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WASHINGTON \u2014 President Donald Trump will cap celebrations of the U.S. 250th anniversary with a first-of-its-kind auto race through the streets of Washington, closing a summer \u200bof sports and spectacle as drivers speed past the capital's iconic landmarks.IndyCar's Freedom 250 Grand Prix will zoom through the National Mall, past the U.S. Capitol, down historic Pennsylvania Avenue and around the National Archives, with the marquee event on Sunday afternoon.The race \u200cis expected to draw roughly 200,000 spectators, officials said, and tickets are free. Passes to private trackside clubs sold for $5,000.Trump set to wave the starting flagTrump's motorcade will take an honorary \u2060loop around the racetrack, and he is set to wave the green \u200bflag to start the 250-mile race."I don't know if anything will \u2060ever top what we're going to be having," Trump said in July, as drivers visited the White House to celebrate the start of track \u200cconstruction.The race is the latest in a \u200cseries of sporting events Trump has used to celebrate the country and his second term, even as his approval \u2060rating has dropped to the lowest point since he returned to the White House in \u2060January 2025 and the U.S. is embroiled in a war with Iran.He opened the summer with a professional mixed martial arts bout on the South Lawn of the White House, then presented the championship trophy to FIFA World Cup champion Spain a month later.Earlier in August, he appeared at the "Patriot Games," a cross between a game show and track meet for high school athletes, televised on sports network ESPN.For Trump, the events have served to raise his profile, both domestically and globally. The UFC fight card was streamed internationally, and \u200cduring the World Cup trophy presentation, he lingered at mid-pitch while the Spanish team hoisted the trophy.IndyCar \u200bdriver Pato O'Ward, who races for Arrow McLaren, told the Fox News Sunday show he was feeling "pretty surreal" ahead of the race."We never thought that we were going to be racing here anytime in 2026," O'Ward said. "Everyone's excited that we're here and, I mean, it's a pretty picturesque backdrop."Race plans have faced criticismThe Washington race has faced its share of criticism. The track was originally set to run through the grounds of the U.S. Capitol, but the proposal required lawmakers' approval and stalled in Congress. Advertising is prohibited on Capitol grounds, and the race cars, with their dozens of corp
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