IndyCar race winner Kyle Kirkwood has described the significance of having President Donald Trump in attendance at the Freedom 250 Grand Prix, saying it was a big deal to have the president cheering him on.
The NTT IndyCar Series race took place on Sunday as part of the United States' 250th birthday celebrations. The event was held at the Washington Street Circuit, where the US President was joined by First Lady Melania Trump. Trump waved the green flag to begin the 147-lap race in the nation's capital.
Kirkwood's Victory and Trump's Cheers
Kirkwood, driving for Andretti Global, clinched his second IndyCar season win, finishing 3.09 seconds ahead of Christian Lundgaard after leading for 128 laps. Speaking after his victory, the 27-year-old opened up about the moment he saw Trump cheering him on.
He said: "It hasn't really settled in yet. I won the race, I get out of the car, I see President Trump sitting there cheering me on. As a proud American, that's a pretty big deal to have the president cheering you on. Nothing else like it, right?"
Florida Connection
Kirkwood, who was born and raised in Jupiter, Florida, also spoke of the connection he shares with the president via the Sunshine State. Trump's primary private residence has long been the Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach, Florida.
Kirkwood added: "I'm a fellow Florida guy. I grew up in Jupiter. It's cool to see him down here and right here in this race. What an incredible place to do it."
Freedom 250 Celebrations
IndyCar followed in the footsteps of the UFC by celebrating the 250th anniversary of the Signing of the Declaration of Independence. The MMA promotion held its own Freedom 250 event at the White House in June, where each of the seven fights took place on the South Lawn, coinciding with Trump's 80th birthday celebrations.
The event became the only one in UFC history where every fight ended by knockout. The main event between Ilia Topuria and Justin Gaethje saw Gaethje win in the fourth round, becoming the first American lightweight champion since Eddie Alvarez in 2016.
