The Trump administration announced Monday that it plans to halt all flights at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport later this month to accommodate the landmark IndyCar race taking place in the city to mark the nation’s 250th birthday.
Travelers should prepare for delays on Aug. 23, when all flights at the airport will be paused between 10:15 a.m. and 1:15 p.m., according to the Federal Aviation Administration. The pause is aimed at supporting flyovers planned as part of the high-profile Freedom 250 race events being held on Aug. 22 and 23 and to ensure “safe and efficient movement of air traffic.”
The Grand Prix racecourse is being set up on iconic strips in the capital city. The 1.7-mile, seven-turn racecourse will circle the National Mall, with cars roaring past stretches featuring the Capitol and Pennsylvania and Independence avenues, according to organizers.
Over 280,000 free tickets for the race have already been claimed, according to Freedom 250 Grand Prix Chairman Bud Denker, who is president of Penske Corporation, the owner of IndyCar.
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Denker told Axios this week that President Donald Trump could be the one to wave the green flag to start the race. Trump spearheaded the creation of Freedom 250, the private-public partnership aimed at marking the semiquincentennial.
The race has required extraordinary preparation. It typically takes 2 1/2 years to stage a race through city streets, but Grand Prix organizers have had just seven months to ready the course. Denker said the weekend of racing required 1,300 pages of permits to abide by federal and district regulations.