Washington D.C. ready and set for historic IndyCar race

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Fresh Air Wild Card with Rachel Martin It's Been a Minute Embedded Get NPR+ More Podcasts & Shows Search Newsletters NPR Shop Get NPR+ Tiny Desk New Music Friday All Songs Considered Music Features Live Sessions About NPR Diversity Support Careers Press Ethics Washington D.C. ready and set for historic IndyCar race For the first time in America's 250 year history, IndyCar drivers will zoom down some of the nation's most famous streets this weekend. The drivers face new challenges on an unconventional route. National Washington D.C. ready and set for historic IndyCar race August 22, 20265:30 PM ET Heard on All Things Considered By Ava Berger , Daniel Ofman Washington D.C. ready and set for historic IndyCar race Listen &middot; 4:52 4:52 Transcript Toggle more options Download Embed Embed "> <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/nx-s1-5939865/nx-s1-9897146" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player"> Transcript For the first time in America's 250 year history, IndyCar drivers will zoom down some of the nation's most famous streets this weekend. The drivers face new challenges on an unconventional route. Sponsor Message Transcript AVA BERGER, BYLINE: Three laps. That's how many times IndyCar driver Kyffin Simpson went around the track two days before the main event. KYFFIN SIMPSON: We did three, which is actually a lot for usual. Normally, we only do, like, one or two. BERGER: It's his first time ever seeing the track. That's because the track was built in a matter of months around the National Mall as part of America's 250 celebration. Simpson will race on Sunday in the IndyCars Freedom 250 Grand Prix. The cars are open wheel, and the league's biggest race is the Indianapolis 500. Simpson took me and producer Daniel Ofman around the track as he scoped it out in a cart similar to a luggage tugger you'd see at the airport. While he'll reach speeds close to 180 miles per hour on Sunday, we were going closer to about 5 miles per hour. SIMPSON: Any time you get to a new street circuit, new streets like this, you want to kind of look at the actual surface. And then, the other thing you're really looking for is big bumps or big potholes with manhole covers or anything like that. BERGER: I mean, this is kind of bumpy as we're going along. Do you feel that when you're in the car? SIMPSON: Ten times more. You know, in these cars, it's - any bump you feel on this is going to be amplified by 10 times in an Indy car. BERGER: He's watching out for the manhole covers. SIMPSON: To be honest, just more manhole covers than I expected there to be. You know, it's just another piece of the puzzle. BERGER: Simpson said he liked the sharp turns and the curved walls of the track. The 90-degree corners make it easier to pass other drivers, he said. Taking this time to check out the track is critical for the drivers. Crew Chief Austin Shepherd said the crews call the cars, quote, "coffins." AUSTIN SHEPHERD: I mean, you can joke about it all you want, but we do call these tubs coffins. I mean, every time you send a driver out on track, it could be the last time you see him. (SOUNDBITE OF RACECARS PASSING) BERGER: On Saturday, thousands of fans whipped their heads back-and-forth, back-and-forth, following the driver's practice runs. (SOUNDBITE OF RACECARS PASSING) BERGER: The cars zip down Pennsylvania Avenue, past the Capitol Building and the National Gallery of Art. Tomorrow, they will race 147 laps. Trump signed an executive order in January to authorize the event. He will wave the green flag tomorrow to start the Grand Prix. David Johnson (ph) and his wife travel from Washington State to D.C. for the first time. DAVID JOHNSON: We waited a whole lifetime to be here for something like this. Never thought it would take place, and it's our 45th wedding anniversary. BERGER: James Holbin (ph) watched the cars race down the track yesterday with his sister, Elena (ph), and dad. He said he is almost as fast as the cars on his bike. JAMES HOLBIN: I'm 7 I just turned 7 Tuesday. UNIDENTIFIED PERSON: There's one. (SOUNDBITE OF RACECARS PASSING) UNIDENTIFIED PERSON: Wow. JAMES: Those kind of race cars might be faster than cheetahs. BERGER: There is no shortage of security. National Guard members, police officers and U.S. marshals patrol the crowds. One of the most intense parts of the race is the pit stop. Dan Ruckman is a fueler for Chip Ganassi Racing. He's been with the team for six seasons. DAN RUCKMAN: Of course, you got this big, heavy hose. You're manhandling it around. The difficult part is to be as precise as you have to be. There's really little error. Like, a pickup truck is about 18 gallons of fuel. You know, you might be there for a couple of minutes. I'm done in six seconds, so... BERGER: Away from the action of race day preparations, the Grand Prix has received pushback. NPR's Rachel Treisman reported that critics and art historians were worried that nearby museum buildings and their artifacts could be damaged by vibrations. Right next to the track, an abstract work made of heavy sheet metal by Alexander Calder was boarded up for protection. Some D.C. residents welcomed the opportunity to see an IndyCar race for the first time. Others were wary of another unprecedented change President Trump was making to their city. Although temporary, it is a large disturbance with major road closures. JAYNE BELINE: I hope this is it, OK? I don't know what will be the outcome of the White House construction or of the golden arch, but I really hope this is it in terms of disruption. BERGER: Jayne Beline is a docent at a museum in D.C. and a resident. She's going to a book festival today. BELINE: I think we're two different audiences. I could be wrong, but I think we are. BERGER: Whether it's a book festival or high-speed motor race, there's plenty of action in D.C. this weekend. Ava Berger, NPR News. DANIELLE KURTZLEBEN, HOST: NPR's Daniel Ofman contributed to this story. Copyright &copy; 2026 NPR. All rights reserved. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information. Accuracy and availability of NPR transcripts may vary. 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