IndyCar to run 147-lap Washington street race around National Mall
What's next: Donald Trump is set to take a ceremonial lap and wave the green flag as about 140,000 spectators a day are expected.
IndyCar is set to stage a 147-lap, 250-mile race through central Washington this weekend, sending cars at up to 185 mph past the US Capitol, Smithsonian museums and the National Mall. Practice, qualifying and an IROC event are scheduled for Saturday, with the Freedom 250 Grand Prix starting Sunday around 1:10 p.m. ET on 3rd Street near the Capitol. Organizers resurfaced parts of the route, erected barriers and fencing, and welded more than 200 manhole covers shut to keep them from lifting under the cars' force. The event, tied to US 250th anniversary celebrations, is expected to draw roughly 140,000 spectators each day and has triggered major road closures and some preservation concerns.