Subscriber Benefit
As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowCongratulations to IndyCar, Penske Entertainment and the hundreds of people who were involved in the Freedom 250 Grand Prix in Washington, D.C., the splashy event billed as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see race cars hurtling down Pennsylvania Avenue.
By almost every account, the two-day event was a success. IndyCar reports it scanned some 215,000 tickets (most of those distributed for free) over Saturday and Sunday. Fox reported that the race drew an average of more than 3.2 million viewers throughout the broadcast, more than for any non-Indy-500 race since the 2008 merger that formed the IndyCar series. And fans bought more than $1 million worth of merchandise on Saturday alone, according to IndyCar.
The event went so well that President Donald Trump and Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser, a Democrat, are urging IndyCar and Penske Entertainment, which owns the racing league, to bring it back for at least the next several years.
It appears too soon to know whether that’s a possibility. Penske Corp., the parent of Penske Entertainment, reportedly put some $35 million into making the event a success. That money went to developing a street course on and alongside some of the country’s most iconic spaces and institutions — the National Mall, Smithsonian museums, the U.S. Capitol and the Washington Monument.
Penske and the nonprofit created to host the event had to put up barriers and fences, weld down manhole covers, build suites and grandstands, and create emergency plans and fan controls, which frustrated the people who live and work near the National Mall. And, yes, there were significant complaints during the planning and setup for the event.
The preparations made it tough for workers and visitors to get around. Some critics understandably worried about the impact the race could have on some of the nation’s most sacred monuments and buildings. And divisiveness hangs over almost anything the Trump administration does. But make no mistake, this race happened only because the president made it a priority.
Still, the fans who attended did not appear to be a political bunch. When Trump made a pre-race trip around the circuit, there were whoops and hollers as well as boos and obscene hand gestures. But the moment passed quickly. Otherwise, the crowd seemed there to watch racing, get some sun and be part of the nation’s larger 250th birthday celebration.
On the ground, the reviews were largely positive. Fans seemed impressed by the event’s organization and access, basics including restroom access and food stands, and amenities such as the huge screens and games on the mall itself. And the series of military flyovers was breathtaking.
There were some complaints, too: not enough grandstands and not enough monitors elsewhere along the course. But that did little to dampen the overall spirit of the day, which seemed to exceed the expectations of fans, critics and other observers.
We applaud not just the event but the big thinking that led to it. IndyCar took a chance by bringing racing to the nation’s capital. It was a success whether or not the race returns next year.•
__________
To comment, write to [email protected].
Please enable JavaScript to view this content.
Editor's note: You can comment on IBJ stories by signing in to your IBJ account. If you have not registered, please sign up for a free account now. Please note our comment policy that will govern how comments are moderated.