D.C. prepares to host IndyCar street race as part of Trump's Freedom 250 celebrations

Will Weissert, Associated Press Will Weissert, Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — The speed limit along Pennsylvania Avenue is 25 mph. But the open-wheel race cars roaring through the longest straightaway of the upcoming Washington IndyCar race organized by President Donald Trump could be going nearly eight times that fast. "If we did that during the regular day, I think people would be put in jail, perhaps for the rest of their lives," Trump joked recently while hosting an IndyCar pit crew at the White House to hype the Freedom 250 Grand Prix. The race, scheduled for Aug. 22 and 23, features vehicles that typically reach street-course speeds approaching 200 mph and have enough torque to tear off manhole covers. It is the latest — and the fastest — of the major events Trump has hosted against the backdrop of America's 250th birthday, a larger celebration he has made as much about himself as possible.

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Scoop News DeskD.C · Published Thursday, August 6, 2026 at 5:41 PM UTCUpdated Thursday, August 6, 2026 at 5:46 PM UTC

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Hattem said Trump's events have put little focus on "addressing the specific history of the founding of the country or the 250th." White House spokesman Davis Ingle countered that Trump "is focused on saving our country — not garnering recognition." Trump is "ensuring that America gets the spectacular 250th birthday it deserves," Ingle said in a statement, adding that the series of events Trump has helped organize shows that "2026 is sparking a renewal of patriotism and national pride" under the president's leadership. Instead, Hattem said, accounts from 1801 focused on how Jefferson — the first president from the Democratic-Republican Party —.