INDIANAPOLIS (Aug. 18, 2026) — The NTT INDYCAR SERIES heads to Washington, D.C., this weekend as part of America’s 250th celebration in an event coordinated and promoted by league owner Penske Entertainment along with President Donald J. Trump.
The Freedom 250 Grand Prix of Washington, D.C. is a free event to spectators that will showcase the fastest race cars in motorsports zooming past some of the most iconic monuments in the United States. All free tickets for the three-day weekend were quickly claimed by fans, evidence of the excitement surrounding this $35 million spectacle.
Staging of the Freedom 250 required approximately $3 million on upgrading and paving downtown D.C. streets to transform them into a 1.66-mile street course.
For Chip Ganassi, owner of Chip Ganassi Racing, the event is an opportunity to showcase IndyCar to a new audience on a stage equal to the Indianapolis 500.
“I think it’s certainly going to put us in front of a different audience, and in the nation’s capital, it’s a great opportunity for IndyCar,” Ganassi said. “There’s certainly going to be opportunities for the series to be spotlighted, we’ve already seen a little bit of it. I think the important thing is we’re showing with this event that we are not an old dog that you can’t teach new tricks. The series is leaning into some new ideas and new venues, and that’s what the series needs right now. That’s what all sports need.”
Aware of the political dynamics surrounding the event, Ganassi stressed the importance of remembering it is a sporting event meant to entertain fans and provide strong competition for the IndyCar Series.
“I hope it stays a sporting event and doesn’t become something politically charged. That’s not what IndyCar is about,” the team owner said. “I’m sure both Republicans and Democrats go to races, so let’s keep the politics out of it. It’s going to be a great race and a great venue and surely a feather in the cap of the people who put it together.”
