Washington VIPs Test D.C. Grand Prix Course at 136 MPH Ahead of 185 MPH Race
Updated
Updated · The Washington Post · Aug 21
Washington VIPs Test D.C. Grand Prix Course at 136 MPH Ahead of 185 MPH Race
1 articles · Updated · The Washington Post · Aug 21
Summary
Dozens of Washington political and business figures rode the new 1.66-mile downtown Grand Prix circuit on Friday, with one Corvette lap reaching 136 mph before this weekend’s Freedom 250.
Joe Manchin, Laura Ingraham, Doug Burgum and Markwayne Mullin were among those on the course; a smaller group rode in IndyCars while most guests, including Mayor Muriel Bowser, took shotgun laps in Corvettes.
Sunday’s race is expected to be far faster and longer, with IndyCar drivers projected to hit 185 mph over 147 laps as officials forecast more than 140,000 attendees each day.
The event is the final major summer program under Freedom 250, the White House-backed public-private partnership launched by President Donald Trump in January to mark the nation’s birthday.
Organizers and guests pitched the race as a showcase for Washington, with supporters saying the monument-lined street course could help bring future races back to the capital.