In honor of the United States’ 250th birthday, there has been no shortage of spectacular events planned to celebrate the occasion; there have been images of American history projected onto the Washington Monument, a UFC fight planned on the White House’s south lawn, and now it sounds like there could be an IndyCar race set to take place on the streets of D.C.!
The plan is being pushed by the U.S. Department of Transportation with the hopes of hosting a race this summer; however, there is some uncertainty around the plan’s fate as it will likely require bipartisan approval in order to take place.
Where would the proposed IndyCar race take place?
According to reports , the race would start near the Supreme Court and cover a full lap around the National Mall and the Lincoln Memorial, and the ‘Pit Row’ would be staged along the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.
When is the IndyCar race supposed to take place?
The race is intended to be held during the dog days of summer, in late August, when the seasonal heat and humidity are past their typical July peak.
According to race organizers, the target date is August 21st, but for that to happen, it needs to be formally approved by Congress with enough time to organize the race’s infrastructure.
What is stopping the IndyCar race from happening?
UPDATE: President Trump has signed an executive order to confirm the IndyCar race in D.C. this August. The race will not officially take place.
One of the main obstacles currently for the IndyCar race is a ban on advertising on Capitol grounds; obviously, IndyCar vehicles would violate this rule, which means that the race would require special congressional approval.
This means that despite the tension in Congress developing over the past few months, there would need to be bipartisan support in order to approve the race.
Some of the holdups with Congressional approval, aside from the expected partisan disagreements in terms of priorities, are that there are some valid concerns about how the race would strain the U.S. Capitol Police and also how the vehicles would impact the roads.