A front-seat view of the IndyCar Grand Prix track
Less than 24 hours before the first checkered flag waves at the Freedom 250 Grand Prix in D.C., drivers got a chance Friday to put the 1.7-mile street course through its paces.
WTOP got to ride shotgun in a 670-horsepower Chevrolet Corvette Z06, reaching about 140 mph on the streets surrounding the National Mall.
Behind the wheel was Ken Morris, General Motors’ senior vice president of product programs, product safety and motor sports.
“Oh, inspiring!” Morris said after the run. “D.C. is such a phenomenal place. I’m starstruck by it every time I’m here and to be able to have a track in the middle of it is fantastic.”
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Bumpy streets
Morris said racing through Downtown D.C. will require drivers to adjust to conditions they would not necessarily encounter on a permanent track.
“Street circuits, especially in the race cars, they have to be very careful because they are bumpy, and those cars have less travel these days,” Morris said.
Of all seven turns on the 1.7-mile course, his favorite is the final combination of Turns 6 and 7, the last section before drivers finish the lap near the National Mall and the Capitol.
A two-seat thrill ride
Dressed for the occasion in a black-and-blue racing suit, Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin also got a high-speed preview of the course Friday.
Mullin climbed into a two-seat IndyCar for his trip around the track.
“Absolutely amazing,” Mullin said. “I had no idea how hard they come out of those corners. That was a blast.”
When asked whether any speed cameras had captured the high-speed run, Mullin laughed.
“Well, that is true, and most of us that have lived or worked around here understand, we probably got one or two tickets in the mail,” Mullin said.
Economic boost for DC
Also on hand was D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, who said she took a spin around the track Wednesday.
“Let me be clear. I’m not driving any race cars. I am a great driver,” Bowser said. “I was paired with a great professional driver, which is what we’re going to see out here this weekend.”
Bowser said events like the Grand Prix can have an economic impact in the tens, if not hundreds of millions of dollars. She said the boost is particularly welcome in August, typically a slow month for D.C. hotels and restaurants while Congress is out of session.
And if Bowser has her way, this won’t be a one-time event.
“We not only want to have it this year; we want to have it next year, and the year after that, and the year after that,” Bowser said.
