Kyle Kirkwood gave the Freedom 250 an American winner, racing to his second victory of the IndyCar season on the streets of downtown Washington in a dominant performance. In a race set up as part of the country’s 250th birthday celebration, President Donald Trump gave drivers the green flag at the start and D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser served as grand marshal. Kirkwood crossed the finish line in front of the U.S. Capitol 3.09 seconds ahead of Christian Lundgaard. Kirkwood led for 128 of a possible 147 laps. Pole winner Alex Palou, who had a chance to clinch the series title, finished 20th.
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Washington was hosting an IndyCar race through its streets Sunday, with President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump kicking off the Freedom 250 Grand Prix by leading a slow lap in the presidential limousine through the course. Soon after, the president waved the green flag to start the race and drivers began whipping through downtown, including a stretch along Pennsylvania Avenue not too far from the White House.
IndyCar drivers can finally evaluate the track in downtown Washington after a day of practice and qualifying. The 1.7-mile street course was an unknown commodity. It was set up for the first time for this event celebrating the country’s 250th birthday. As these tracks go, it looks pretty simple with only seven turns, all but one to the left. But drivers reported significant bumps that could be a factor in Sunday's race. Alex Palou had the top practice lap of 56.6145 seconds in the second session, then topped qualifying later in the day.