The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) will suspend flights over Reagan National Airport (DCA) from 10:15 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. Eastern Time on August 23 to ensure safe and efficient air traffic flow during the IndyCar race in Washington, D.C. later this month.
This is not an unusual approach; the FAA has similarly restricted airspace for the Fourth of July UFC event at the White House and in June 2025 for a military parade.
Arrivals and departures will be stopped for the three-hour period, and the IndyCar race is set to begin just after 1 p.m. Eastern Time. FOX will broadcast the highly anticipated event, which will take place on the National Mall, passing the National Archives, National Gallery of Art, and the Smithsonian Institution’s National Air and Space Museum.
The temporary 1.7-mile street course will feature seven corners and will complete 147 laps of racing.
The Freedom 250 Grand Prix is a special event celebrating America’s 250th anniversary. President Trump met with team principal Roger Penske and drivers Alex Palou, David Malukas, and Felix Rosenqvist, who promoted the race at the White House.
This race was added to the schedule late in the year, following President Trump’s executive order signed on January 30.
The IROC event will partner with IndyCar for the following weekend, hosting a support race to the Grand Prix. Drivers will include NASCAR legends Jeff Gordon, Kurt Busch, Bobby Labonte, Rusty Wallace, Bill Elliott, as well as Indy 500 winners Helio Castroneves, Tony Kanaan, and Dario Franchitti.
General admission is free, while the Champion’s Club offers a more exclusive weekend experience for spectators paying up to $5,000.
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