Monaco, Las Vegas, Detroit, and Miami have boasted high-speed street races — and soon, Washington, DC will too.
Race cars will push speeds up to 180 miles per hour this weekend as the nation’s capital joins other iconic cities hosting street circuits, where public roads are converted into a speedway. In DC, the Freedom 250 Grand Prix is part of a belated celebration of the nation’s 250th anniversary and President Donald Trump’s continued efforts to transform Washington.
In a first-of-its-kind event for DC meant to cap off a summer of celebrations, more than 200,000 people are expected on the National Mall for the two-day IndyCar race.
The slender, angular four-wheel cars will zip past the US Capitol, make sharp turns around the National Archives, and pass the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum for a total of 147 laps (equal to a 250-mile race to honor the semi-quincentennial). The audio levels at an IndyCar race can reach about 135 decibels. By comparison, motorcycles reach about 88 decibels.
At the helm of the event is Bud Denker, president of the Penske Corporation, who overcame bureaucratic obstacles to map out a race across downtown Washington. The Grand Prix was fast-tracked in January when Trump signed an executive order titled “Celebrating American Greatness with American Motor Racing,” which bypassed congressional approval. Trump is expected to attend the Sunday Grand Prix, according to the White House.
