Photos: IndyCars speed past Washington landmarks as part of Freedom 250

Race cars take over central Washington, DC, as the Trump-created Freedom 250 Grand Prix debuts. A pit crew works in front of the National Gallery of Art during a practice before the Freedom 250 Grand Prix IndyCar series race in Washington, DC.

[Nathan Howard/Reuters] Race cars have roared through the streets of Washington, DC, in the shadow of its landmarks as the Freedom 250 Grand Prix, created by United States President Donald Trump, has kicked off. Before Sunday’s first-of-its-kind race, IndyCar drivers tested open-wheel cars at speeds of up to 298 kilometres per hour (185 miles per hour) on Saturday over the bumps and bends of a seven-turn, 2.7km (1.7-mile) course that winds around the Washington Monument, the US Capitol, the National Gallery of Art and the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum along the National Mall. Spain’s Alex Palou, the championship leader with six wins this season, claimed his seventh pole position of the campaign with a qualifying lap of 56.899 seconds after setting the fastest practice time of 56.614 seconds.

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