USDOT Preps for First-Ever IndyCar Race on D.C.'s National Mall, the Freedom 250
The race, ordered by Trump, will traverse Pennsylvania, Constitution and Independence avenues with hundreds of thousands of spectators...
machineryasia 
The U.S. Department of Transportation has an unusual task ahead of it: preparing the nation’s capital for its first-ever IndyCar race.
President Donald Trump and U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy announced the Freedom 250 Grand Prix will take place August 21-23. The U.S. Department of Transportation characterized the event in Washington, D.C., as highlighting “American ingenuity in engineering, technology and high-performance racing.”
A January executive order from Trump launched the event and directed the secretary of the interior and Duffy to “ensure that any roads, trails or bridges to be used as part of the race course are properly maintained and capable of being used in such a manner.”
Some preparations coming to D.C. could include removing existing asphalt and replacing it with racing surface, modifying curbs and repositioning lights, according to a report from WJLA. Additionally, heat and humidity concerns could impact worker safety as the track is assembled, and that track will need to be inspected and approved by IndyCar itself.
The race will take place near the National Mall, on a route designed by USDOT and DOI to showcase the capital and its key monuments. The agencies have also been instructed to fast track the required permits and approvals, and Duffy will use “available funds to help facilitate the presentation of the race.”
A memo from the Freedom 250 organization, signed by Duffy and Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum, listed Pennsylvania, Constitution and Independence avenues as sections of the race and predicted attendance in the hundreds of thousands.
The race will be administered by IndyCar, the Freedom 250 task force, U.S. Department of Transportation, U.S. Department of Interior, and the city. Attendance will be free to the public, and the event will be broadcast live by FOX.
