President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Friday aimed at holding an IndyCar race in Washington.
“We’re going to be celebrating greatness with American motor racing,” Trump said during a signing in the Oval Office attended by Roger Penske, who owns IndyCar. “I think it’s going to set a record for racing.”
The order instructs the Interior and Transportation departments to work with District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser to develop the plan for the “grand prix” event. It is set to take place Aug. 21-23 on the National Mall in honor of the country’s 250th anniversary of independence. It will be free to the public, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said during remarks alongside Trump, in which he called the president “an athlete” and hailed the economic impact he said the race would have on the city.
“He loves sports,” Burgum said. “I mean, to any American who loves sports, you ought to love this president, because he’s bringing professional sports to our capital.”
“And again, Aug. 21 to 23, you talk about the economic impact. … There’s not going to be a hotel room available in this city on that weekend, because everybody’s going to want to be here, people that maybe have wanted to see an IndyCar race their whole life are now going to have an opportunity to come to their capital,” he added. “You put down your lawn chair and watch this race for free. You’re going to be staring at the Washington Monument, the Lincoln Memorial, the Jefferson Memorial.”
The idea began circulating last week, with the Transportation Department telling the Washington Examiner the race would “generate millions in critical tourism revenue.” It is being carried in conjunction with Freedom 250, the organization spearheaded by Trump to mark the semiquincentennial. The race could still need congressional sign-off due to restrictions on advertising on the Capitol grounds, though the Trump administration told NBC News the White House doesn’t believe permission will be necessary.
American speed. American power. American GREATNESS.
President Donald J. Trump just signed an Executive Order launching the FIRST-EVER IndyCar race through the streets of our Nation’s Capital: The Freedom 250 Grand Prix. pic.twitter.com/Q9gYqA00Vo
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) January 30, 2026
Burgum credited Trump for the idea on Friday, saying the president had worked with great speed to bring it to fruition. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy divulged that the president asked Cabinet members to “think outside the box” when it came to celebrating the semiquincentennial.
“To think 190 miles an hour down Pennsylvania Avenue, this is going to be wild,” Duffy told reporters at the White House. “The last time we had a race in the capital city was [Thomas Jefferson’s] horse race in 1801.”
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Penske thanked Trump for spearheading the race.
“There’s no better way for us to bring automotive and speed into the D.C. area, and to have the opportunity to be able to compete here than with our Indy cars,” Penske said. “As you know, we own the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. We are taking that history of over 100 years and the speed and what’s taking place there with the different manufacturers, and bringing it here to this race will be amazing.”
