WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump signed an executive order Friday aimed at launching an IndyCar race on the streets of the District of Columbia this summer during the celebration of America’s 250th birthday.
The order, first reported by NBC News before it was signed, instructs the Interior and Transportation departments, working “in coordination with the Mayor,” to design a race route near the National Mall that “will showcase the majesty of our great city as drivers navigate a track around our iconic national monuments.”
The departments are tasked with “expeditiously” securing the necessary permits and approvals, while Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy will be given the authority “to use available funds to facilitate the race,” the White House added.
It will be called the “America250 Grand Prix." IndyCar said it is on board to host the race on the weekend of Aug. 21-23, and will administer it in coordination with the Trump administration and Mayor Muriel Bowser’s office.
“President Trump has bestowed an incredible distinction upon our sport and we’re grateful for his trust and support as INDYCAR prepares to honor our country with a tremendous racing spectacle,” IndyCar owner Roger Penske said in a Friday statement first reported by NBC News. “This will be a truly memorable event that celebrates our country’s independence and the legacy of patriotism, innovation and excellence that powers motorsports across America.”
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said she’s “thrilled to welcome the Freedom 250 to the Nation’s Capital this August.”
“The race weekend will rev up the economic engine of D.C. by filling our hotels and restaurants and by showing visitors, residents and the sports world that there’s no better city, people and backdrop for major sports events,” Bowser said in a statement. “I invite all sports fans to come enjoy the Freedom 250 and all that Washington, D.C., has to offer.”
Duffy, as well as Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and Fox Sports CEO Eric Shanks, whose network airs IndyCar races, also weighed in with statements praising the anticipated event.
“Freedom doesn’t ring, it revs! IndyCar is about competition and pushing limits — the same things that have always defined America,” said Duffy, whose office expressed interest last week in holding the race.
Apart from the logistical challenges of establishing a street race in just a matter of months, there may be other hurdles. The project could require congressional approval, given that advertising is banned on Capitol grounds and IndyCar is decked out with ads.
A White House official said the administration doesn’t believe it will need approval from Congress and is “working on various solutions for advertisement hurdles primarily through” the Department of Transportation.
A spokesperson for Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton, who represents Washington, D.C., in the House, said last week that she would “defer to the mayor” on the IndyCar race and will “work to make it happen” if Bowser wants it to happen.
Norton “sees her job as clearing the way on the federal level for D.C. to get what it wants,” the spokesperson added.
Last week, a Transportation Department spokesperson said an IndyCar race in Washington would “generate millions in critical tourism revenue for the Capital,” while adding: “We’ll keep working with our partners in Congress to outline the positive impacts it will have on the District.”
Duffy will also be asked to coordinate with the Federal Aviation Administration "to permit unmanned aircraft systems and aerial photography to enhance public enjoyment without compromising" nearby government facilities, the White House fact sheet added.
