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Final preparations are underway in Washington, D.C., on Aug. 20, 2026, ahead of the inaugural Freedom 250 Grand Prix, a two-day NTT INDYCAR SERIES event scheduled for Aug. 22-23.
It will mark the first time an auto race has been held on the streets of the U.S. capital.
The race will take place on a temporary 1.7-mile (2.74 kilometers), seven-turn street circuit built around the National Mall, taking drivers past landmarks including the Washington Monument, the U.S. Capitol and the National Archives.
The event was established by executive order in January 2026, directing the U.S. Department of Transportation and the U.S. Department of the Interior to designate a race route through the National Mall and surrounding city streets as part of the commemorations marking the 250th anniversary of the United States.
The field for the main event will include NTT INDYCAR SERIES champions such as Scott Dixon, Will Power, Josef Newgarden and Alex Palou, alongside Indianapolis 500 winners Alexander Rossi, Marcus Ericsson and 2026 champion Felix Rosenqvist.
The Saturday program will also include an International Race of Champions event presented by Chevrolet, featuring motorsports veterans such as Jeff Gordon, Kurt Busch, Bobby Labonte, Rusty Wallace, Bill Elliott, Tony Kanaan, Helio Castroneves and Dario Franchitti competing on the same street circuit.
The main Freedom 250 Grand Prix race is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. local time (5 p.m. GMT) on Sunday, and will be broadcast live nationally on FOX, with additional radio coverage provided by the INDYCAR Radio Network and SiriusXM.
General admission to the event is free, with organizers setting up a public fan activation area on the National Mall between 12th Street and 7th Street that will include food and beverage concessions, large video screens and a Main Stage offering music and entertainment.
Organizers have said the race will be shown to viewers in more than 200 countries and territories as part of the 2026 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season, positioning the Freedom 250 Grand Prix as a global showcase for both American motorsports and the nation's 250th anniversary celebrations.
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