WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump drove the IndyCar’s Freedom 250 race track’s 1.7-mile lap Sunday in the Beast, the Cadillac limousine designated for the president, before the drivers took the road in Washington for the longest street race in IndyCar history.
“We’re going to make a little circle in a nice, secure car, slightly slower than the ones we’re going to witness, but we’re going to have fun,” Trump said on the Fox Sports broadcast.
The Beast drove roughly 50 miles per hour, according to the broadcast. IndyCar drivers will drive faster than 170 miles per hour during the race. Trump greeted seven of the Indianapolis 500 winners participating in the race before his lap: Alex Palou, Marcus Ericsson, Josef Newgarden, Felix Rosenqvist, Scott Dixon, Will Power and Alexander Rossi. It’s likely Trump’s lap wasn’t the smoothest ride, giving him an idea of what the 25 drivers will endure.
“The circuit, if you look at it from an overhead shot, it looks like a bunch of 90-degree corners. It’s not that,” Andretti’s Kyle Kirkwood said. “Once we actually got some laps, there’s some high-speed bits; Turns 6 and 7 are crazy high speed for a street course. (There are) low-speed, like Turn 2, and some mid-speed corners. It’s enjoyable to drive. It’s no doubt bumpy. Of course they did the best they could.”
Despite the bumps, the drivers are elated to race in the nation’s capital, with Newgarden likening Freedom 250 to the Indy 500. Trump said “it has taken a lot to make this happen” and said Penske president Roger Penske has been trying to get a race on the National Mall for 20 years.
“When he came to see Trump, it got done in about 15 minutes, and it turned out to be much bigger than we ever even thought possible,” Trump said.
The race has been anticipated since Trump signed an executive order in late January, giving IndyCar the green light to organize the motorsport race on the National Mall. Congress rejected the original track proposal since it was on Capitol grounds but Trump called the revised course “better” and “wonderful.” Trump hopes attendees and drivers have a “good time,” and wished the athletes “good luck” before the race. IndyCar hosted more than 250,000 fans across Saturday’s qualifying day and Sunday’s race.
“I don’t want to say sort of be safe because it’s sort of a negative thought, right?” Trump said, referencing the drivers. “They don’t want to be thinking about that because if they do, generally speaking, you’re not going to win when you start thinking that way. But they’re great.”
Trump hosted Rosenqvist, Palou and David Malukas along with Roger Penske and Penske president Bud Denker at the Freedom 250 Grand Prix Showcase in July.
“(Freedom 250) will be an awesome display of American patriotism and raw horsepower and ingenuity. You’re going to see cars at the level that they’ve never been at before, with cars racing more than 190 miles per hour and even higher than that down Pennsylvania Avenue,” Trump said during the showcase. “It wasn’t exactly designed for that, but what (secretary of transportation) Sean Duffy has done with these incredible, brilliant people is amazing. It’s going to be a sight for the ages. It will be something special. It’ll be one of the most unforgettable racing events the world has ever seen.”
Joshua Heron is an enterprise reporter. Follow him @HeronReports on X. Zion Brown is IndyStar’s motorsports reporter. Follow him at @z10nbr0wn. Get IndyStar’s motor sports coverage sent directly to your inbox with our Motor Sports newsletter. Subscribe to the YouTube channel IndyStar TV: IndyCar for a behind-the-scenes look at IndyCar and expert analysis.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: President Donald Trump takes lap at IndyCar’s Freedom 250
Reporting by Joshua Heron, Indianapolis Star / Indianapolis Star
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Joshua Heron, Indianapolis Star | USA TODAY Network
