Kyle Kirkwood wins inaugural IndyCar Freedom 250 in Washington, D.C

Kyle Kirkwood of Andretti Global secured a historic victory at the inaugural Freedom 250 Grand Prix, held on a temporary 1.7-mile street circuit around Washington, D.C.’s National Mall. Kirkwood dominated the race, leading 128 of 147 laps to finish ahead of Christian Lundgaard and teammate Will Power, who secured third place. The event, part of the United States' 250th anniversary celebrations, drew significant attention, averaging 3.28 million viewers on Fox Sports.

The race proved challenging for championship leader Alex Palou, who suffered a series of setbacks including pit lane errors and a collision that resulted in a broken toe link, ultimately finishing 20th. This result narrows Palou’s championship lead from 133 points to 91 points with three races remaining in the season.

Andretti Global showed strong performance across the field, with Marcus Ericsson also finishing in the top four. The high-profile event included participation from President Donald Trump, who waved the green flag to start the race.