By Liam Griffin (The Washington Times)
The sound hit racing fans first. Before they found a place to watch the weekend’s Freedom 250 Grand Prix festivities around the National Mall, the hum and whine — like a swarm of furious hornets — of race cars hitting speeds of more than 150 mph assaulted eardrums for blocks.
The smartest spectators came with hearing protection.
Then came the intense smells: motor oil, gasoline and, most pungently, burning rubber. High-speed turns — even in practice — take a toll on the wheels. Pit crews then intentionally used torches on the tires to ensure they perfectly matched each driver’s preference.
Overhead, flyovers from every branch of the armed forces — and a final flyby from Air Force One — shook the visitors below.
It was sensory overload for the droves — estimates from Freedom 250 officials projected 280,000 spectators attended the two-day event.
The fans wouldn’t have it any other way.
“It gets your adrenaline pumping,” said Rich Schott, an Annapolis resident who often attends NASCAR races in Pennsylvania.
By the time Kyle Kirkwood crossed the finish line and celebrated a key late-season win, legions of roaring fans across the track erupted.
He returned the favor with a celebratory donut in Victory Lane.
“There’s an instinct that you have when you wake up and your heart’s already racing. I only get that feeling in one place: the Indianapolis 500. That sensation makes it, it gets its own energy. That’s what this place had. This was a very special race,” the 27-year-old Kirkwood said. “I don’t think there’s another race that you want to win.”
Organizers said they distributed about 60% of tickets to out-of-towners. The remaining 40% belonged to locals who pounced on the opportunity.
The chance to watch cars reach speeds of more than 160 mph around Washington’s monuments, museums and the U.S. Capitol was an unprecedented opportunity.
For many fans, the sights bordered on fantastical. Two years ago, the thought of open-wheel cars hitting these speeds on the city’s downtown streets would’ve felt impossible.
“It’s crazy that just a few days ago, people were just driving their regular cars here on their regular commutes up and down the same roads,” Mr. Schott said.
That sense of awe was an early goal for the race organizers, including Roger Penske, who owns the INDYCAR series.
“We wanted to be part of the 250th birthday for the country. Everyone who lives in this country is going to see today,” he said on a pre-race broadcast. “It’s been amazing to see what we have here.”
The starting and finish line was situated on 3rd Street, a block away from the Capitol Building. The first turn led to a straightaway down Pennsylvania Avenue toward the White House before a series of hairpin turns around the National Archives, the National Gallery of Art, the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum and the National Museum of the American Indian.
For months, race organizers have described the circuit as one of the most scenic in INDYCAR history. It matched expectations.
“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime situation,” said William Phillips, a racing fan from Northern Virginia. “Seeing the cars come down the track with the Capitol in the background — I’m retired military — it does my heart good. I think it’s wonderful.”
Drivers had little time to admire the scenery. Their reaction times are measured in milliseconds to avoid potentially catastrophic crashes. But they still couldn’t help but laud the first-of-its-kind setup.
“I was like a kid in a candy store,” Kurt Busch, a retired NASCAR driver, said after earning a pair of second-place finishes in Saturday’s two IROC races that featured old-school Pontiac Firebirds. “It was like I was in a bowl of M&M’s with all the colors and the banners. ‘Where’s my braking zone? I don’t know — oh, that’s a cool building.’”
The Grand Prix didn’t offer a seamless experience for drivers on the track, though. After practice sessions on Saturday, drivers reported concerns about bumps near Turns 2 and 6, from Pennsylvania Avenue onto 9th Street and near Independence Avenue and Maryland Avenue.
Pole winner Alex Palou led the pack to start the race, but he was quickly overtaken by Kirkwood. The eventual winner only briefly relinquished his lead, holding the advantage for 128 of the race’s 147 laps.
“It was something very special, and I’ll cherish this moment for a long time,” Kirkwood said.
The first quarter of the race continued without any major moves. Then, on Lap 35, American David Malukas collided with a wall while failing to navigate the track’s seventh and final turn. Fellow American Sting Ray Robb — who trailed Malukas — had no time to avoid the t-bone collision.
Neither driver was seriously injured, but they did not finish the race.
Dutch driver Rinus VeeKay joined them in the paddock, unable to finish the race, after he collided with the wall less than 10 laps later. After an opening half plagued by yellow flags, the race remained relatively clean until Scott McLaughlin of New Zealand hit the inside wall of Turn 1 after 128 laps.
Meanwhile, Palou — who entered the day with a substantial lead in the standings — saw his stock plummet after finishing 20th following an early penalty and issues in the pit lane.
Despite dominance from Kirkwood, the event featured plenty of excitement with the crashes, passes and tight turns.
“It was very racey,” said Power, who led the pack with 13 passes. “It was everything you’d want, having an American president here watching the whole race.”
The race wasn’t an exhibition. The results played a key role in the IndyCar standings. The Freedom 250 Grand Prix marked one of the final races of the season with two weeks remaining in the season.
With the victory, Kirkwood narrowed Palou’s lead for the season. Kirkwood, in second place, trails the leader by just 81 points. Christian Lundgaard and Will Power finished in second and third in Sunday’s race.
Those who couldn’t claim the checkered flag received a sense of pride: being the first drivers to zip around the National Mall for a professional race.
“What an experience all weekend,” said Lundgaard, a 25-year-old driver from Denmark. “The best background I’ve ever had on a racetrack. Just being a part of it, seeing where the series is going.”
Organizers touted the Freedom 250 Grand Prix as a once-in-a-lifetime experience. The planning process required an executive order from President Trump, who drove a ceremonial first lap and waved the green flag, and rapid construction.
But drivers — including Kirkwood — said they’d love to race in the District again. After what Penske described as a successful event, anything is on the table.
“We would never say no. We’ll talk about it,” he said. “We have the experience now.”
Kirkwood was the only driver who even joked about not wanting to return to the District.
“Either no, I never want to come here because I’ll be the only winner of this thing,” he said. “Or, I’m biased in the other direction, too. Yes, let’s come back here because I want to win it again.”
This article was made available to WMAL via The Washington Times.
