President Trump to Ride Around Grand Prix Track Before Sunday’s Race in DC, WH Confirms
The race will bring road closures, flyovers and a three-hour flight pause as Trump takes a ceremonial lap in The Beast.
- On Sunday, President Donald Trump will wave the green flag to launch the Freedom 250 Grand Prix in Washington and take "a lap of honor around the course in The Beast," a White House official confirmed.
- Freedom250GP Chairman Bud Denker is overseeing the event, with Secretary Sean Duffy set to wave the checkered flag at the finish. Denker said he is "looking forward to showcasing this event to the world."
- Indy race cars will reach speeds of 180 mph on Washington streets this weekend. First lady Melania Trump and family members will attend, along with planned military flyovers, a White House official said.
- Intermittent road closures will shut down the Arlington Memorial Bridge and areas near the Lincoln Memorial on Thursday. Federal authorities will pause flights at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport for three hours on Sunday.
- The president previously took ceremonial laps in The Beast at the Daytona 500 in 2020 and 2025. This weekend marks the first time IndyCar brings the Freedom 250 Grand Prix to the nation's capital.
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Exclusive | Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy hopeful IndyCar Freedom 250 Grand Prix will ‘bring America together’
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy is hoping the IndyCar Freedom 250 Grand Prix this weekend "brings America together" in a first-of-its-kind racing event that will showcase some of the sport's top drivers — and President Trump — lapping historic sites in the nation's capital.
What to Know About Trump’s 250 Grand Prix
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy; Interior Secretary Doug Burgum; Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser; and Monica Crowley, chief of protocol at the State Department, unveil the new Freedom 250 Grand Prix Indycar during a news conference on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., on March 9, 2026. —Matt McClain—Bloomberg/Getty ImagesA slice of the nation’s capital will be transformed into a race track over the weekend for President Donald Tru…
POTUS to take lap in ‘The Beast’ before Freedom 250 Grand Prix in Washington
Photo: Alamy President Donald Trump will take an honorary lap around the Freedom 250 Grand Prix course Sunday in Washington, D.C., adding a presidential appearance to one of the major events celebrating America's 250th anniversary. The president will ride in the armored presidential limousine known as "The Beast" around the 1.7-mile, seven-turn street circuit before
Trump to wave green flag at DC Grand Prix, take ‘lap of honor' in The Beast
File photo. President Trump rides in his limousine, known as The Beast, at the Daytona International Speedway trailed by todays NASCAR race cars during the Daytona 500 race on Feb. 16, 2020 in Daytona, Florida.
NBC Chicago
Trump to wave green flag at D.C. Grand Prix, take ‘lap of honor’ in The Beast
File photo. President Trump rides in his limousine, known as The Beast, at the Daytona International Speedway trailed by todays NASCAR race cars during the Daytona 500 race on Feb. 16, 2020 in Daytona, Florida.
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