The National Mall 8:00 AM
The Freedom 250 Grand Prix is about as far from a normal race-day outing as you can get. On August 22 and 23, INDYCAR will turn a 1.7-mile stretch of streets around the National Mall into a seven-turn circuit, with cars racing past the National Air and Space Museum, National Gallery of Art and National Archives. The Sunday race has been extended to 250 miles and 147 laps, adding some extra strategy to what is already a genuinely unusual piece of urban spectacle. Saturday is worth a look too, with IROC exhibition races featuring names including Jeff Gordon, Kurt Busch, Tony Kanaan and Helio Castroneves. General admission is free, though the ticket request window has closed, so only fans who secured tickets can access the designated viewing areas. For anyone curious about how racing looks when the backdrop is the Mall rather than a purpose-built track, this is a rare chance to find out.