What to know about this weekend's IndyCar race on the National Mall

Freedom 250 Grand Prix: D.C.'s IndyCar race, explained Why is the car race in this part of D.C.?

Key points

• "This is a one-time only event, because we're celebrating the country's 250th one time, " event chair Bud Denker, president of Penske Corporation, informed NPR on Tuesday.
• At a preview event in July, President Trump remarked drivers may reach speeds of 190 miles per hour down Pennsylvania Avenue.
• The most prestigious event of the IndyCar series is the Indianapolis 500, but other annual fixtures include street races in Detroit, St.
• House Democrats accuse Trump of 'hijacking' America's 250th birthday for his own gain.

Freedom 250 Grand Prix: D.C.'s IndyCar race, explained Why is the car race in this part of D.C.? Will it be streaming? Who's paying for it? Here's what to know before the Freedom 250 Grand Prix hits the National Mall this weekend.

What to know regarding this weekend's IndyCar race on the National Mall.

President Trump speaks as Bud Denker, president of the Penske Corporation, additionally in a suit and tie, applauds at a Freedom 250 Grand Prix showcase outside the White House in July. Andrew Harnik/Getty Images hide caption.

Notably, the Freedom 250 Grand Prix is poised to bring dozens of race cars and tens of thousands of spectators to the heart of Washington, D.C.'s National Mall this weekend.

Notably, the two-day motorsports event. It culminates in Sunday's marquee 250-mile race, is the first IndyCar race to take place in the nation's capital. And organizers say it might be the last.

D.C.'s IndyCar race will zoom past museums. Some worry it could harm the art inside.

As well as flyovers and other fanfare, organizers are promising a patriotic spectacle, with cars zipping through 147 laps of a 1.7-mile route in the shadow of the Capitol building. At a preview event in July, President Trump remarked drivers may reach speeds of 190 miles per hour down Pennsylvania Avenue.

"It wasn't exactly designed for that, but what Sean Duffy has done with these incredible, brilliant people is really amazing, " Trump remarked.

Notably, the unprecedented nature of the event – and the condensed planning timeline – raises plenty of logistical questions. Here's what to know before the green flag kicks things off.

As seen on the National Mall earlier this week, viewing stands. Andrew Harnik/Getty Images hide caption. What is the Freedom 250 Grand Prix?

IndyCar is the highest class of open-wheel, single-seater formula car racing in North America, famous for its high speeds (up to 230 mph) and variety of tracks (from paved ovals to temporary street circuits).

Notably, the most prestigious event of the IndyCar series is the Indianapolis 500, but other annual fixtures include street races in Detroit, St. Petersburg, Fla. And Long Beach, Calif.

For context, the D.C. Race is the 15th of this year's 18-race championship. Its 25-driver field includes top names like series champion Alex Palou and Indy 500 winner Felix Rosenqvist. The track poses some unique challenges.

"Of all the non-ovals on the calendar this year in IndyCar, this has fewer turns than any other track. There's far fewer opportunities per lap to try and overtake, " longtime motorsports journalist Marshall Pruett informed NPR's Morning Edition.

Drivers will follow an angular, 1.7-mile course with seven sharp turns, and a main straightaway framed in the distance by the Capitol building and the Washington Monument. Drivers will tackle 147 laps, for a total of just under 250 miles each.

Notably, the course goes directly past landmarks like the National Archives Building, the National Gallery of Art and three Smithsonian museums: Air and Space, American Indian and American History. Some art experts have expressed concern that vibrations from the track construction and race itself could damage the artifacts inside.

There will be a number of viewing areas for ticket holders. General admission tickets were distributed for free through a random drawing earlier this summer. Kent Nishimura/AFP via Getty Images hide caption. Kent Nishimura/AFP via Getty Images.

Meanwhile, the two-day schedule kicks off with practice runs, a qualifying race and other programming on Saturday, followed by Sunday's main event beginning just after 1 p.m. ET.

Notably, the race itself will be broadcast live on Fox, and is slated to take regarding two and a half hours. The full Fox broadcast schedule includes post-race ceremonies at 3: 40 p.m. ET.

There are two designated viewing areas- one named Stars, the other, Stripes – for D.C. Fans with tickets. There's additionally the Champion's Club, where a two-day hospitality package costs $5, 000 per person.

General admission tickets were free to the public, given away by lottery, and are no longer available. Denker informed NPR that some 288, 000 fans applied for tickets. He expects regarding 140, 000 residents to attend each day. How was the event put together?

For context, the IndyCar series is owned by Penske Entertainment Corp., a subsidiary of Penske Corporation. Denker notes he and Fox Sports CEO Eric Shanks had the idea – over a beer after a board gathering last year – to celebrate the country's 250th birthday with a race in Washington, D.C.

"We were saying, 'This is never going to happen, but let's just check it out, '" Denker remarked.

They flew to D.C. And spent a few days measuring roads. Denker notes there are four main requirements for a street race: The streets need to be at least 40 feet wide, in decent shape, include room for a pit lane and be able to accommodate oversize trucks and trailers.

Some road closures related to the race are projected to extend through mid-September. Andrew Harnik/Getty Images hide caption.

He notes the area right near the U.S. Capitol met all those criteria. But there was one major hurdle: Holding a race there would require congressional approval – as federal law prohibits commercial advertising on Capitol grounds – and Denker couldn't obtain the votes. It wasn't for lack of trying: He notes he held over 100 meetings on the Hill over a six-month period.

According to Denker, at the encouragement of Duffy, the transportation secretary, he returned to D.C. In January to measure more roads farther from the Capitol. They worked, so he proposed what is now the current route.

In Portland, this soap box derby combines downhill speed with extreme pageantry.

"Within 24 hours of this idea changing under the city streets, we had an executive order in my inbox to review, " Denker remarked to journalists earlier this summer.

Trump signed an executive order on Jan. 30, titled "Celebrating American Greatness with American Motor Racing." It authorized the heads of the Transportation and Interior departments to designate a suitable route through D.C., and take steps to grant all necessary permits and approvals "as expeditiously as possible."

"Instead of having two and a half years to plan this thing, I've had seven months, " Denker informed NPR. What will the race cost – and who is paying?

Denker notes Penske is covering most of the cost – though declined to say how much that will be.

"All I'll say is the Detroit Grand Prix has cost us about $21 million a year, and we're greater than that, " he remarked. "When you do something in D.C., it's a higher cost. We discovered that exponentially so."

Denker notes the administration is only paying security costs associated with entities like the U.S. Secret Service, U.S. Park Police and D.C.'s Metropolitan Police Department. Those are projected to be covered by D.C.'s Emergency Planning and Security Fund, for which Congress provided $90 million at the start of this anniversary year.

In practice, a sizeable banner depicting Trump hangs over the Labor Department building, visible along the race track. Andrew Harnik/Getty Images hide caption.

Denker notes Penske is working with the city – but footing the bill – for things like temporarily welding over 200 manhole covers shut ("because they'll be sucked off by our racetracks by the suction our cars create"). He remarked that's one of the smaller budget items, in the scheme of things.

While the race doesn't appear to be a direct moneymaker for Penske, Denker notes it could be a "huge growth factor" for the IndyCar series.

Race car drivers turn lemons (and $500) into an endurance contest like no other.

For now, what to know about this weekend' s IndyCar race on the National Mall remains the part of the story worth watching, and further updates are likely as more details are confirmed.