Start your engines: IndyCar is taking over the streets of Washington this weekend, with drivers racing past some of the country’s most famous landmarks at high speeds.
It’s called the Freedom 250 Grand Prix, part of the celebration of America’s 250th birthday.
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Details on the race
The course winds through seven turns along the National Mall, covering 147 laps and 250 miles, making this the first-ever IndyCar race in Washington, D.C.
It’s expected to take about three hours to complete and will air live on Fox. And get this: drivers will fly up Pennsylvania Avenue at speeds approaching 190 miles per hour.
Practice and qualifying are Saturday, with the main event Sunday afternoon, starting near the Capitol Reflecting Pool.
Organizers expect about 140,000 people to line the streets for Sunday’s race — which also involves numerous street closures around D.C.
President Donald Trump will also be there, taking a ceremonial ride ahead of the main event.
The event is costing about $35 million. Roger Penske, the Penske Corporation, and corporate sponsors are helping foot the bill.
America is split on how they feel about the race
Before the engines even start, people in Washington are already split over whether this is a great way to celebrate America’s birthday.
“I personally don’t think it’s a good idea,” said Karen Jarussi, a tourist from Montana. “I think it’s a waste of taxpayer dollars at a time when we aren’t adequately funding education and healthcare and so many other things. And I think it’s kind of a tacky way to celebrate our country’s history and our 250th anniversary. There are many more ways to do that in a more patriotic, celebratory way.”
Meanwhile, D.C. resident Colton Snedecor thinks it’s a “once-in-a-lifetime thing.”
“For us to complain about traffic for a couple of days, to be able to have a full-blown racetrack right in the heart of the city that we all live and love, it’s going to be really exciting, and I can’t wait to see it,” Snedecor said. “But yeah, I think it’s going to be a really cool celebration.”
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy says he hopes the event “brings America together.”
“The president loves sports. He’s an enthusiast, as you saw with UFC, and now with this,” Duffy told The New York Post on Thursday. “And I think if you look at the political divide in America, this is an event that brings America together. Cars and racing is freedom and American.”
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