Here is a rundown of what got me thinking...
History was apparently made in Formula E, as Mitch Evans tied Sébastien Buemi for most victories in the series with Evans winning in Miami. Formula One testing started, but under a blanket of secrecy. We do know the Mercedes and Ferrari were consistently on track, McLaren was delayed but started making up ground, Isack Hadjar started his Red Bull tenure with a crash, Aston Martin barely got on track and Cadillac had a good opening weekend. Meanwhile, MotoGP is testing in Sepang. NASCAR had the Clash delayed to Wednesday due to winter weather. Jack Doohan missed out on a Super Formula opportunity. Sébastien Bourdais has left Tower Motorsport to focus on his FIA World Endurance Championship responsibilities. However, we start this week with IndyCar and an addition to the 2026 calendar.
IndyCar Goes to Washington
In a stunning reveal, IndyCar will be holding a race in Washington, D.C. this season.
The announcement came on Friday at the White House and the Grand Prix of Washington, D.C. will be held on the weekend of August 23 in celebration of the 250th anniversary of United States independence.
Discussions about a potential Washington, D.C. race were held last year but nothing was agreed upon and it looked like no race would be possible for 2026. This race will form in a little less than eight months, a remarkably quick turnaround for a first-time street race.
Reception of this race has been mixed between the excitement of getting to hold a race in the nation's capital and the displeasure with the race's tie to the federal government. Both things can hold some water, but we must acknowledge the reality of this race.
IndyCar has a lengthy history of races that have not taken place despite efforts from municipalities, sponsors and the series itself. The Hawaiian Super Prix is exhibit A. It was only a decade ago IndyCar announced a race in Boston for Labor Day weekend, which fell off the schedule only three months before it was supposed to take place. Champ Car was supposed to end its 2007 season with a street race in Phoenix that December. That was cancelled in August of that year. These are just domestic examples. IndyCar has had a number of international events on the schedule or on the verge of being confirmed only for them to never happen.
An eight-month turnaround is ambitious, and it leaves little margin for error. There are practical hurdles in the way for this race getting set. It includes getting the materials to build the circuit and grandstands while also signing contracts for vendors and assembling the necessary staff to put on such an event.
We cannot forget how circuit issues have hurt races. Baltimore could not shake the issues with train tracks cutting through the circuit. Houston was marred due to bumps that were not properly ground down prior to the first practice session. With such a short window before the race, there is greater risk of something being overlooked that causes an actual problem with the circuit and could lead to a black eye with race cars sitting silent because of lengthy efforts to amend the issue.
We should also take a breather and not overestimate the effect of such an event.
Every so often, IndyCar does something that gets people excited and leads them to believe it will be a game changer for the series. This race has many believing it will be a monumental moment for IndyCar and will lead to growth.
It probably will not.
There have been street races nearly everywhere in this country, and there is a reason why only a few last for more than five years. Long Beach and St. Petersburg are the only ones with staying power. Detroit has come and gone and it is here today. Toronto just fell off after a 30-year run. In-between we have seen Baltimore, Houston, Denver, Las Vegas and Nashville all were flashes in the pan. All of these came on the schedule with much fanfare, and not only did they not last but they did not grow the fan base. IndyCar didn't see any long-term television ratings increase.
This is different, and it is one of the more unthinkable places for an IndyCar race to be held, especially if it includes the National Mall and passes some of the most iconic landmarks in the United States. This opportunity will likely never come up again for any series let alone IndyCar. I don't believe that will be enough to make a difference.
If people aren't hooked with races being held at Long Beach, Road America, Laguna Seca or the Indianapolis 500 itself, a race in Washington, D.C. isn't going to turn someone into a regular fan. People watch for more than just the location of the race. They watch for the competition and the spectacle of an automobile pushed to its limits. More importantly, they watch for the people competing. They find a tie to a driver and that becomes the person they are compelled to root for.
That is what IndyCar has been struggling to understand for years. You need people to care about those competing to grow an audience. All the gimmicks in the world are not going to grow the series, special race locations include. Every year we see five million people or more watch the Indianapolis 500 only for every other race struggle to draw a million viewers. Washington, D.C. would be lucky to draw two million viewers out of curiosity alone, but IndyCar will be right back hovering around one million viewers for the remaining two race weekends at Milwaukee and Laguna Seca.
Let's remember that just because a race is being held in Washington, D.C. does not mean it will be a good race. IndyCar has prided itself with competitive races no matter the track discipline, but we know the shortcomings of street courses. A bad circuit will produce a bad race. It is one thing to be racing in Washington, D.C., but if the race is a processional affair and lacks action, the shine of racing in the capital will wear off quickly. Every year we hear displeasure over Formula One continuing to race in Monaco due to the lack of action. A segment of the audience is no longer enamored seeing cars race by yachts and through casino square.
The longevity of the Washington, D.C. race is already in question. This race is being promoted as being a part of the celebration of 250 years of independence, but if it is a one-off, will it really make a difference for the series? Doing it once does not sound like it will lead to much growth. It will be an anomaly and something that could be missed if someone has plans or is looking elsewhere. A one-off trip will become a fun footnote in the history books. "Hey, did you know there was once a street race in Washington, D.C.?"
IndyCar doesn't need a one-off. It needs something permanent that becomes a fixture on the schedule. Most street races are in a difficult position to become a fixture, and Washington, D.C. is in the most precarious position because of the last-minute nature of its organization and lack of long-term plans.
As for why IndyCar is getting this opportunity and it is not NASCAR or Formula One, one must consider that NASCAR has a full schedule and there is no room for an additional race where organization of the event started in January, and that same reasoning applies to Formula One but also throw in the extra procedures the FIA takes when homologating a street course. IndyCar had the available time, and does not have as strict a standard. It isn't because there was some strong drumbeat from the local population to bring IndyCar to the city. IndyCar just happened to be best positioned to be co-opted for this race.
We must ask if an IndyCar race is what the federal government should be spending its time on considering what else is going on in the country. With civil conflict in Minnesota, international conflicts, stagnant wages and cost of living concerns for the average American, hosting an automobile race does not feel all that pertinent to running the federal government. Under better circumstances, it could be something worth considering. At this time, it feels unwarranted.
Despite the rushed timeline, legitimate concerns over whether this race will be organized properly, and considering the state of the Union, IndyCar has decided this is good enough for them. It has deemed this too good of an offer to pass up, even if the possible gain from running such a race seems to be overly inflated.
Winners From the Weekend
You know about Mitch Evans, but did you know...
The #4 CrowdStrike Racing by APR Oreca-Nissan of Louis Delétraz, Malthe Jacobsen and George Kurtz won the first 4 Hours of Dubai. The #13 Inter Europol Competition Ligier-Toyota of Alexander Bukhantsov, Chun-Ting Chou and Henry Cubises Olarte won in LMP3. The #74 Kessel Racing Ferrari of Dustin Blattner, Chris Lulham and Dennis Marschall won in GT.
The #4 CrowdStrike Racing by APR Oreca-Nissan of Louis Delétraz, Malthe Jacobsen and George Kurtz also won second 4 Hours of Dubai. The #71 23Events Racing Ligier-Toyota of Terrence Woodward, Matúš Ryba and Ibrahim Badawy won in LMP3. The #69 Team WRT BMW of Dan Harper, Anthony McIntosh and Parker Thompson won in GT.
Cooper Webb won Supercross' Triple Crown event from Houston with finishes of fourth, second and third. Ken Roczen, Hunter Lawrence and Eli Tomac won the three races. Haiden Deegan won 250cc Triple Crown event as Deegan swept the races. It is Deegan’s third consecutive race.
Coming Up This Weekend
There is this little game called the Super Bowl.
Besides that, the Asian Le Mans Series comes to a close with two races in Abu Dhabi.
Supercross is in Glendale, Arizona, a past Super Bowl location.
