Inside DC’s historic heart, an IndyCar race backed by Trump kicks into gear | CNN Politics

Spectators began pouring into the center of Washington, DC, on Saturday to catch the first day of the Freedom 250 Grand Prix, a two-day street racing event whose revving engines will echo amid the nearby US Capitol and the city’s neoclassic national museums. The portion of 3rd Street serving as the start and finish line is painted red, white and cobalt blue, with a thick black-and-white checkered flag band overshadowing the more mundane stripes of a nearby crosswalk. Large metal fencing is erected around the site to protect attendees who flocked to the IndyCar event to watch the sleek cars fly past at speeds up to 180 miles per hour. The smell of fuel coated the summer air as temperatures cooled into the evening. With a host of preliminary races on the schedule, the festivities on Saturday are a buildup to the main race on Sunday, which President Donald Trump plans to attend. Before the race, the president will take a ceremonial lap around the track in the presidential limousine, known as “The Beast,” and drop the green flag from his seat, according to a White House official. The 1.66-mile track caps off a summer of celebrations commemorating the nation’s 250th birthday. Th