IndyCar’s Freedom 250 brings 140,000 fans a day to D.C.
What's new: Organizers welded shut 200-plus manhole covers and closed streets around the National Mall for the 147-lap race.
IndyCar will race through the streets of Washington for the first time this weekend, with the Freedom 250 Grand Prix turning the National Mall into a 1.7-mile street circuit. The two-day event features practice and qualifying on Saturday and a 147-lap, 250-mile race Sunday starting near the U.S. Capitol. Organizers expect about 140,000 spectators each day and have distributed roughly 100,000 free tickets by lottery. Preparations included resurfacing roads, erecting barriers and fencing, building viewing stands and pedestrian bridges, and welding more than 200 manhole covers shut. The event, tied to the U.S. 250th anniversary, has also drawn concerns from preservationists about possible vibration damage to historic buildings.