Trump casts long shadow over IndyCar race in DC — but fans hope to look past the politics
An IndyCar series race dubbed the Freedom 250 Grand Prix ran through downtown Washington this weekend as part of the country's 250th anniversary celebrations, with cars circling a 1.7-mile course near the Capitol and National Mall. The event was organized in partnership with a Trump-affiliated group, and the administration was closely involved in planning it.
Spectators interviewed by Courthouse News, across the political spectrum, said they came for the racing and largely tuned out the politics, praising the driver access and atmosphere. Meanwhile, Trump-aligned accounts and officials used the race's imagery to promote unrelated policy fights, including a Transportation Department push targeting immigrant truck drivers, and Attorney General Todd Blanche cited it on Fox News alongside claims of over 16,000 arrests during a federal law enforcement surge in D.C.
This is not new territory for IndyCar, which clashed with the White House last year after its race cars were used in deportation-themed promotional material without the series' involvement.
The full dispatch is available from the source below.