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Day 1 of the Freedom 250 Grand Prix is in the record books, with racing legends, IndyCar drivers and thousands of fans taking over the streets of D.C.
Yes, Jeff Gordon swept both IROC races Saturday, with Kurt Busch finishing second in both, as the inaugural race weekend brought motorsports to the heart of the nation’s capital.
But the action was not limited to the track.
The Air National Guard Fan Zone turned “America’s front yard” into something resembling Lollapalooza for motorsports fans, with a live DJ playing music, picnic tables and umbrellas, and massive screens showing the race, along with food, cornhole games and merchandise trucks.
For Kyla Pearlman, who took Metro with her brother from their homes in D.C., the accessibility was part of the appeal.
“Racing a lot of times is a huge barrier for entry,” Pearlman explained. “Having the opportunity to come and experience the ambiance and seeing the cars and seeing the drivers for free is really awesome.”
First-timers
The inaugural event brought plenty of new experiences with it.
Fourteen-year-old Austin Weidemann, of Charlotte, North Carolina, regularly attends NASCAR races with his dad, but this was their first IndyCar event.
“I’m looking forward to seeing some good racing and hopefully some carnage a little bit,” Weidemann said, laughing.
Gustavo Gomez flew in from California with a friend who won tickets to the race in a raffle. It was Gomez’s first trip to Washington.
Gomez admitted he really liked the nation’s capital, calling it “better than California for sure.”
Sights and sounds
Mia Coward, a D.C. native who now lives in Baltimore, and Andres Cruz, of Kensington, Maryland, could not agree on the noise. Coward said it was not as loud as she expected, while Cruz described the cars with one word: “Loud.”
But both were struck by the sight of the District being transformed for racing.
“Never witnessed D.C. like shut down the city in this way, so I really just wanted to come and see what it was all about,” Coward said.
“I can’t believe this is 7th Street,” Cruz said. “To see it the way it is now is awesome. It’s really cool.”
Beyond the track
Some fans waited more than three hours for a chance to meet racing legends during the IROC autograph session.
Jean Spillane, of Bel Air, Maryland, attended with her husband and son and walked away with signatures from Jeff Gordon, Bill Elliott and Tommy Kendall.
While people watched the race, played cornhole and ate at picnic tables, the Indianapolis Gordon Pipers performed nearby.
Jochen Hardwick, the group’s drum major, said their connection to racing goes back more than six decades.
“We’ve been out to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway since 1962,” Hardwick said. “Very privileged to be invited to this.”
