INDYCAR RACE HELD IN WASHINGTON DC WITH TRUMP IN ATTENDANCE

The Freedom 250 Grand Prix took place in Washington DC this weekend, with IndyCar drivers completing 147 laps around a 1.7-mile circuit that included iconic monuments such as the National Mall, the US Capitol, the Washington Monument and the Smithsonian. Donald Trump attended the event and stated in an interview with Fox Sports that Roger Penske, the IndyCar team owner, had pursued the race for approximately 20 years before its realisation. Trump said that Penske had attempted to secure the event roughly 211 times before Trump's involvement accelerated the process, which he claimed took about 15 minutes once Penske approached him.

According to Trump, Penske had initially stated that around 250,000 people had signed up to attend. Trump revealed that the actual attendance exceeded that figure, stating that approximately 350,000 people sought to attend and that local authorities closed bridges in response to overcrowding concerns. Trump issued an executive order earlier in the year to expedite permitting and allow the use of federal lands for the event. Penske, aged 89, stated that the race represented something unique globally and expressed satisfaction that IndyCar had become a premier event in the United States.

Trump and First Lady Melania Trump toured the racing circuit in the Presidential Beast before the race commenced on Sunday. The event marked the culmination of efforts spanning more than two decades to bring IndyCar racing to the nation's capital.