Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy hopes the IndyCar Freedom 250 Grand Prix will deliver more than roaring engines and packed grandstands.
He believes the unprecedented Washington racing spectacle can give Americans a rare moment of unity around speed, competition, and national pride, as reported by The New York Post.
“The president loves sports,” Duffy told The Post during an interview Thursday on the 1.66 mile course. “He’s an enthusiast, as you saw with UFC, and now with this.”
“And I think if you look at the political divide in America, this is an event that brings America together,” Duffy added. “Cars and racing is freedom and American.”
The capital’s inaugural IndyCar event grew from an idea developed by Duffy, racing titan Roger Penske, and Penske Corporation president Bud Denker.
Their vision places elite drivers on a challenging course weaving through the historic heart of Washington.
The race will send cars through seven turns along the National Mall for 147 laps, covering 250 miles before reaching the finish line.
Drivers could hit speeds approaching 190 miles per hour while charging down Pennsylvania Avenue, giving Washington a welcome taste of gridlock caused by horsepower instead of politicians.
Preparing city streets for those speeds has required serious work, including fastening down most manhole covers.
Crews also smoothed rough portions of the pavement that could create problems for drivers moving nearly three times faster than ordinary highway traffic.
“They’ve had to take grinders out to take off some of the bumps,” Duffy explained.
“They’ve been grinding on the street where they feel like it’s just a little bit too much … to eliminate or alleviate as much as possible. But this is road racing, right? Road racing. You have manhole covers. And so it’s going to be a unique race.”
Organizers originally wanted a route circling the Capitol itself, but that proposal was not approved.
The course was moved slightly west, taking racers around the National Gallery of Art and the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum, with the start and finish line near the Capitol reflecting pool.
“We’re going to have to have our drivers pay close attention, and we have some really tight turns as we navigate this course,” Duffy said. “But it is the skill of the driver that’s going to win this Sunday.”
Duffy plans to greet the finishers personally while waving the checkered flag. The transportation secretary has also spent time behind the wheel, having filmed a road trip documentary with his family during the summer.
“It’s a great way to spend time with your family, to learn history and to see the beauty this country has to offer. And so I did it, with my family in hopes that more Americans will do the same,” he said.
As many as 140,000 spectators are expected to attend the race.
President Trump will take a ceremonial lap before the main event in his armored presidential vehicle, The Beast, providing a presidential motorcade with considerably more entertainment value than Washington usually manages.
“I think there will be some vehicles behind him as a rear escort with him around the track,” Duffy said. “Everyone who comes will be able to see the president and the beast before they actually see the race start.”
The main event is scheduled to begin Sunday at 1:10 p.m. Eastern Time, following practice and qualifying races Saturday.
Admission will be free for spectators lining the course’s outside perimeter, although luxury suites have reportedly commanded prices reaching $200,000.
“As we’ve come closer to the event, the calls I get are people who are now asking for tickets and a lot of the tickets are gone,” Duffy noted.
Penske and other corporate sponsors contributed donations to cover the event’s reported $35 million cost.
Duffy also expects the race to provide a major boost for Washington businesses during a month when many residents typically flee the capital’s heat and humidity.
Hotels and restaurants are preparing for a surge of visitors over the race weekend.
“A lot of people in the city will take a vacation in August. It’s hot. It’s muggy, as we can tell right now. It’s dead here,” Duffy said.
“And this city is going to be packed for the next three days. Hotels are going to be full, restaurants are full. It is going to be a great economic driver for Washington, DC.”
Trump authorized the race through an executive order signed in January as part of festivities marking the nation’s 250th birthday.
The Freedom 250 promises a distinctly American celebration, pairing historic landmarks, fierce competition, roaring engines, and a president who clearly understands the crowd.
