First it was a fight on the White House lawn, now it’s a high-speed race around the US Capitol.
Donald Trump’s Department of Transportation wants to celebrate America250 by hosting an IndyCar race on August 21, multiple sources familiar with the idea told Punchbowl News.
The speed bump is that Congress has to approve legislation to allow Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy to move forward with holding the auto race.
And Democrats are already pumping the brakes on the proposal in its early stages, claiming it would be ‘absurd’ for Congress to approve such an event in Washington, DC, the report notes.
They feel an IndyCar race would put too much strain on US Capitol Police and the roads around the Capitol.
But their pushback on the idea also appears to mainly stem from political reasons, with one Democrat telling Punchbowl they aren’t inclined to work with Republicans who have refused to hang a plaque in the Capitol honoring victims of the January 6, 2021 riot.
Others said they can’t see the optics being good of holding a costly race in the city while also refusing to extend healthcare subsidies to millions of Americans.
The idea has made its way to the aides of the top four lawmakers in Congress – Republican Speaker Mike Johnson, Democrat House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Republican Senate Majority Leader John Thune and Democrat Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.
President Donald Trump’s team is floating an IndyCar race on the National Mall in August to celebrate America250
Democrats are pushing back on the proposal for the race to start at the Supreme Court and go down the entire National Mall, including around the Lincoln Memorial. For the race to go on, it would need to pass a bill in Congress because of a ban on advertising on Capitol grounds
IndyCar vehicles and drivers’ jumpsuits and helmets are famously littered with ads and sponsors
Department of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy’s idea has made its way to the aides of the Big Four in Congress
The American open-wheel car race, if it went forward, would start at the Supreme Court and go down the entire National Mall, including around the Lincoln Memorial.
The so-called ‘Pit Row’ would be at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.
Congress would need to pass a bill for the race to be held on the National Mall due to a ban on advertising on Capitol grounds and IndyCar vehicles and the drivers’ jumpsuits are always adorned with loads of ads and sponsors.
A Transportation Department spokesperson said in a statement: ‘The Grand Prix is an unprecedented opportunity to celebrate our nation’s proud racing pedigree, showcase the beauty of the National Mall, and generate millions in critical tourism revenue for the Capital.’
‘We’ll keep working with our partners in Congress to outline the positive impacts it will have on the District and correct the record,’ they added.
America250 is a yearlong celebration in the US to mark the Semiquincentennial of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
Trump officially kicked off the year-long America250 events with a rally at the Iowa State Fairgrounds on July 3, 2025.
