On Sunday, a historic motorsports milestone unfolded in the heart of the U.S. capital, as former U.S. President Donald Trump took center stage for the first-ever street-running IndyCar race in Washington D.C., the Freedom 250 Grand Prix, a centerpiece event marking the 250th anniversary of American independence.
The race, established by executive order during the Trump administration to mark the nation’s birthday celebration, stretched 147 laps around a 1.7-mile temporary circuit winding past some of the nation’s most iconic landmarks, including the U.S. Capitol, the Washington Monument, and the National Archives, home to the original Declaration of Independence. Open-wheel IndyCar vehicles reached top speeds of nearly 185 miles per hour as they roared through the downtown circuit, creating a one-of-a-kind spectacle for spectators.
Before the green flag dropped, Trump completed a slow ceremonial parade lap around the track in his iconic armored presidential limousine, nicknamed “The Beast”, alongside First Lady Melania Trump. Following the parade lap, the president greeted all 25 competing drivers, including seven winners of the Indianapolis 500, and 89-year-old series owner Roger Penske, who revealed that organizers had been working to bring an IndyCar race to Washington for more than two decades before Trump’s administration moved the project forward.
Trump then took his place at the start-finish line in front of the U.S. Capitol to wave the green flag and officially launch the 250-mile contest. Pre-race festivities also featured ceremonial flyovers by a stealth bomber and the presidential aircraft Air Force One, with temporary air traffic suspensions in place at nearby Reagan National Airport to accommodate the event.
After two hours, 40 minutes, and 42.9548 seconds of competitive racing, American driver Kyle Kirkwood crossed the finish line to claim victory, his seventh career IndyCar win, beating Denmark’s Christian Lundgaard by a margin of 3.09 seconds. Australian driver Will Power secured third place. A late restart nearly derailed Kirkwood’s lead when New Zealand driver Scott McLaughlin crashed attempting an overtake, but Kirkwood avoided incident and held the top spot through to the end.
An emotional Kirkwood called the win a career-defining moment, saying “You can’t even put it into words. This is incredible. I’m almost in tears. This is a big moment for us. A big moment for America.” He added that the win would be a memory he would cherish for life, calling it a “dream come true.”
Third-place finisher Power described the experience of meeting the president and racing in the nation’s capital as surreal. “Shaking President Trump’s hand, it was pretty crazy,” he said. “For me from a small town in Australia to be talking to an American President is surreal… then getting behind the wheel and racing.” After the finish, he noted that Trump remained in attendance watching the final laps, a sign of the race’s engaging energy.
Racing legend Mario Andretti, 86, whose 1969 Indy 500-winning car is housed in the Smithsonian Institution’s national museum, called the event “really amazing”, echoing praise from other attendees. Penske, who led the event’s organization, noted that Trump has long been a fan of motorsports, and the race was conceived as a fitting addition to the nation’s semiquincentennial celebrations. “This is an iconic race,” Penske said.
Organizers confirmed that the $35 million production cost was largely covered by IndyCar and Penske Racing, with a total turnout of 215,000 attendees across two days of events. The race marks another high-profile addition to Trump’s lineup of 250th anniversary events, which also included hosting an Ultimate Fighting Championship bout on the White House South Lawn in June. Trump has also proposed major new capital construction projects in Washington, including an expansion of the White House event space and a new national triumphal arch.
Discussions are already underway to bring the race back to Washington in coming years. Bud Denker, president of Penske and chairman of the Freedom 250, revealed that Trump has expressed a desire to host the race for five additional years, and First Lady Melania Trump has already confirmed her expectations for a 2026 running. “Melania on the way out said, ‘We look forward to seeing you next year,’” Denker said. “The pressure is on. The First Lady is involved.”
Key infrastructure for the race, including track barriers, has already been stored locally near the circuit, meaning the bulk of the capital investment is already complete. Still, Denker noted that organizers will need to secure comparable revenue to this year’s event to make a return feasible, with a final decision expected in the coming weeks after organizational meetings next week.