For a city known for its stifling summer heat and humidity, few people would call the nation’s capital in August “cool.” And yet this weekend, that very term frequently rolled off the lips of visitors to the National Mall.
The Freedom 250 Grand Prix — which appears to be the first time a sitting president attended an IndyCar race as President Donald Trump waved the green flag to start Sunday’s competition — was a melding of different worlds. The weekend’s juxtaposition of cultures brought visitors to the capital for a historic race, and brought IndyCar racing into the Northeast or Mid-Atlantic for the first time since 2019.
Visitors to the city discovered what residents realized long ago: Washington is gorgeous. Yes, taxes and government intrusion are too high, and the city government doesn’t always work well (a problem that could well get worse next year). But Pierre Charles L’Enfant came up with an amazing vision for a capital city, and planners and administrations of all stripes have nurtured his design over the decades, creating a tribute to democracy that guests from all nations can and should admire.
Washingtonians got to discover a form of motorsports that brings intense action to fans, including in urban environments. In a press availability on Friday, eventual race winner Kyle Kirkwood said that he “hope[d] that [fans] fall in love with IndyCar,” which he called the best racing in the world. The series has much to commend it: a quality racing product, easy access via network television, more affordable tickets than Formula One, along with accessible and approachable drivers, and a marquee event that, for this (slightly biased) observer’s money, is not just “the greatest spectacle in racing,” but in all of Sports.
As both a longtime Washingtonian and a longtime race fan, the weekend took on added meaning. While others celebrated racing in Washington, I celebrated racing in my home. The thrill of having my favorite sport within walking distance of my house was coupled with the way it made me see my hometown in a whole different light. On one level, I spent this weekend like many others, exploring museums and the National Mall — except this time, race cars were whizzing by at more than 170 miles per hour. Nothing had changed — and yet everything had changed.
And in many respects, that’s what this semiquincentennial summer is about — a chance to look at old things with new eyes and a fresh perspective. Our nation’s 250th birthday should give us an opportunity to celebrate, yes, but also to learn of our nation’s history, understand more deeply its founding principles, and recommit ourselves to the “new birth of freedom” Lincoln spoke of at Gettysburg. Hopefully those lessons will go far past and well beyond some cool cars screaming down the avenues of the nation’s capital.
Herewith, some of the sights from the Freedom 250 Grand Prix:
