President Donald Trump has announced that an IndyCar race will be held on the streets of Washington DC on 23 August as part of celebrations for America's 250th birthday. The announcement was made Friday alongside Roger Penske, owner of Indianapolis Motor Speedway and IndyCar, during an executive order signing ceremony in the Oval Office.
The race route will include the National Mall, with cars expected to reach speeds approaching 200mph. The executive order gives the Departments of Transportation and the Interior two weeks to designate a route that showcases the capital city. Trump said he urged organisers to pick the best site, even if it is logistically more complicated.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy described the event as 'wild', with cars travelling at 190 miles per hour down Pennsylvania Avenue. He confirmed the race would be free for the public, stating: 'Freedom, America. Speed. And road racing. It doesn't get more American than that.'
The event continues Trump's focus on sports during his second term, with most domestic travel centred around major games. He is also promoting a UFC fight on 14 June, his 80th birthday, on the White House grounds. However, Trump will not attend the Super Bowl on 8 February, citing the distance to Santa Clara, California.
Organisers noted that previous efforts to authorise a road race in Washington had been unsuccessful, with the last such event being a horse race in 1801 during Thomas Jefferson's administration. Trump remarked: 'Now we're going to do a real race.'
