US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order authorizing an IndyCar race on the streets of Washington in August as part of 4th of July celebrations, Reuters reported.
The Freedom 250 Grand Prix will be the first IndyCar race in the United States. on the streets of the US capital.
The event will be held on or near the national park, bringing the auto race closer to iconic monuments and museums in Washington and allowing free admission for many.
"We are celebrating greatness with American motor racing. It will be held from August 21 to 23 and it will be very exciting," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office of the White House before signing the order. "I love racing," Trump said.
The order signed earlier today is an unusual presidential directive that combines motorsports with patriotic celebrations of the approaching 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States in 2026.
Trump, an avid golfer, is also planning a gala for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) mixed martial arts circuit at the White House in July. At the same time, he is promoting the World Cup from June 11 to July 19, which the United States is co-hosting with Canada and Mexico.
According to officials, Washington last hosted a street race in 1801, when there was a horse race. At that time, the US president was Thomas Jefferson, Reuters notes.
No details were provided about the financing or organization of the race of high-speed racing cars through the usually congested streets of the US capital, the world agency notes. Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser, a Democrat, supported the initiative, according to officials. However, she was not present at the signing of the decree.
The "IndyCar" currently include street races in cities such as Long Beach, California, and St. Petersburg, Florida, but have never faced the particular security concerns and heavy traffic in the federal capital, notes "Reuters".