By Andrea Shalal
WASHINGTON, Jan 30 (Reuters) – President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Friday calling for an IndyCar race to roar through the streets of Washington in August as part of celebrations to mark the 250th birthday of the United States.
The Freedom 250 Grand Prix of Washington, D.C. would mark the first-ever IndyCar street race in the nation’s capital.
The event will be held near or on the National Mall, bringing open-wheel racing within sight of iconic Washington monuments and museums, and allowing free access for many.
“We’re celebrating greatness with American motor racing. It’s going to take place on August 21st to the 23rd, and it’s going to be so exciting,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office before signing the order. “And I love the race.”
The executive order represents an unusual presidential directive, mixing motorsports with patriotic celebration as the United States approaches its semiquincentennial in 2026.
Trump, an avid golfer, also plans to host an Ultimate Fighting Championship at the White House in July, and has been promoting the soccer World Cup being held in the United States, Canada and Mexico from June 11 to July 19.
Trump was joined at the Oval Office signing by Roger Penske, founder and CEO of Penske Corp, which owns the IndyCar Series and Indianapolis Motor Speedway, as well as officials from Fox Sports, which will be the media partner for the event.
“It’s going to be an economic benefit to the area, to the city,” Penske said, without providing details.
U.S. officials said the city last hosted a street race – involving horses – in 1801, when Thomas Jefferson was president.
“This is going to be wild,” Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said, adding that Trump had challenged his Cabinet to “think outside the box” to make the 250th anniversary celebration “historic and cool.”
Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said planning for the event had been under discussion for months, but was finalized this past week.
No details were provided about funding or logistical arrangements for threading race cars through the typically traffic-clogged streets of downtown Washington. Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser, a Democrat, supported the initiative, officials said, but was not present for the announcement.
The IndyCar series currently features street races in cities including Long Beach, California, and St. Petersburg, Florida, but has never attempted to navigate the complex security and traffic considerations of the federal district.
(Reporting by Andrea Shalal; Writing by Frank Pingue; Editing by Bill Berkrot)
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