President Trump waved the green flag at the Freedom 250 Grand Prix to begin the historic IndyCar race in the nation’s capital.

The race began shortly after 1 p.m. ET on the National Mall, following a course that twists and turns between the U.S. Capitol, National Archives, and Smithsonian museums.

Drivers will make 147 trips around the 1.7-mile course on Sunday.

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USA TODAY has more:

The two-day event began Saturday with practice and qualifying races and two International Race of Champions races. Twenty-five drivers competed Sunday.

It’s the latest high-profile sporting event spearheaded by Trump as part of the nation’s 250th anniversary celebrations. In June, the White House held a high-profile UFC mixed martial arts competition.

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The race also included a flyover before the green flag.

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The Independent shared further:

MAGA world was out in force to celebrate, with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and House Speaker Mike Johnson already spotted near the grid, alongside thousands of members of the public. The president’s son Eric Trump was also spotted speaking with his father’s close aide Natalie Harp just before the start of the event.

“This turned out to be much bigger than we ever thought possible. They actually closed the bridges because so many people wanted to come,” Trump told Fox News ahead of the race.

Some 25 drivers, including series champion Alex Palou and Indy 500 winner Felix Rosenqvist, are expected to take part in the 147-lap circuit — which has a total race distance of about 250 miles, reaching speeds of 180mph.

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