-degree turns as the track navigates the city's grid system.
After a straightaway takes drivers across the National Mall, they turn left
onto Independence Avenue, passing the Smithsonian's National Air & Space
Museum. and the Eisenhower Memorial before heading north on 3rd Street to the
finish line, which is just west of the Capitol.
"I think it's more exciting when you actually get on the grounds and see what
you're about to do. I mean, when is this ever going to happen again?" said
Josef Newgarden, a driver for Team Penske. "I hope it's great visibility.
That's probably the biggest thing that it could bring to us --- is visibility
to people that aren't maybe as familiar with IndyCar racing."
IndyCar practice and qualifying are scheduled for Saturday, along with an IROC
race. The IndyCar race is Sunday and set for 250 miles (147 laps) --- the
second-longest street circuit race in IndyCar history.
The 1.7-mile track includes seven turns in all. The Air & Space Museum and
National Gallery of Art are both inside the course's perimeter, with a fan zone
between them. The track is shorter and has fewer turns than several others on
the IndyCar schedule, but it's not much different from the 1.6-mile, nine-turn
circuit used in downtown Detroit.
"It's short and snappy, but you know what? We don't know. We haven't driven on
it yet," driver Marcus Armstrong said. "We'll find out tomorrow. It might even
be wet tomorrow. There's a lot of crosswalks, a lot of paint on the track, so
that could be super slippery."
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