The Trump administration revealed on Monday the official racetrack course for the IndyCar event in Washington, D.C., this summer.
Cars will be speeding around the National Mall and iconic landmarks such as the U.S. Capitol during the 1.7-mile, seven-turn course in August. Event officials showcased an AI-generated video this week featuring a preview of the race, showing President Donald Trump waving the green flag, and cars roaring down stretches of the historic Pennsylvania and Independence avenues, as well as 3rd, 9th, and 7th Streets.
“I’ve been racing for 15 years professionally. I have never done anything like this,” two-time Indianapolis 500 winner and two-time IndyCar champion Josef Newgarden said during a press conference highlighting the new course.
“Freedom doesn’t ring, it revs,” added Bud Denker, chairman of the Freedom 250 Grand Prix of Washington, D.C., and president of Penske Corporation, which owns IndyCar. “Imagine these views that people are going to see.”
The race is being spearheaded by Freedom 250, the organization Trump set in motion to celebrate the United States’s 250th anniversary of independence this year. Officials expect around a million visitors at the August 22-23 race, and hope it will generate up to $200 million in revenue.
On Monday, Denker presided over the unveiling of an IndyCar show car that he said would be traveling around the district to promote the free race. District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, and Newgarden were among those who participated in the unveiling, delivering remarks hailing the August sports event as an opportunity to celebrate American innovation and rake in historic revenue for the city during a typically slow month.
Freedom doesn’t just ring – it revs
pic.twitter.com/yO8gi5JWM8
— Freedom 250 Grand Prix of Washington, D.C. (@Freedom250GP) March 9, 2026
“In August, sometimes it’s a little lower for restaurants and hotels. It’s a little bit slower. So when thousands of people are already getting their reservations for our hotel rooms for this Indy weekend … it means that more D.C. residents are working, more hotel workers are working, and more people can make the investments in their families that they so deserve,” Bowser said.
Burgum said the Trump administration has poured millions into beautifying the capital for the semiquincentennial celebrations.
“Just on fountains alone, we’ve got over $120 million that’s being spent this summer. If you’ve been a resident of the city or you’ve been a visitor, you’ve walked by dozens of fountains that haven’t worked for decades. These are all going to be ready to go by the Fourth of July,” he said. “We’re inviting all Americans to a capital city that we can all be proud of. It’s never been safer. It will never be more beautiful than it is right now.”
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Denker said in late January that officials believed they would have to call off the event due to technical and bureaucratic hurdles, but that the plan was revived under Duffy and Rep. Bernie Moreno’s (R-OH) leadership.
“January 21, this was on life support, and now here we are today to announce this is happening in 166 days,” Denker said. One hurdle was that the original racetrack proposed by Denker likely needed congressional signoff. Duffy said the team came up with another race-course track, allowing the idea to move forward.
“When we think about America’s 250 years, it’s really hard to think about anything that’s more American than cars. It’s been said. Americans have always we had love affair with their cars, and this has been the center of innovation in our in a major, major industry,” Burgum said. “So it’s a combination of both history and horsepower that’s going to be happening here.”