Asphalt overtakes at historic Freedom 250 Grand Prix

Kyle Kirkwood won the first ever INDYCAR Series race around streets of Washington, D.C. on Sunday to cap off a Freedom 250 Grand Prix weekend that turned the eyes of the motorsports world toward the 1.7-mile-long asphalt pavement road course set up in front of the Capitol.

NAPA member company Ft. Myer Construction Corp. resurfaced portions of Pennsylvania Avenue ahead of the race.

See photos from a NAPA staff visit to Ft. Myer’s D.C. mix plant in 2025.

“Our crews take considerable pride in the opportunity to help make our nation’s capital look its best,” said Fort Myer Construction Corp. Director of Marketing & Community Outreach Josh Brown.

President Donald Trump waved the green flag to start the race moments before Kirkwood took a lead he seldom relinquished. The American driver led 128 of 147 laps on the way to steering his No. 27 Sam’s Club Honda past the checkered flag waved by Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy.

“There’s a reason asphalt is the preferred pavement for race car drivers, and DC’s course proved it today,” said NAPA President & CEO Audrey Copeland. “Being part of this inaugural race in our nation’s capital commemorating the United States of America’s 250^th anniversary made it a truly once-in-a-lifetime moment. The track is smooth and the action was fast from practice all the way through qualifying, the perfect stage for watching NASCAR’s Jeff Gordon celebrate both IROC wins and the skilled Indy car drivers carve through those tight street turns chasing the pole position. A beautiful track, gorgeous day, and a crowd that brought the energy to match.”

On Saturday, Kirkwood was soaking up the atmosphere and made a prediction that motorsports fans will be talking about the inaugural race for decades.

“I’m really thrilled to drive this race car around these amazing streets with all the fans here,” he said. “Growing up as a race car driver, I never would have thought I’d be able to say that we’re racing on the Streets of Washington, D.C. It’s going to be a very special event. Outside of the Indy 500, it could be one of the biggest events we have. I know how much effort has gone into making this happen and how long it’s been in the works. This isn’t your typical street course that gets set up in a few days. There have been many months of preparation and work that have gone into it, so I’m excited to get there and see it all come together.”

“Thirty years from now we’re going to look back and be like, ‘That was one of the coolest races we’ve ever done.”

-Kyle Kirkwood before winning the inaugrual Freedom 250 Grand prix

It was Kirkwood’s second win of the 2026 NTT INDYCAR season. His March win in the Grand Prix of Arlington also came on a brand-new course, albeit one that sent drivers zooming past the home stadium of the Dallas Cowboys, not the National Air & Space Museum.

In fact, six of Kirkwood’s seven career INDYCAR race wins have come on street circuits where drivers were careening down the same road surfaces that commuters, visitors, and commerce will travel on after raceday.

While NASCAR and Formula 1 fans are more familiar with the oval tracks and high-banking speedways from stadium races, open-wheeled races have debuted in recent years on the streets of Las Vegas and Miami.

The INDYCAR series attracted motorsports fans from across the world to Washington, D.C. including Geir Aasland, who timed up his visit from Norway to coincide with the INDYCAR race weekend. His friend, Hans Steiro, a pilot studying at National Defense University, took his wife and Aasland to Sunday’s race.

The trio were drawn by spectacle and the INDYCAR rookie sensation Dennis Hauger, who has earned the nickname the Norwegian Nightmare following several seasons of success in the Formula 3 and Formula 2 series.

“You can’t even put this moment into words. This is incredible. I’m almost in tears here. This is a big moment for us, a big moment for America, a big moment for Andretti Global and a big moment for Sam’s Club and Honda. These No. 27 guys, they’re the ones that gave me the equipment and this car right here to go out there and perform. But man, that was a hard race. After 147 laps, I’m out of breath right now if I’m being honest.”

-Inaugural Freedom 250 Grand Prix Champion Kyle Kirkwood

“Dennis is showing you can drive much faster on the on this good asphalt,” Steiro said, joking that while speed limits are not all based on material performance, it shows that the same material can handle parades and racecars. “Asphalt is a safe medium to drive on. It’s kind of interesting to see that they can have the same speed on normal roads that they can have on the circuit.”

Steiro, a self-described car guy who also rides motorcycles, said high-speed roads in Europe sometimes use other construction materials, so European motorists who aren’t even interested in motorsports also notice a difference when they drive in the United States.

“Asphalt is smoother,” he said, he said, noting that if organizer plans to bring the race back to D.C. next year, they can likely count on even better pavement performance.

“Racing on the Streets of Washington, D.C., with all these historical buildings and monuments around us is something so unique and cool. There’s never been anything like it.”

-Kirkwood’s Andretti Global teammate Marcus Ericsson No. 28 Acura Honda

Steiro explained that construction material performance can make a difference in high-stakes situations, whether it’s steering a racecar or overseeing an airfield.

“It’s a big deal for me. I used to be a base commander on an air force base. Concrete is good when you park the aircraft, but when you want friction on the runway, you need asphalt, that’s for sure.”