Kyle Kirkwood dominates inaugural Freedom 250 in Washington

Kyle Kirkwood won the inaugural Freedom 250 Grand Prix of Washington, D.C. on Sunday after controlling most of IndyCar’s first race around the National Mall. The Andretti Global driver finished 3.0906 seconds ahead of Christian Lundgaard, according to IndyCar’s official race report.

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Kirkwood started second in the No. 27 Honda and led 128 of the 147 laps on the temporary street circuit. IndyCar said he built an advantage of more than 16 seconds at stages before a late caution compressed the field. The victory was his second of the 2026 season and the seventh of his IndyCar career.

Motorsport.com reported that polesitter Alex Palou led the field away after President Donald Trump waved the green flag. Kirkwood moved ahead before Turn 3 on the opening lap, then quickly established a lead after an early caution for debris. The 250-mile contest was held on a seven-turn, 1.7-mile course through central Washington.

A late restart reduced Kirkwood’s margin, but he remained in front to complete a dominant performance. Lundgaard took second for Arrow McLaren, while Will Power finished third and Marcus Ericsson fourth, giving Andretti Global three of the first four places. Kyffin Simpson completed the top five for Chip Ganassi Racing.

The result also tightened the championship standings. Motorsport.com reported that Palou finished 20th after a race that included a drive-through penalty for contact with equipment in another team’s pit stall, a slow stop and a late crash. Kirkwood, second in the standings, reduced his deficit to Palou from 133 points to 91 with three races left.

The Associated Press reported that Trump and first lady Melania Trump took a ceremonial lap in the presidential limousine before the start. The race formed part of events marking the 250th anniversary of American independence and was the first IndyCar event staged in the nation’s capital. IndyCar listed the Freedom 250 as the 15th race of its 2026 season.