Freedom 250 Grand Prix

(Redirected from Freedom 250)

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]

United States 2026 Freedom 250 Grand Prix of Washington, D.C.
Race details
15th round of the 2026 IndyCar season
Next race 
Layout of the circuit
DateAugust 23, 2026
Official nameFreedom 250 Grand Prix of Washington, D.C.
LocationWashington, D.C.
CourseTemporary street circuit
1.7 mi / 2.736 km
Driver
Driver
Podium
First
Second
Third

Background

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The National Mall, the area where the race will be held. The Lincoln Memorial and its reflecting pool, the Washington Monument behind it, and the United States Capitol in the 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

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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

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Key Meaning
 R  Rookie
No.DriverTeamEngine
2United States Josef NewgardenTeam PenskeChevrolet
3New Zealand Scott McLaughlinTeam PenskeChevrolet
4Brazil Caio Collet  R A.J. Foyt RacingChevrolet
5Mexico Pato O'WardArrow McLarenChevrolet
6United States Nolan SiegelArrow McLarenChevrolet
7Denmark Christian LundgaardArrow McLarenChevrolet
8Cayman Islands Kyffin SimpsonChip Ganassi RacingHonda
9New Zealand Scott DixonChip Ganassi RacingHonda
10Spain Álex PalouChip Ganassi RacingHonda
12United States David MalukasTeam PenskeChevrolet
14United States Santino FerrucciA. J. Foyt RacingChevrolet
15United States Graham RahalRahal Letterman Lanigan RacingHonda
18France Romain GrosjeanDale Coyne RacingHonda
19Norway Dennis Hauger  R Dale Coyne RacingHonda
20United States Alexander RossiECRChevrolet
21Denmark Christian RasmussenECRChevrolet
26Australia Will PowerAndretti GlobalHonda
27United States Kyle KirkwoodAndretti Global with Curb-AgajanianHonda
28Sweden Marcus EricssonAndretti GlobalHonda
45United Kingdom Louis FosterRahal Letterman Lanigan RacingHonda
47Germany Mick Schumacher  R Rahal Letterman Lanigan RacingHonda
60Sweden Felix RosenqvistMeyer Shank Racing with Curb-AgajanianHonda
66New Zealand Marcus ArmstrongMeyer Shank Racing with Curb-AgajanianHonda
76Netherlands Rinus VeeKayJuncos Hollinger RacingChevrolet
77United States Sting Ray RobbJuncos Hollinger RacingChevrolet

Practice

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Practice 1

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The first practice session will be held on TBD.

Top Practice Speeds
PosNo.DriverTeamEngineLap Time
1
2
3
[ Practice 1 results]

Practice 2

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The second practice session will be held on TBD.

Top Practice Speeds
PosNo.DriverTeamEngineLap Time
1
2
3
[ Practice 2 results]

Qualifying

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The qualifying session will be held on TBD.

Classification
Pos No. Driver Team Engine Time Final
grid
1 1
2 2
3 3
4 4
5 5
6 6
7 7
8 8
9 9
10 10
11 11
12 12
13 13
14 14
15 15
16 16
17 17
18 18
19 19
20 20
21 21
22 22
23 23
24 24
25 25
Source:
Notes
  • Bold text indicates fastest time.

Warmup

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The warmup session will be held on TBD.

Top Practice Speeds
PosNo.DriverTeamEngineLap Time
1
2
3
Source:

Race

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The race will be held on Sunday, August 23, 2026, at TBD ET.

Classification
Pos No. Driver Team Engine Laps Time/Retired Pit
Stops
Grid Laps
Led
Pts.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
Fastest lap:
[ Official race results]

Championship standings after the race

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  • Note: Only the top five positions are included.

References

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  1. "2026 Schedule" (PDF). IndyCar. Retrieved March 14, 2026.
  2. "INDYCAR Announces 17-Race 2026 NTT INDYCAR SERIES Schedule". IndyCar. September 16, 2025. Retrieved 16 September 2025.
  3. 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.
  4. DeGroot, Nick (30 January 2026). "Donald Trump signs executive order confirming IndyCar race in Washington D.C." Motorsport. Retrieved 30 January 2026.
  5. "Celebrating American Greatness with American Motor Racing". The White House. 2026-01-30. Retrieved 2026-01-30.
  6. "Freedom 250 Grand Prix of Washington, D.C. Coming in August". IndyCar. January 30, 2026. Retrieved 2026-01-30.
  7. "IndyCar announces Freedom 250 GP of Washington, D.C. as 18th race". RACER. 30 January 2026. Retrieved 30 January 2026.
  8. "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.
  9. Barnes, Joey (February 5, 2026). "IndyCar partners with Monumental Sports & Entertainment for Washington, D.C. street race". Motorsport. Retrieved 3 February 2026.