US President Donald Trump waved the green flag to kick off the high-speed IndyCar race.
According to BBC, Trump was among hundreds of people who gathered to see the IndyCar race through the streets of Washington DC on Sunday, August 23, marking the culmination of a series of summer events to celebrate the country's 250th birthday.
The president and First Lady Melania Trump took a ceremonial lap of the 1.7-mile track in his presidential limousine, The Beast.
As they reached the finish line, Trump's new Air Force One completed a flyover above the capital.
Soon after, the president waved the green flag to start the race and drivers began whipping through downtown, including a stretch along Pennsylvania Avenue not too far from the White House.
Trump said in an interview on Fox shortly before the ride, “I’m going to make a little circle in a nice, secure car, slightly slower than the ones we’re going to witness, but we’re going to have fun.”
America’s 250th birthday celebrations
The open-wheel race, with cars whizzing past Washington’s monuments at speeds approaching 200 mph, is the latest of Trump’s celebrations this year to mark America’s 250th birthday, Assocaited Press reported.
The Freedom 250 Grand Prix is the first time professional road racing has been hosted in the capital.
Trump’s other events to mark the semiquincentennial of the Declaration of Independence’s signing have included a UFC fight on the White House lawn, military aircraft flyovers, a massive July Fourth fireworks show on the National Mall and a Great American State Fair that the president headlined after scores of ’90s-era musical acts dropped out.
The events have all had a Trumpian flair, featuring appearances from his friends and the aim of showcasing spectacle, Americana and power.
