Freedom 250 Grand Prix
IndyCar race held in Washington, D.C.
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The Freedom 250 Grand Prix of Washington D.C. is an NTT IndyCar Series motor race held on August 23, 2026, at the 1.7 mi (2.7 km) Washington Street Circuit in Washington, D.C. It was the fifteenth round of the 2026 NTT IndyCar Series.[1] The race will consist of 147 laps, extended from the originally scheduled 125 laps.
1.700 mi / 2.736 km
| Race details | |||
|---|---|---|---|
15th round of the 2026 IndyCar season
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Layout of the circuit | |||
| Date | August 23, 2026 | ||
| Official name | Freedom 250 Grand Prix of Washington, D.C. | ||
| Location | Washington Street Circuit, Washington, D.C. | ||
| Course | Temporary street circuit 1.700 mi / 2.736 km | ||
| Distance | 147[N 1] laps 250 mi / 402.336 km | ||
| Pole position | |||
| Driver |  Álex Palou (Chip Ganassi Racing) | ||
| Time | 56.8993 | ||
| Driver |  | ||
| Podium | |||
| First | | ||
| Second | | ||
| Third | | ||
Background
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The original 2026 NTT IndyCar Series schedule was released on September 16, 2025, with no races in Washington, D.C.[2] Rumors circulated that President Donald Trump wanted to host a race to celebrate the United States Semiquincentennial. The race was officially announced on January 30, 2026, with President Trump signing an executive order authorizing the race.[3][4] The order instructed the secretary of the interior and the secretary of transportation to design the course layout within 14 days and to "ensure that all permits, approvals, and other authorizations ... are issued and granted as expeditiously as possible". The executive order also instructed the two Secretaries, in coordination with Washington, D.C. mayor Muriel Bowser, to "ensure that any roads, trails, or bridges to be used as part of the race course are properly maintained and capable of being used in such a manner".[5] The street circuit will be composed around the National Mall.[6][7] It is the second race hosted in Washington, D.C. since America's 25th birthday (the other was the 2002 Grand Prix of Washington D.C.) on July 4, 1801, when festivities including horseback riding and cockfighting were celebrated. President Thomas Jefferson and the Washington Jockey Club "established a racecourse just blocks from the White House, with part of the course running across Pennsylvania Avenue and through what is now Lafayette Park" according to the White House Historical Association.[8]
Partnership and promotion
In February 2026, IndyCar announced a partnership with Monumental Sports & Entertainment to support the promotion and commercial development of the race.[9] Under the agreement, Monumental was appointed as the event’s official agency for marketing, sponsorship sales, and corporate hospitality. Its role includes securing commercial partners and coordinating hospitality activities associated with the race weekend. IndyCar stated that the collaboration was intended to draw on Monumental’s experience in hosting large-scale sporting and entertainment events in the Washington metropolitan area.[10] In May 2026, IndyCar launched, then deleted an officially licensed T-shirt with the phrase "ONE NATION ONE RACE" around a depiction of the Lincoln memorial with Lincoln replaced by an IndyCar driver in a fire suit. [11] In an email to The Athletic, IndyCar said: “A shirt was removed from IndyCar’s online store following feedback from customers. We understand that some individuals found its phrasing concerning and therefore have remedied the situation.” [12] Reuters summarized the internet backlash as "fans objected to language they said could be interpreted as white-supremacist" [13]
Freedom 250 Grand Prix showcase
On July 13, President Donald Trump invited drivers (David Malukas, Álex Palou and Felix Rosenqvist) and personnel (including Roger Penske) to the White House for the Freedom 250 Grand Prix showcase. Malukas and his Team Penske crew performed a pit stop demonstration in front of the West Wing.
Entry list
The entry list includes the 25 chartered, full-time IndyCar Series entries.[14] There will be no part-time or "one-off" entries.[15] All entries will utilize a spec Dallara DW12 chassis with the UAK-18 universal aero kit and the 2020-adopted aeroscreen. Honda (HRC US) and Chevrolet (Ilmor) are the engine providers. Firestone is the exclusive tire supplier. This is the third season of hybrid energy recovery system powertrains in IndyCar.[16]
Going into the race, Álex Palou leads the 2026 IndyCar Series points championship, with a commanding 133-point lead over Kyle Kirkwood. Palou is seeking his fourth-consecutive IndyCar Series championship, and fifth overall. Palou leads the drivers this season with six victories and six pole positions. Josef Newgarden and Christian Lundgaard have two wins apiece. Kyle Kirkwood, Pato O'Ward, Marcus Ericsson, and Indy 500 winner Felix Rosenqvist each have one win.
- R IndyCar Series rookie
Practice and qualifying
Practice 1
The first practice session was held Saturday August 22, beginning at 9:00 a.m. ET. The session was divided into three groups. Due to overnight rain, the first session was declared "wet", with cars utilizing rain tires. Christian Lundgaard, Will Power, and Christian Rasmussen, all made light clipping contact with walls, but no major incidents were reported. About 25 minutes into the session, the track surface had dried sufficiently, and competitors switched to slick tires.[17]
| Pos | No. | Driver | Team | Engine | Lap Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 27 |  Kyle Kirkwood |
Andretti Global with Curb-Agajanian | Honda | 57.3744 |
| 2 | 10 | Álex Palou |
Chip Ganassi Racing | Honda | 57.6123 |
| 3 | 19 |  Dennis Hauger R |
Dale Coyne Racing | Honda | 57.7381 |
| OFFICIAL REPORT | |||||
Practice 2
The second and final practice session was held Saturday August 22, 2026 at 1:00 p.m. ET. Álex Palou posted the fastest lap of the day, with an unofficial track record of 56.6145 seconds. Graham Rahal and Louis Foster, both of Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, suffered damage after hitting bumps approaching turn 6, and subsequently making contact with the concrete wall. No injuries were reported.[18]
| Pos | No. | Driver | Team | Engine | Lap Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 10 | Álex Palou |
Chip Ganassi Racing | Honda | 56.6145 |
| 2 | 27 | Kyle Kirkwood |
Andretti Global with Curb-Agajanian | Honda | 56.6911 |
| 3 | 9 |  Scott Dixon |
Chip Ganassi Racing | Honda | 56.8180 |
| OFFICIAL REPORT | |||||
Qualifying
The qualifying session was held on Saturday August 22at 5:00 p.m. ET. Álex Palou won his seventh pole position of the season.
Warmup
The warmup session was held Sunday August 23, at 9:15 a.m. ET. Overnight, track crews attempted to grind down bumps along the straightaway leading into turn six. All 25 cars took laps, with Josef Newgarden setting the fastest lap. No incidents were reported.
| Pos | No. | Driver | Team | Engine | Lap Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | Josef Newgarden |
Team Penske | Chevrolet | 57.6076 |
| 2 | 10 | Álex Palou |
Chip Ganassi Racing | Honda | 57.6858 |
| 3 | 12 | David Malukas |
Team Penske | Chevrolet | 57.8364 |
| OFFICIAL REPORT | |||||
Race
The race will be held on Sunday, August 23, 2026, at 1:00 PM ET.
| Pos | No. | Driver | Team | Engine | Laps | Time/Retired | Pit Stops |
Grid | Laps Led |
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Broadcasting
Television
The race will be televised live on Fox in the second year of a multi-year contract with the series. Practice and qualifying will air on FS1 and FS2. Will Buxton will serve as lead commentator with driver analysts James Hinchcliffe and Townsend Bell.[19] Pre-race host Chris Myers and analyst Danica Patrick return to the crew after serving in those roles at the Indianapolis 500. They will joined by Fox newcomer Hélio Castroneves.[20]
| Fox | ||
|---|---|---|
| Booth announcers | Pre/Post-race | Pit reporters |
| Announcer: Will Buxton Color: Townsend Bell Color: James Hinchcliffe |
Host: Chris Myers Analyst: Helio Castroneves Analyst: Danica Patrick Features: Tom Rinaldi |
Kevin Lee Georgia Henneberry Jack Harvey Jamie Little |
Radio
The race will be broadcast by INDYCAR Radio. The chief announcer is Mark Jaynes in his eleventh year as chief announcer, and 31st year overall with the network. The broadcast will be carried on 32 terrestrial radio affiliates in the United States, along with SiriusXM and online streaming.[21]
| IMS Radio Network | ||
|---|---|---|
| Booth Announcers | Turn Reporter | Pit/garage reporters |
| Chief Announcer: Mark Jaynes Driver analyst: Davey Hamilton |
Jake Query | Alex Wollf Jonathan Grace |
Notes
- The race was originally scheduled to be 125 laps (212.5 mi, 341.986 km), before being extended to 147 laps (250 mi, 402.336 km)
