D.C. Grand Prix will race down Pennsylvania Avenue
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Illustration: Lindsey Bailey/Axios
The Freedom 250 Grand Prix in D.C. this August is expected to draw at least 200,000 spectators for a race through Pennsylvania Avenue and the National Mall.
Why it matters: An IndyCar race in the heart of Washington is unheard of, and President Trump and Mayor Muriel Bowser are all-in to fast-track the process and bring in tourists.
Driving the news: Monumental Sports & Entertainment — the Caps' and Wizards' owner — is partnering with IndyCar to promote the spectacle and throw a "week-like festival" surrounding the race dates of Aug. 21-23, Jim Van Stone, president of business operations at Monumental, tells Axios.
What they're saying: The race course will include a "really nice stretch along Pennsylvania Avenue, which is going to be tremendous," Van Stone says. Exact details will be revealed in the coming weeks, but expect it to be "picturesque."
- Admission is free.
- Monumental will sell corporate hospitality seats as well, Van Stone says, with views of the Washington Monument and Capitol.
- "The live in-person experience is going to be incredible," he adds.
The intrigue: Cities that have hosted Grand Prix races have hauled in tons of concrete and spectator fencing.
- In St. Petersburg, Florida, race cars go up to 180mph on its downtown waterfront track. Thousands of tires have been used to build a tire wall safety system.
Flashback: NIMBYs scuttled the last Grand Prix in D.C.
- In 2002, the RFK Stadium parking lots hosted a 1.7-mile track.
- Afterward, then-Mayor Anthony Williams got so much neighborhood blowback over the rip-roaring noise that the 10-year race contract was cut off.
The big picture: President Trump announced this year's race last Friday as part of America's 250th birthday celebrations.
- Trump directed the Interior and Transportation departments to stage a route that would showcase "the majesty of D.C. and its iconic national monuments."
- Bowser is eager for the event to fill hotels and restaurants — to "rev up the economic engine of D.C.," she told Axios last Friday.
- "Book hotel rooms early," advises Van Stone.
What's ahead: Fans are encouraged to sign up for updates at freedom250gp.com.