Freedom 250 nets best IndyCar ratings outside 500 since ‘08

Field Level Media|published: Tue 25th August, 22:07 2026

Aug 23, 2026; Washington, D.C., USA; Andretti Global driver Kyle Kirkwood (27) celebrates with the winner's trophy after the Freedom 250 Grand Prix of Washington, D.C. on the street circuit at National Mall. Mandatory Credit: Amber Searls-Imagn Images

The IndyCar Series' Freedom 250 Grand Prix, a one-time street race in the nation's capital in honor of the country's semiquincentennial, earned the racing circuit's best TV ratings for any non-Indianapolis 500 race since 2008.

Fox reported an average of 3.282 million viewers for the unique event, the largest audience outside of the Indy 500 since IndyCar merged with Champ Car in 2008. Viewership peaked at 3.482 million between 2:30 and 2:45 p.m. ET Sunday.

Washington, D.C., had never hosted a street race of this kind before 2026, but President Donald Trump authorized the race with an executive order back in January. The Secretaries of the Interior and Transportation designed the race route, which encircled and cut through the National Mall.

The IndyCar Series, whose U.S. TV rights belong to Fox, is averaging 1.88 million viewers per race, a 32% increase from this time last year, Sports Business Journal reported.

Kyle Kirkwood of Andretti Global won the race, beating Denmark's Christian Lundgaard by 3.0906 seconds.

--Field Level Media

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