The Freedom 250 Grand Prix of Washington D.C. was an NTT IndyCar Series motor race held on August 23, 2026, at the Washington Street Circuit in Washington, D.C. It was the fifteenth round of the 2026 NTT IndyCar Series. The race consisted of 147 laps, extended from the originally scheduled 125 laps.
Kyle Kirkwood won the race, followed by Christian Lundgaard and Will Power on the podium.
Background
On January 23, 2026, months after the NTT IndyCar Series' 2026 schedule was released, United States President Donald Trump posted an AI-generated video of a proposed 'D.C. Grand Prix' motor race to Truth Social as part of the Department of Transportation's push to host an IndyCar Series race on the streets of Washington, D.C. for the United States Semiquincentennial. The race was officially announced on January 30, with Trump signing an executive order authorizing the race. It was the first major motor race to be held at Washington, D.C. since the 2002 Grand Prix of Washington D.C. American Le Mans Series race and the second event held in proximity to the White House along with the UFC Freedom 250. The order instructed the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Transportation to design the course layout within fourteen 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". More than 200 manholes were welded down because they may have otherwise been road hazards. The street circuit was composed around the National Mall.
Race promotion
In February 2026, IndyCar (the NTT IndyCar Series' governing body) announced a partnership with Monumental Sports & Entertainment to support the promotion and commercial development of the race. 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.
In May 2026, IndyCar launched an officially licensed T-shirt with the slogan "One Nation, One Race" around an IndyCar Series driver posed in a manner similar to the Lincoln Memorial. In an email to The Athletic, IndyCar said: "A shirt was removed from IndyCar’s online store following feedback from customers. We understand that some individuals found its phrasing concerning and therefore have remedied the situation." Reuters summarized the internet backlash as "fans objected to language they said could be interpreted as white-supremacist"
Freedom 250 Grand Prix showcase On July 13, President Donald Trump invited drivers (David Malukas, Álex Palou and Felix Rosenqvist) and personnel (including Roger Penske) to the White House for the Freedom 250 Grand Prix showcase. Malukas and his Team Penske crew performed a pit stop demonstration in front of the West Wing.
Entry list
The entry list includes the 25 chartered, full-time IndyCar Series entries. There were no part-time or "one-off" entries. All entries used a spec Dallara DW12 chassis with the UAK-18 universal aero kit and the 2020-adopted aeroscreen. Honda (HRC US) and Chevrolet (Ilmor) are the engine providers. Firestone is the exclusive tire supplier. This is the third season of hybrid energy recovery system powertrains in IndyCar.
Going into the race, Álex Palou led the 2026 IndyCar Series points championship, with a 133-point lead over Kyle Kirkwood. Palou led the drivers this season with six victories and six pole positions before the race Josef Newgarden and Christian Lundgaard had two wins each going into the race. Kyle Kirkwood, Pato O'Ward, Marcus Ericsson, and Indy 500 winner Felix Rosenqvist each had one win.
Driver Team Engine 2 Josef Newgarden Team Penske Chevrolet 3 Scott McLaughlin Team Penske Chevrolet 4 Caio Collet A.J. Foyt Racing Chevrolet 5 Pato O'Ward Arrow McLaren Chevrolet 6 Nolan Siegel Arrow McLaren Chevrolet 7 Christian Lundgaard Arrow McLaren Chevrolet 8 Kyffin Simpson Chip Ganassi Racing Honda 9 Scott Dixon Chip Ganassi Racing Honda 10 Álex Palou Chip Ganassi Racing Honda 12 David Malukas Team Penske Chevrolet 14 Santino Ferrucci A.J. Foyt Racing Chevrolet 15 Graham Rahal Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda 18 Romain Grosjean Dale Coyne Racing Honda 19 Dennis Hauger Dale Coyne Racing Honda 20 Alexander Rossi ECR Chevrolet 21 Christian Rasmussen ECR Chevrolet 26 Will Power Andretti Global Honda 27 Kyle Kirkwood Andretti Global with Curb-Agajanian Honda 28 Marcus Ericsson Andretti Global Honda 45 Louis Foster Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda 47 Mick Schumacher Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda 60 Felix Rosenqvist Meyer Shank Racing with Curb-Agajanian Honda 66 Marcus Armstrong Meyer Shank Racing with Curb-Agajanian Honda 76 Rinus VeeKay Juncos Hollinger Racing Chevrolet 77 Sting Ray Robb Juncos Hollinger Racing Chevrolet OFFICIAL REPORT
IndyCar Series rookie
Practice and qualifying
Practice 1 The first practice session was held Saturday August 22, beginning at 9:00 a.m. ET. The session was divided into three groups. Due to overnight rain, the first session was declared "wet", with cars utilizing rain tires. Christian Lundgaard, Will Power, and Christian Rasmussen, all made light clipping contact with walls, but no major incidents were reported. About 25 minutes into the session, the track surface had dried sufficiently, and competitors switched to slick tires.
+ Top Practice Speeds Driver Team Engine Lap Time 1 27 Kyle Kirkwood Andretti Global with Curb-Agajanian Honda 57.3744 2 10 Álex Palou Chip Ganassi Racing Honda 57.6123 3 19 Dennis Hauger Dale Coyne Racing Honda 57.7381 OFFICIAL REPORT
Practice 2 The second and final practice session was held Saturday August 22, 2026 at 1:00 p.m. ET. Álex Palou posted the fastest lap of the day, with an unofficial track record of 56.6145 seconds. Graham Rahal and Louis Foster, both of Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, suffered damage after hitting bumps approaching turn 6, and subsequently making contact with the concrete wall. No injuries were reported.
+ Top Practice Speeds Driver Team Engine Lap Time 1 10 Álex Palou Chip Ganassi Racing Honda 56.6145 2 27 Kyle Kirkwood Andretti Global with Curb-Agajanian Honda 56.6911 3 9 Scott Dixon Chip Ganassi Racing Honda 56.8180 OFFICIAL REPORT
Qualifying The qualifying session was held on Saturday August 22 at 5:00 p.m. ET. Álex Palou won his seventh pole position of the season. + Classification Driver Team Engine Time 110 Álex Palou Chip Ganassi Racing Honda 56.8993 1227 Kyle Kirkwood Andretti Global with Curb-Agajanian Honda 57.4661 233 Scott McLaughlin Team Penske Chevrolet 57.6200 3421 Christian Rasmussen ECR Chevrolet 57.8892 4566 Marcus Armstrong Meyer Shank Racing with Curb-Agajanian Honda 58.8145 5612 David Malukas Team Penske Chevrolet 1:10.6709 675 Pato O'Ward Arrow McLaren Chevrolet 57.3064 7819 Dennis Hauger Dale Coyne Racing Honda 57.4202 897 Christian Lundgaard Arrow McLaren Chevrolet 57.4420 91060 Felix Rosenqvist Meyer Shank Racing with Curb-Agajanian Honda 57.5120 10114 Caio Collet A.J. Foyt Racing Chevrolet 57.7407 11126 Nolan Siegel Arrow McLaren Chevrolet 58.0701 171326 Will Power Andretti Global Honda 57.0916 12149 Scott Dixon Chip Ganassi Racing Honda 57.5785 131528 Marcus Ericsson Andretti Global Honda 57.2799 20162 Josef Newgarden Team Penske Chevrolet 57.6329 141720 Alexander Rossi ECR Chevrolet 57.4793 151845 Louis Foster Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda 57.7457 161976 Rinus VeeKay Juncos Hollinger Racing Chevrolet 57.4946 212047 Mick Schumacher Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda 57.8405 242118 Romain Grosjean Dale Coyne Racing Honda 57.5080 182214 Santino Ferrucci A.J. Foyt Racing Chevrolet 57.9615 252315 Graham Rahal Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda 57.8697 192477 Sting Ray Robb Juncos Hollinger Racing Chevrolet 58.4827 22258 Kyffin Simpson Chip Ganassi Racing Honda 59.1654 23 OFFICIAL REPORT
Warmup The warmup session was held Sunday August 23, at 9:15 a.m. ET. Overnight, track crews attempted to grind down bumps along the straightaway leading into turn six. All 25 cars took laps, with Josef Newgarden setting the fastest lap. No incidents were reported. + Top Practice Speeds Driver Team Engine Lap Time 1 2 Josef Newgarden Team Penske Chevrolet 57.6076 2 10 Álex Palou Chip Ganassi Racing Honda 57.6858 3 12 David Malukas Team Penske Chevrolet 57.8364 OFFICIAL REPORT
Race
The race was held on Sunday, August 23, 2026, at 1:00 PM ET. + Classification Driver Team Engine Laps Time/Retired PitStops Grid LapsLed 1 27 Kyle Kirkwood Andretti Global Honda 147 2:40:42.9548 3 2 128 53 2 7 Christian Lundgaard Arrow McLaren Chevrolet 147 +3.0906 3 9 40 3 26 Will Power Andretti Global Honda 147 +4.1842 3 13 4 36 4 28 Marcus Ericsson Andretti Global Honda 147 +12.4637 3 21 32 5 8 Kyffin Simpson Chip Ganassi Racing Honda 147 +13.8628 4 23 30 6 6 Nolan Siegel Arrow McLaren Chevrolet 147 +15.6513 3 18 28 7 9 Scott Dixon Chip Ganassi Racing Honda 147 +18.5866 3 13 26 8 2 Josef Newgarden Team Penske Chevrolet 147 +19.4761 3 14 24 9 4 Caio Collet A.J. Foyt Enterprises Chevrolet 147 +20.1903 3 11 22 10 18 Romain Grosjean Dale Coyne Racing Honda 147 +22.2182 4 19 20 11 47 Mick Schumacher Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda 147 +26.6443 4 24 19 12 20 Alexander Rossi ECR Chevrolet 147 +30.9341 4 15 18 13 15 Graham Rahal Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda 147 +32.0496 6 20 12 18 14 21 Christian Rasmussen ECR Chevrolet 146 +1 Lap 12 4 16 15 19 Dennis Hauger Dale Coyne Racing Honda 146 +1 Lap 3 8 15 16 5 Pato O'Ward Arrow McLaren Chevrolet 146 +1 Lap 8 7 14 17 66 Marcus Armstrong Meyer Shank Racing with Curb-Agajanian Honda 146 +1 Lap 4 5 13 18 45 Louis Foster Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda 146 +1 Lap 4 16 12 19 60 Felix Rosenqvist Meyer Shank Racing with Curb-Agajanian Honda 146 +1 Lap 5 10 11 20 10 Álex Palou Chip Ganassi Racing Honda 144 +3 Laps 5 1 11 21 14 Santino Ferrucci A.J. Foyt Enterprises Chevrolet 132 Retired 6 25 9 22 3 Scott McLaughlin Team Penske Chevrolet 128 Contact 3 3 3 9 23 76 Rinus VeeKay Juncos Hollinger Racing Chevrolet 43 Contact 1 19 7 24 12 David Malukas Team Penske Chevrolet 35 Contact 1 6 6 25 77 Sting Ray Robb Juncos Hollinger Racing Chevrolet 35 Contact 1 24 5Fastest lap: Will Power (Andretti Global) – 57.9495(Lap 122) Official results
Championship standings after the race
Drivers' Championship standings Driver Points 1 Álex Palou 553 2 Kyle Kirkwood 462 (-91) 3 Christian Lundgaard 443 (-110) 4 David Malukas 411 (-142) 5 Pato O'Ward 399 (-154)
Engine manufacturer standings Manufacturer Points 1 Honda 1316 2 Chevrolet 1124 (–192)
Note: Only the top five positions are included.
Broadcasting Television The race was televised live on Fox in the second year of a multi-year contract with the series. Practice and qualifying was aired on FS1 and FS2. Will Buxton served as the lead commentator with driver analysts James Hinchcliffe and Townsend Bell. Pre-race host Chris Myers and analyst Danica Patrick returned to the crew after serving in those roles at the Indianapolis 500. They were joined by Fox newcomer Hélio Castroneves.
FoxBooth announcersPre/Post-racePit reportersAnnouncer: Will BuxtonColor: Townsend BellColor: James HinchcliffeHost: Chris MyersAnalyst: Helio CastronevesAnalyst: Danica PatrickFeatures: Tom RinaldiKevin LeeGeorgia HenneberryJack HarveyJamie Little
Radio