IndyCar’s Washington DC Street Race Draws Record 3.28 Million Viewers, Marks Best Non-Indy 500 Audience Since Series Merger

The viewership numbers of the Freedom 250 Grand Prix of Washington DC

FOX Sports

The Freedom 250 Grand Prix of Washington DC, held on Sunday, August 23, attracted 3.282 million viewers, representing the largest non-Indianapolis 500 audience since the IndyCar Series unified in 2008 following the merger of the Indy Racing League and Champ Car.

Viewership surged 364 percent compared to last year’s corresponding FOX broadcast, which drew 708,000 viewers for the 15th race of the season from Portland, where the opening 31 minutes aired on FS1.

The Washington event also outperformed last year’s non-Indy 500 Sunday races on FOX, which averaged 867,000 viewers, marking a 279 percent improvement.

The race coincided with the NASCAR Cup Series event at New Hampshire, which aired on USA Network from 2:14 to 6:36 p.m.

Complete coverage of the IndyCar race averaged 1,686,000 viewers, with peak viewership reaching 3,482,000 between 2:30 and 2:45 p.m.

Through 15 races, IndyCar on FOX is averaging 1,875,000 viewers, representing a 32 percent increase over last season’s 1,416,000 average and a 70 percent improvement over the 2024 season-to-date figure of 1,106,000 when races were broadcast on NBC, USA Network, and CNBC.

While the event served as IndyCar’s contribution to America’s 250th birthday celebrations, the enthusiastic response from international visitors may prove to be the most valuable outcome. Many of these attendees were experiencing their first auto race, with several departing as newly converted IndyCar supporters.

On the track, Kyle Kirkwood of Jupiter, Florida delivered a commanding performance, capturing the victory after leading 128 of the 147 laps. The contest featured 155 passes throughout the field, providing ample competitive action for spectators.

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