Kyle Kirkwood won the IndyCar Freedom 250 race in Washington DC on Sunday, after President Donald Trump waved the green flag to start the event. The race was the capstone of Trump's celebration of the 250th anniversary of US independence, held on a 1.7-mile street circuit in the nation's capital.
Trump initially struggled to hold the green flag correctly, until his wife, Melania Trump, and Command Sgt Maj Matt Williams showed him how. He then waved it enthusiastically, and the race was under way.
Trump's takeover of Washington
Since returning to Washington, Trump has deployed the national guard, wrecked the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool, demolished the East Wing of the White House, and run the John F Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts into the ground. His face adorns the Department of Justice, and he has plans for a triumphal arch.
Washington was not built for a Trump rally on wheels, and had to make accommodations. More than 200 manhole covers were welded down around the course to prevent them from being sucked up by the cars. The National Gallery of Art studied how vibrations from the vehicles might affect its exhibits and shielded some outdoor sculptures.
Festivities and guests
The event had a distinctly Trumpian flavour, with guests including UFC impresario Dana White, Pete Hegseth, and Natalie Harp. Trump wore a dark blue suit, white shirt, and red tie, gave fist pumps, and shook hands with the drivers. The president gave a TV interview to Fox network, saying that Roger Penske, who owns the IndyCar series, had been trying to bring the race to DC for 20 years.
Trump climbed into his armoured limousine, the Beast, mounted with flags and flashing blue and red lights, and trundled a ceremonial lap of the track. The Qatari-gifted plane that Trump has used as Air Force One flew overhead, escorted by four fighter jets. Christopher Macchio performed The Star-Spangled Banner, and a trained bald eagle was released near the start line. Officials paused air traffic at Washington's Ronald Reagan National airport for three hours to accommodate the flyovers.
Race and aftermath
Interior secretary Doug Burgum bellowed, "Gentlemen, start your engines!" The drivers completed 147 laps covering roughly 250 miles (400km), and Kyle Kirkwood emerged as the American winner.
It was the latest chapter of a sporting summer in which Trump inserted himself into the UFC fights, the football World Cup final, and the Patriot Games. Republican speaker of the House of Representatives Mike Johnson told Fox News that he wants to bring the IndyCar Grand Prix back next year and make it an annual event.
