Asphalt overtakes at historic Freedom 250 Grand Prix

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

NAPA member company Fort Myer Construction Corp. resurfaced portions of Pennsylvania Avenue ahead of the race, which was organized by Penske.

See photos from a NAPA staff visit to Fort 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 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 victory, steering his No. 27 Sam’s Club Honda past the checkered flag waved by Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and his wife.

Members of NAPA staff attended the weekend-long racing events through lottery tickets, including President & CEO Audrey Copeland, Engineering & Technical Services Senior Director Brett Williams, and Editorial Director Ty Johnson, who was also among the credentialed media.

“There’s a reason asphalt is the preferred pavement, not only for the streets of Washington, D.C., but also for race car drivers,” said Copeland. “I was next to the track, behind the fences, and the asphalt looked great and the rush of the cars blew me away! Being part of this inaugural race in our nation’s capital made it a truly once-in-a-lifetime moment. The action was fast from practice all the way through qualifying as the INDYCAR drivers chased pole position. And the crowd 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 to come.

“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 inaugural Freedom 250 Grand Prix

The INDYCAR series attracted motorsports fans from across the world to the nation’s capital, including Hans Steiro, a former air force base commander from Norway studying at National Defense University.

“Asphalt is a safe medium to drive on,” Steiro said, also noting that its use on runways was important to him as a pilot. “It’s kind of interesting to see that they can have the same speed on normal roads that they can have on the circuit. Asphalt is smoother.”