Twenty-seven-year-old Kyle Kirkwood on Sunday crossed the finish line ahead of 24 other racers and won the IndyCar Grand Prix race in Washington, D.C., put on by Freedom 250.
The race consisted of 147 laps around a 1.7 mile stretch along the National Mall in downtown Washington, totaling approximately 250 miles to celebrate the nation’s 250th anniversary.
After earning the top title, Kirkwood thanked his crew for all their help via his radio.
After his win, he was asked about being an American winning the race in Washington amid the nation’s 250th birthday celebrations. He said the race was difficult but it “felt good to dominate.”
Kirkwood, who is from Jupiter, Florida, said it was great to have President Donald Trump, a fellow Floridian, at the race. While it’s the first race of its kind to come to Washington, it might not be the last.
Kirkwood said he hopes the drivers get the chance to come back to D.C. because it’s an “incredible place” to be racing.
“This is incredible. I’m almost in tears, here. This is a big moment for us, big moment for America, the 250, right?” he said.
“This was awesome ... what a dream come true,” Kirkwood added.
Earlier this year, crews were at the White House to show how they can change a car’s tires in just seconds and send the driver back out on the track.
The race was Kirkwood’s seventh career IndyCar win.
Kirkwood is currently second in the season standings and Sunday’s win shortened the gap between him and the current leader Alex Palou. Drivers are competing in an 18-race championship and will head to Milwaukee and California for a doubleheader over Labor Day weekend to round out the series.
Earlier this year, Trump signed an executive order authorizing the race. It’s the first time a street racing course has come to Washington, bringing many visitors to the nation’s capital. It’s also the second-longest street circuit race in IndyCar history.
Trump, interviewed by Fox before the race, noted the beautiful day in D.C. as some were expecting rain in the forecast. He was asked what he was hoping for from his first IndyCar race.
“Just that everyone’s safe, they have a good time. The track is wonderful,” Trump said.
Before the race, the president met with many of the drivers and their company owners and said he wished them luck and said he hoped they had fun.
Race preparation involved welding down manhole covers
In the days before the race, crews were seen welding down manholes along the race track. Due to the high speeds the cars travel at, pressure would cause the manholes to shoot up after cars pass over them if they weren’t welded down.
Some drivers interviewed before the race Sunday said given that they’re racing on city streets, there were bumps.
Palou, who is currently leading the 2026 series, admitted he had a bad day on the course, clipping part of his car on the track wall causing him to spin out and damage his car.
At the White House event last month, Trump was joined by drivers Palou, who is from Spain, Felix Rosenqvist from Sweden, and American David Malukas, alongside Roger Penske, owner of IndyCar, Bud Denker, president of the Penske Corporation, Fox Sports CEO Eric Shanks, and General Motors President Mark Reuss, as well as Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy.
At Sunday’s race, Duffy waved the checkered flag over the finish line when Kirkwood crossed it on Sunday.
The Beast drove the course ahead of racers
At the start of the race, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum was perched above the track and welcomed everyone to the 250 celebration in honor of “freedom in the United States of America, the most incredible country in the world.”
“You’re going to hear the four words you’ve been waiting all year to hear: Gentlemen, start your engines,” he said.
Before the race, Trump and first lady Melania Trump took a lap in the presidential limousine known as “The Beast” around the track. They then went to the presidential box, where Trump waved the green flag signaling the start of the race.
Melania Trump was also interviewed by Fox, where she noted how her father introduced her to car racing when she was young and she’s been a fan ever since.
Penske and IndyCar, along with the Fox Corporation, teamed up with the first lady to donate $2 million to fund scholarships at Indiana and Purdue Universities for foster children.
She said Sunday that the initiative is poised to give money to foster children who are aging out of the system and provide them with the funds to get their education and be independent.
“It’s very important because we need to support them,” she said. “They need to have the same opportunity as other children.”
The racing event was also billed as a way to showcase American innovation and automobiles. Duffy said in July that when thinking about America’s 250th, “you also think about cars.”
While many racers were driving cars with engines made by Chevrolet, several others were driving cars with engines made by Honda.