2026-08-21T10:00:30.202Z / https://www.cnn.com/2026/08/21/politics/freedom-250-grand-prix-dc
摩纳哥、拉斯维加斯、底特律和迈阿密都曾举办过高速街道赛——很快，华盛顿特区也将加入这一行列。
本周末，赛车将以最高180英里的时速疾驰，这座美国首都将效仿其他标志性城市，举办将公共道路改造为赛道的街道赛。在华盛顿特区，“自由250大奖赛”是为纪念美国建国250周年而举办的迟到庆祝活动的一部分，也是唐纳德·特朗普总统重塑华盛顿计划的持续举措之一。
这是华盛顿特区首次举办此类赛事，旨在为整个夏季的庆祝活动画上圆满句号。这场为期两天的印地赛车比赛预计将吸引超过20万民众聚集在国家广场。
车身修长、线条硬朗的四轮赛车将从美国国会大厦旁疾驰而过，在国家档案馆附近完成急转弯，途经史密森尼航空航天博物馆，全程共计147圈，总里程达250英里，以纪念美国建国250周年。印地赛车比赛的音频音量可达约135分贝，相比之下，摩托车的音量约为88分贝。
本次赛事的负责人是潘世奇公司总裁巴德·登克，他克服了官僚障碍，规划出一条贯穿华盛顿市中心的赛道。今年1月，特朗普签署了题为“以美国赛车运动庆祝美国伟大”的行政命令，绕过国会批准，使该大奖赛得以快速推进。据白宫消息，特朗普预计将出席周日的大奖赛。
此次赛事是在“自由250”系列活动之后举办的。“自由250”是一家由特朗普支持的非营利组织，负责纪念美国建国250周年。今年初夏，该组织举办了为期16天的“伟大美国州博览会”，设有展示美国各州和领地的展馆，以及一场名为“爱国者运动会”的青少年体育赛事，总奖金达25万美元。
潘世奇公司负责策划本次比赛并承担全部费用，这与白宫举办的终极格斗冠军赛活动模式类似——潘世奇和终极格斗冠军赛均为“自由250”的赞助商。本次大奖赛是特朗普庆祝美国建国250周年计划的一部分。
华盛顿特区为自由250大奖赛做准备
https://www.cnn.com/
关于本次赛事，你还需要了解以下信息：
赛道起点位于国会大厦前几个街区的第三街，随后左转进入宾夕法尼亚大道，再驶入第九街，途经国家美术馆和国家档案馆。赛道必须包含宾夕法尼亚大道——这条街道坐落着白宫，常规限速为25英里每小时——因为它足够宽阔，可作为维修区通道。
赛道随后转入宪法大道，穿过第七街，横穿国家广场，再转入独立大道，途经史密森尼航空航天博物馆。接着驶入马里兰大道，最终回到第三街。整条赛道长度不足1.7英里，包含7个弯道。
本次赛事为期两天，东部时间上午8点开放观众入场。周六的赛程以练习赛为主，最终的排位赛将决出车手的发车位置。周日的主赛事将决出冠军，随后举行颁奖仪式。
为确保开放式车轮的印地赛车能以最高180英里的时速安全竞速，赛事需要进行大量施工。赛道沿线设置了保护车手和观众的护栏及观赛区域——这些设施将在赛后拆除。登克表示，护栏重达10000磅，高度为1米。
赛道搭建工作于7月底启动。负责公共安全与司法的华盛顿特区副市长林赛·阿皮亚告诉美国有线电视新闻网，将城市恢复至正常状态预计要到9月第二周左右。尽管大部分施工工作在夜间进行，但这场为期两个月、在华盛顿市中心开展的工程，势必会进一步加剧当地通勤者和居民的困扰——整个夏季的一系列庆祝活动已经打乱了他们的日常出行节奏。
登克表示，工作人员需要对约49个井盖进行塑形和硅胶找平处理，以防高速行驶的赛车将井盖吸起。他称赞华盛顿特区的路面沥青质量极佳，是理想的赛道，并承诺将修复比赛可能对道路造成的任何损坏。
并非所有人都对这场旷日持久的施工感到满意。总部位于华盛顿特区的社区组织非营利机构“崛起组织者”的联合创始人兼执行董事埃利萨·费德表示，居民们感到“沮丧，因为政府持续将哥伦比亚特区当作他们的游乐场”。
首都上空的空域也将受到影响。美国联邦航空管理局表示，大奖赛举办当天（周日），将从上午10点15分至下午1点15分临时暂停罗纳德·里根华盛顿国家机场的航班起降，不过该时段可能会有所调整。
无法到场观赛的观众可通过福克斯体育平台收看完整赛事直播。
赛事的免费普通入场券在5月的抽奖活动后迅速售罄。潘世奇公司表示，该组织共收到近30万份观赛申请。普通入场观众将根据指定票务区域，分为“星区”或“条纹区”。未能参与5月免费门票抽奖的观众可通过套房观赛，每套套房售价20万至25万美元，不过据赛事组织者之一的纪念体育娱乐公司透露，所有套房均已售罄。
本次比赛共有25名来自全球各国的车手参赛，其中包括来自墨西哥的印地赛车全职车手帕托·奥沃德，他效力于箭迈凯伦车队。他告诉《印第安纳波利斯商业日报》，考虑到总统的政治立场，如果他能夺冠将“颇具讽刺意味”。
其他车手包括今年印第安纳波利斯500大赛冠军费利克斯·罗森奎斯特，以及奇普·加纳西车队的西班牙车手亚历克斯·帕劳等。
观众需接受类似美国独立日国家广场庆祝活动的安检措施，包括 TSA 标准的金属探测安检和透明包政策。华盛顿特区政府曾提议将本次赛事定为国家特殊安全活动——这一等级专为总统就职典礼、国葬等全国最高规格、最高风险的集会保留。
但最终，赛事仅被评为一级特殊活动评估等级——这是仅次于国家特殊安全活动的最高级别。登克在今年初夏曾将本次赛事的安保级别比作超级碗，甚至更高。登克表示，尽管安保是最大的挑战，但他并不担心。
无论晴雨，比赛都将照常进行，除非出现雷电天气，届时主办方将推迟赛事。如果下雨，赛车将配备雨胎。继上个月的“向美国致敬”活动遭遇极端天气和雷暴天气后，主办方表示已在赛道周边设置了10个观众安全避难所。
本次赛事的总成本超过3500万美元，全部由印地赛车联盟承担。这使得这场超过100圈的比赛成为印地赛车赛季中成本最高的赛事之一。主办方表示，所有超出印地赛车联盟成本的收入，都将捐赠给华盛顿特区的慈善机构。
据阿皮亚透露，华盛顿特区还动用了9000万美元的应急规划和安保基金，该基金由联邦拨款，用于承办此类赛事。他预计整个基金将在夏末前耗尽。
NTT印地赛车系列赛已将街道赛带到底特律、加利福尼亚州长滩、德克萨斯州阿灵顿和印第安纳波利斯等城市。
紧邻赛道维修区的国家美术馆表示，他们已开展“全面振动研究”，并采取了一系列安全措施，以保护游客和馆藏免受高速赛车的影响。
看起来确实如此。即将卸任的华盛顿特区市长穆里尔·鲍尔上个月在新闻发布会上表示，她“非常认真”地考虑未来在该市举办类似赛事，以巩固华盛顿的体育地位。她说，到2030年，华盛顿将拥有所有职业体育队伍，包括一座全新的NFL体育场，作为华盛顿指挥官队的主场。
What we know about the IndyCar race taking over the heart of DC
2026-08-21T10:00:30.202Z / https://www.cnn.com/2026/08/21/politics/freedom-250-grand-prix-dc
Monaco, Las Vegas, Detroit, and Miami have boasted high-speed street races — and soon, Washington, DC will too.
Race cars will push speeds up to 180 miles per hour this weekend as the nation’s capital joins other iconic cities hosting street circuits, where public roads are converted into a race track. In DC, the Freedom 250 Grand Prix is part of a belated celebration of the nation’s 250th anniversary and President Donald Trump’s continued efforts to transform Washington.
In a first-of-its-kind event for DC meant to cap off a summer of celebrations, more than 200,000 people are expected on the National Mall for the two-day IndyCar race.
The slender, angular four-wheel cars will zip past the US Capitol, make sharp turns around the National Archives, and pass the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum for a total of 147 laps (equal to a 250-mile race to honor the semi-quincentennial). The audio levels at an IndyCar race can reach about 135 decibels. By comparison, motorcycles reach about 88 decibels.
At the helm of the event is Bud Denker, president of the Penske Corporation, who overcame bureaucratic obstacles to map out a race across downtown Washington. The Grand Prix was fast-tracked in January when Trump signed an executive order titled “Celebrating American Greatness with American Motor Racing,” which bypassed congressional approval. Trump is expected to attend the Sunday Grand Prix, according to the White House.
The race comes after a series of events hosted by Freedom 250, a Trump-backed nonprofit tasked with celebrating the nation’s semi-quincentennial. Earlier this summer, the group put on a 16-day “Great American State Fair,” which featured pavilions showcasing every US state and territory, and a youth athletic contest branded as the “Patriot Games” with a grand prize of $250,000.
Penske is planning the race and footing the bill, a similar structure to the Ultimate Fighting Championship event at the White House — Penske and UFC are both sponsors of Freedom 250. The Grand Prix is part of Trump’s plan to celebrate the nation’s semi-quincentennial.
Washington DC begins to prepare for the Freedom250 Grand Prix
https://www.cnn.com/
Here’s what else you need to know about the event:
The route starts a few blocks in front of the Capitol, along 3rd Street, and is followed by turns onto Pennsylvania Avenue and then 9th Street — passing the National Gallery of Art and National Archives. The route had to include Pennsylvania Avenue — the street where the White House is located and which has a normal speed limit of 25 miles per hour — because it was wide enough to serve as a pit lane.
The course then turns onto Constitution Avenue and cuts across 7th Street, bisecting the National Mall before turning onto Independence Avenue, past the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum. It then turns on Maryland Avenue and back onto 3rd Street, spanning less than 1.7 miles and seven turns.
The event takes place over two days, with gates opening at 8 a.m. ET. Saturday’s schedule is dominated by practice sessions before a final qualifying round where drivers will determine their starting positions. A winner will be crowned Sunday at the main event, with post-race ceremonies to follow.
The race required extensive construction to allow open-wheel IndyCars to race safely at speeds of up to 180 mph. Walls (to protect both racers and spectators) and viewing areas along the track were built — and will need to be taken down after race day. The walls weigh 10,000 pounds, according to Denker, and sit at 1 meter high.
The build-out of the track began at the end of July. Lindsey Appiah, the DC deputy mayor for public safety and justice, told CNN that returning the city to normal after the event will take until roughly the second week of September. While much of the work took place at night, the two-month construction process in the heart of Washington promised to further exasperate commuters and residents in the area whose daily patterns have been disrupted by a busy summer of celebrations.
Denker said some 49 manholes had to be reshaped and smoothed over with silicone to ensure the high-speed cars don’t suck the covers off their place. He praised DC roads for being an ideal track due to their asphalt, vowing to fix any damage to the roads that may occur.
Not everyone is pleased with the extended construction. Elyssa Feder, co-founder and Executive Director of Rising Organizers, a community organizing nonprofit based in DC, said that residents are feeling a “sense of frustration that the administration continues to use the District of Columbia as its playground.”
The airspace above the capital will be impacted as well. The Federal Aviation Administration said it will temporarily pause flights at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport from 10:15 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. on Sunday, the day of the Grand Prix, though those times may change.
The full race will be broadcast on Fox Sports platforms for those who want to watch from home.
The event’s free general admission tickets quickly sold out following a May lottery. Penske said the organization received nearly 300,000 requests for the race. General admission attendees are split into the STARS or STRIPES areas associated with their designated ticket zones. Attendees who missed the May lottery for free tickets could attend through suites, which cost $200,000 to $250,000 apiece, though all have been sold, Monumental Sports & Entertainment, one of the race organizers, told CNN.
The race features 25 drivers from countries across the world, including Arrow McLaren Racing’s Pato O’Ward, IndyCar’s only full-time racer from Mexico, who told the Indianapolis Business Journal it would be “ironic” if he won given the president’s politics.
Other drivers include this year’s Indianapolis 500 winner, Felix Rosenqvist, and Spanish driver Alex Palou of Chip Ganassi Racing, among others.
Attendees can expect TSA-style security magnetometer screening and a clear bag policy, similar to the elevated security measures surrounding the July Fourth celebration on the National Mall. The DC government proposed that the event be designated as a national special security event — a status reserved for the nation’s highest-profile and highest-risk gatherings, such as presidential inaugurations and state funerals.
Instead, the race received a special event assessment rating of Level 1 — the highest designation below a national special security event. Denker earlier this summer likened the security to that of the Super Bowl and potentially even higher. While security has been the biggest challenge, Denker said, it’s not a concern for him.
The race will go on rain or shine, unless there is lightning, which would force organizers to delay the event. If there is rain, the cars will be equipped with rain tires. After last month’s “Salute to America” event battled extreme weather and thunderstorms, organizers said there are 10 safe havens designated around the racetrack for spectators.
The price tag is more than $35 million, all of it paid for by IndyCar. That makes the over 100-lap race among the most expensive on the IndyCar calendar. Any revenue that exceeds IndyCar’s costs will be distributed to Washington, DC-based charities, organizers said.
The city of Washington is also tapping into a $90 million emergency planning and security fund, which provides federal dollars to accommodate events of this nature, according to Appiah, who anticipates the full fund will be used by the end of summer.
The NTT IndyCar series has brought street races to other cities such as Detroit; Long Beach, California; Arlington, Texas; and Indianapolis.
The National Gallery of Art, which sits right beside the race’s pit lane, said it conducted an “extensive vibration study” and applied a set of safety measures accordingly to protect guests and collections amid the high speeds of cars.
It appears so. Outgoing DC Mayor Muriel Bowser said at a news conference last month she is “very serious” about bringing future races like this to the city as it aims to solidify its sports presence. By 2030, she said, DC will have all of its professional sports teams in city limits, including a brand-new NFL stadium that will serve as the home for the Washington Commanders.