IndyCar's Freedom 250 brings 147-lap street race to Washington
What's new: Organizers expect about 140,000 spectators a day and have shut major roads after welding down 200-plus manhole covers.
Washington is hosting its first IndyCar race this weekend as the Freedom 250 Grand Prix turns streets around the National Mall into a 1.7-mile temporary circuit. The two-day event features practice and qualifying on Saturday, followed by Sunday's 147-lap, 250-mile race starting near the U.S. Capitol at about 1:10 p.m. ET. Organizers expect roughly 140,000 spectators each day, with many tickets distributed through a lottery. Crews resurfaced parts of the route, installed barriers and fencing, and welded more than 200 manhole covers to keep them from lifting under the cars' force. The course runs past the Capitol, the Washington Monument and several Smithsonian museums, while some preservation advocates have raised concerns about possible vibration damage to nearby historic buildings.