The NTT IndyCar Series is about to hold one of its biggest, most ambitious spectacles ever with the Freedom 250 Grand Prix.
If you’re an IndyCar fan, then you know how we got to the point where Pennsylvania Avenue has a pit lane and start-finish straight with a picturesque view of the U.S. Capitol.
But if you’re not, here’s a quick rundown.
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The Freedom 250 Grand Prix weekend has arrived and taken over the streets of Washington, DC. ((Photo by Finn Gomez/Getty Images))
It started with an executive order
Back in January, President Trump signed an executive order that directed multiple federal agencies to work with the Washington, D.C., mayor’s office to put together a circuit for an IndyCar race.
This idea was to make it part of the America 250 celebrations, although oddly enough, the 250-mile race distance wasn’t part of the event until just a few weeks before.
Also, when the executive order was signed and the event announcement was made, the IndyCar schedule had been out for quite some time and was only about a month from starting.
Of course, for a once-in-a-lifetime event like this, you make it work.
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Where is the track and how is it?
The circuit for the Freedom 250 Grand Prix uses streets around the National Mall and in front of the Capitol building, as well as a section of Pennsylvania Avenue.
That portion of Pennsylvania Avenue is also where the pit lane is located.
The layout is fairly simple with just seven corners, but don’t equate “simple” with easy.
It’s mostly 90-degree or almost-90-degree corners, but take a look at Turn 6. It doesn’t really come through on that map, but it’s a chicane and a pretty narrow one at that.
Take a look at an onboard from a Corvette hot lap.
The track also has what looks to be a tricky pit lane entrance that sneaks up on drivers immediately after Turn 1.
The IndyCar paddock for the weekend is taking over some closed-off public roads. (Elizabeth Frantz/Bloomberg)
Where is the paddock?
One of the things about an IndyCar race, or really any motorsport event, is that you need a lot of space for teams to park their haulers and prepare their cars.
So… where do you do that in the middle of Washington, DC?
The answer is pretty simple: teams are stationed along Constitution Ave. NW and 7th Street.
That means they can give their cars a quick tow and be on pit lane for all on-track sessions.
Is it only IndyCar racing?
While IndyCar’s direct feeder series, Indy NXT, did not make the trip to the Nation’s Capital, we will get two International Race of Champions, or IROC, races on Saturday.
The series ran from 1973 to 2006, and is now being revived for select events.
It pits drivers from different disciplines, all competing in the same machinery, which, in this case, are Pontiac Firebirds used in the original series from 1996 to 2006.
The field will include NASCAR greats Jeff Gordon, Bill Elliott, Bobby Labonte, Rusty Wallace and Kurt Busch, as well as IndyCar legends Tony Kanaan, Helio Castroneves and Dario Franchitti.
As many as 140,000 fans are expecting on each day of the two-day event. (Elizabeth Frantz/Bloomberg)
How do you get tickets?
While some premium tickets (and I mean premium) are still available, general tickets were free and were gone in minutes.
Race organizers are anticipating as many as 140,000 people on each day of the two-day event.
Where can I watch?
Saturday’s IndyCar practice and qualifying sessions will be on FS1 and FS2, as will Sunday morning’s warm-up session.
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Pre-race coverage begins at 11:30 a.m. ET on FOX, with the race slated to begin at 1 p.m. ET.