Trump to Take ‘Lap of Honor’ Ahead of First-Ever IndyCar Freedom 250 Through Washington
President Donald Trump will take an honorary lap around Washington, DC, on Sunday ahead of the inaugural IndyCar Freedom 250 Grand Prix, putting the presidential motorcade on the same street circuit that some of the world’s fastest race cars will tackle hours later.
Trump’s motorcade is scheduled to travel around the entire 1.66-mile course before the race begins. The circuit starts and finishes near the base of Capitol Hill and sends drivers through some of the most recognizable scenery in the nation’s capital.
The route travels toward the White House along the roadway traditionally used for presidential inaugural parades. It then curves around the National Archives, crosses the National Mall and loops around the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum and the National Museum of the American Indian before returning toward the finish line.
Trump’s presidential limousine, commonly known as “The Beast,” will be part of the ceremonial lap. The heavily armored presidential vehicle has previously appeared on race tracks during Trump’s visits to major NASCAR events.
The president memorably took a lap around Daytona International Speedway ahead of the Daytona 500 in 2020. The Beast returned to the track during NASCAR’s Great American Race last year, continuing Trump’s close relationship with American motorsports.
Trump will be joined by first lady Melania Trump in the viewing stands for Sunday’s race. The event is part of the administration’s broader celebration of America’s 250th birthday and follows a series of major sporting events hosted or attended by the president.
Festivities are scheduled to begin at approximately 11:30 a.m. with military flyovers and other pre-race events. The green flag for the Freedom 250 is expected shortly after 1 p.m. Eastern.
The Washington race was spearheaded by Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and represents the first professional motorsports competition ever held inside the nation’s capital. Organizers transformed streets surrounding the National Mall and Capitol Hill into a temporary IndyCar circuit.
The event moved forward despite initial resistance from congressional Democrats over commercial advertisements appearing on the race cars. The administration ultimately succeeded in getting the unprecedented event organized as part of the America 250 festivities.
Sunday’s race will also continue Trump’s effort to combine major sporting spectacles with the country’s semiquincentennial celebration. In June, Trump hosted a UFC event on the White House South Lawn, another unprecedented sporting event at one of Washington’s most famous locations.
Now the nation’s capital is preparing for something entirely different. Before IndyCars roar past Capitol Hill and across the National Mall, Trump will get the first ceremonial trip around the course, taking a presidential “lap of honor” through Washington ahead of the historic Freedom 250.