Freedom 250 Grand Prix
| Race details | ||
|---|---|---|
15th round of the 2026 IndyCar season
| ||
Layout of the circuit | ||
| Date | August 23, 2026 | |
| Official name | Freedom 250 Grand Prix | |
| Location | Washington, D.C. | |
| Course | Temporary street circuit 1.7 mi / 2.736 km | |
| Driver | ||
| Driver | ||
| Podium | ||
| First | ||
| Second | ||
| Third | ||
The Freedom 250 Grand Prix of Washington, D.C. will be the fifteenth round of the 2026 IndyCar Series. The race will be held on August 23, 2026, in Washington, D.C. on a temporary street circuit.[1]
Background
The original 2026 IndyCar Series schedule was released on September 16, 2025,[2] without a race in Washington, D.C. Rumors began that President Donald Trump wanted to host a race to celebrate America's 250th Birthday. The race was officially announced on January 30, 2026, with President Trump signing an executive order authorizing the race.[3][4] The order instructed the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Transportation to design the course layout within 14 days and to "ensure that all permits, approvals, and other authorizations ... are issued and granted as expeditiously as possible." The executive order also instructed the two Secretaries, in coordination with Washington, D.C. mayor Muriel Bowser, to "ensure that any roads, trails, or bridges to be used as part of the race course are properly maintained and capable of being used in such a manner."[5] The race will be held around the National Mall.[6][7]
Partnership and promotion
In February 2026, IndyCar announced a partnership with Monumental Sports & Entertainment to support the promotion and commercial development of the race.[8] Under the agreement, Monumental was appointed as the event’s official agency for marketing, sponsorship sales, and corporate hospitality. Its role includes securing commercial partners and coordinating hospitality activities associated with the race weekend. IndyCar stated that the collaboration was intended to draw on Monumental’s experience in hosting large-scale sporting and entertainment events in the Washington metropolitan area.[9]
Entry list
| Key | Meaning |
|---|---|
| R | Rookie |
Practice
Practice 1
The first practice session will be held on TBD.
| Pos | No. | Driver | Team | Engine | Lap Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | |||||
| 2 | |||||
| 3 | |||||
| [ Practice 1 results] | |||||
Practice 2
The second practice session will be held on TBD.
| Pos | No. | Driver | Team | Engine | Lap Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | |||||
| 2 | |||||
| 3 | |||||
| [ Practice 2 results] | |||||
Qualifying
The qualifying session will be held on TBD.
| Pos | No. | Driver | Team | Engine | Time | Final grid | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | ||||||||
| 2 | 2 | ||||||||
| 3 | 3 | ||||||||
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| 10 | 10 | ||||||||
| 11 | 11 | ||||||||
| 12 | 12 | ||||||||
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| 23 | 23 | ||||||||
| 24 | 24 | ||||||||
| 25 | 25 | ||||||||
| Source: | |||||||||
- Notes
- Bold text indicates fastest time.
Warmup
The warmup session will be held on TBD.
| Pos | No. | Driver | Team | Engine | Lap Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | |||||
| 2 | |||||
| 3 | |||||
| Source: | |||||
Race
The race will be held on Sunday, August 23, 2026, at TBD ET.
| Pos | No. | Driver | Team | Engine | Laps | Time/Retired | Pit Stops |
Grid | Laps Led |
Pts. |
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| Fastest lap: | ||||||||||
| [ Official race results] | ||||||||||
Championship standings after the race
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- Note: Only the top five positions are included.
References
- ^ "2026 Schedule" (PDF). IndyCar. Retrieved March 14, 2026.
- ^ "INDYCAR Announces 17-Race 2026 NTT INDYCAR SERIES Schedule". IndyCar. September 16, 2025. Retrieved 16 September 2025.
- ^ Kapur, Sahil (30 January 2026). "Trump orders up IndyCar race on the streets of Washington for 'America250 Grand Prix'". NBC News. Retrieved 30 January 2026.
- ^ DeGroot, Nick (30 January 2026). "Donald Trump signs executive order confirming IndyCar race in Washington D.C." Motorsport. Retrieved 30 January 2026.
- ^ "Celebrating American Greatness with American Motor Racing". The White House. 2026-01-30. Retrieved 2026-01-30.
- ^ "Freedom 250 Grand Prix of Washington, D.C. Coming in August". IndyCar. January 30, 2026. Retrieved 2026-01-30.
- ^ "IndyCar announces Freedom 250 GP of Washington, D.C. as 18th race". RACER. 30 January 2026. Retrieved 30 January 2026.
- ^ "IndyCar and Monumental Sports & Entertainment announce partnership to fuel Freedom 250 Grand Prix of Washington, D.C." (Press release). PR Newswire. February 3, 2026. Retrieved 3 February 2026.
- ^ Barnes, Joey (February 5, 2026). "IndyCar partners with Monumental Sports & Entertainment for Washington, D.C. street race". Motorsport. Retrieved 3 February 2026.