An American NTT IndyCar Series driver has captured the first — and possibly only — Freedom 250 Grand Prix on the streets of Washington D.C.
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Kyle Kirkwood, a Florida native, dominated Sunday's race while driving the No. 27 Honda for Andretti Global. He led 128 of the 147 laps on the 1.7-mile street course, which incorporated the National Mall, and he won by 3.0906 seconds.
Kirkwood also captured the win with big box store Sam's Club as his primary sponsor, which made the afternoon even more poetic.
No bigger win for the King of the Streets 🔴⚪️🔵
🏁 @KKirkwoodRacing pic.twitter.com/nlRv2CWfLA
— NTT INDYCAR SERIES (@IndyCar) August 23, 2026
Arrow McLaren driver Christian Lundgaard finished second in the historic event while Andretti Global drivers Will Power and Marcus Ericsson finished third and fourth, respectively. Chip Ganassi Racing's Kyffin Simpson finished fifth.
"You can't even put it into words," Kirkwood said after the race. "This is incredible. I'm almost in tears here. This is a big moment for us. Big moment for America here — the 250, right? Big moment for Andretti. Big moment for Sam's Club and Honda."
An American winning the Freedom 250 Grand Prix is fitting considering the location and the unique elements of the race. For example, Fox Sports put a camera on the Washington Monument to highlight the purpose-built course and the historic sites by which the drivers would race.
"God Bless America" before the Freedom 250 Grand Prix. pic.twitter.com/HBBRzSnHAQ
— INDYCAR on FOX (@IndyCarOnFOX) August 23, 2026
This afternoon saw a bald eagle fly over the course as a performer sang God Bless America. The military performed multiple flyovers for the teams and attendees. President Donald Trump waved the green flag to start the race while Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy waved the checkered flag to end the race.
Kirkwood now has seven wins in his IndyCar Series career. Six of these wins have come on street courses.
He has two wins on the streets of Long Beach, one on the streets of Nashville, one on the streets of Detroit, and one on the streets of Arlington, Texas. Kirkwood's lone oval win took place at World Wide Technology Raceway in 2025.
