US President Donald Trump will run an honorary lap at the IndyCar race across the streets of Washington this weekend, closing the summer of the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States that the US leader puts himself in the center of, AFP reported on August 22.
Previously, President Donald Trump signed an executive order allowing the Freedom 250 Grand Prix street race around National Mall National Park in Washington, D.C. This event is part of a series of activities to celebrate the 250th anniversary of US Independence Day.
The racing cars will roar through iconic structures, including the US Capitol Building and the Smithsonian Museum system, when 25 racers complete 147 laps with speeds up to 298 km/h.
President Trump, 80 years old, is expected to run a ceremonial honorary lap on an armored limousine nicknamed "The Beast", then wave the green flag to start the race.
American workers had to weld and fix more than 200 manhole covers on the 400km long race track, so that the pressure created by high-speed cars could not pull them up. Test runs and qualifying took place first, while the main race called "Freedom 250 Grand Prix" will compete the next day.
The event is hosted by the IndyCar championship organizers. This is an American car race with cars similar to Formula 1 racing cars but often competing on oval tracks, including the prestigious Indianapolis 500 race.
The race marks Mr. Trump's last effort to make a personal mark on the 250th anniversary of the founding of the nation in Washington, which started with an Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) match in a giant cage set up right on the White House lawn in June. Like that UFC match, the IndyCar organizers paid for this huge logistics challenge, causing many of Washington's busiest streets to close for many days.
Thousands of spectators will stand along the route to watch the unprecedented race, reminiscent of Formula 1 races held on the streets of Las Vegas, Monaco and Singapore.
Security was tightened, and all spectators had to pass through metal detectors. Recently, a gunman rushed into the White House Press Association's dinner party in April.
