Transportation Secretary Says IndyCar Freedom 250 Event Will Bring US Together Amid ‘Political Divide’

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy is looking forward to the upcoming IndyCar Freedom 250 Grand Prix, which will be held over the weekend in Washington, D.C.

The event, which will take place at the National Mall and celebrate the tradition of the nation’s motorsports industry, is among the events President Donald Trump authorized as part of America’s 250th birthday festivities.

“The president loves sports,” Duffy told the New York Post in an interview published Thursday, August 20. “He’s an enthusiast, as you saw with UFC, and now with this.”

“And I think if you look at the political divide in America, this is an event that brings America together,” Duffy, 54, added. “Cars and racing is freedom and American.”

According to the Post, Duffy, Roger Penske and Penske Corporation president Bud Denker are behind the IndyCar event, which will see cars speed through seven turns for 147 laps, or 250 miles.

The 80-year-old president is also expected to ride along the course in his armored vehicle — known as The Beast — before the main event takes place.

“I think there will be some vehicles behind him as a rear escort with him around the track,” Duffy told the publication. “Everyone who comes will be able to see the president and the beast before they actually see the race start.”

The Freedom 250 Grand Prix, according to the event’s website, marks “the first‑ever NTT INDYCAR SERIES race on the National Mall. The free, two-day motorsports event will celebrate America’s 250th anniversary with world‑class racing set against the backdrop of some of America’s most historic landmarks, including the Washington Monument and the U.S. Capitol.”

While general admission tickets were free, they were given away during a drawing that took place earlier this summer.

The window to request free tickets has closed, and no other general admission tickets are available for the Freedom 250 Grand Prix.