Trump will kick off the IndyCar race in the Beast before cars zoom through Washington's streets

WASHINGTON (AP) — For once, things will be moving quickly in bureaucratic Washington, D.C., when the nation’s capital hosts an IndyCar race through its streets.

President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump are scheduled to watch Sunday’s Freedom 250 Grand Prix as the cars whip through the city’s downtown, including a stretch along Pennsylvania Avenue not too far from the White House.

“Their beautiful cars are going to make freedom roar. This will be a freedom that’s roaring like never before,” Trump said at the White House earlier this month as he promoted the event.

Before the race, Trump and his wife will lead a traditional prerace kickoff in his presidential limo, U.S. Ambassador Monica Crowley, Trump’s liaison to the organizing group America250, said in an interview on Fox Business on Friday.

The open-wheel race, with cars whizzing past Washington’s monuments at speeds approaching 200 mph, is the latest of Trump’s celebrations this year to mark America’s 250th birthday.

Trump’s other events to mark the semiquincentennial of the Declaration of Independence’s signing have included a UFC fight on the White House lawn, military aircraft flyovers, a massive July Fourth fireworks show on the National Mall and a Great American State Fair that the president headlined after scores of ’90s-era musical acts dropped out. The events have all had a Trumpian flair, featuring appearances from his friends and the aim of showcasing spectacle, Americana and power.

In this latest case, it will be horsepower.

In addition to the main event, there will also be a prerace show and flyovers of military aircraft, which swooped and boomed over the city during the July Fourth celebrations.

The IndyCar race comes as Trump has been struggling to resolve the war he started nearly six months ago with Iran, a conflict that has driven up gasoline prices and exacerbated worries from officials in his Republican Party that voters in this November’s midterm elections see the president as distracted and not focused enough on cost-of-living concerns.

Trump in his second term has increasingly seemed to focus on relishing the presidency’s ceremonial aspects. That's included a healthy dose of visits to sporting events — including an appearance last month at the World Cup final, where he presented the trophy to winner Spain and lingered onstage with the team as its members jumped in a hail of confetti.

An executive order Trump signed earlier this year calling for the Freedom 250 Grand Prix declared that the “cars and drivers inspire awe and respect in all who watch this quintessentially American sport,” and the event will “showcase the majesty of our great city as drivers navigate a track around our iconic national monuments in celebration of America’s 250th birthday.”

IndyCar series owner Roger Penske, a longtime friend of Trump’s who received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from him in 2019, helped lead the effort to bring the race to Washington.

Bud Denker, president of Penske Corporation and the race’s chair, said that Penske is paying for the “vast majority” of the race, including building the track and road improvements, while the District of Columbia handled some repaving.

Among the changes needed on the city’s streets was the welding of more than 200 manhole covers to ensure the race cars don’t suck them up off the road.

Sunday’s festivities are also the latest opportunity for Trump to revel in the way he’s putting his mark on the nation’s capital, including large banners showing his face on government buildings, the construction of a massive White House ballroom, a gold-adorned Oval Office and botched repairs at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.

Race car diver Caio Collet drives during a qualifying race prior to Sunday's Freedom 250 Grand Prix auto race in Washington, Saturday, Aug. 22, 2026.(AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Race car diver Alex Palou after a qualifying race prior to Sunday's Freedom 250 Grand Prix auto race in Washington, Saturday, Aug. 22, 2026.(AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Race car diver Scott McLaughlin gets out of his car after a qualifying race prior to Sunday's Freedom 250 Grand Prix auto race in Washington, Saturday, Aug. 22, 2026.(AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Outside the Acropolis, a sea of hats bobs up and down the hill to the ancient site: straw boaters, Panama hats, baseball caps and bucket hats in the relentless heat.

Hat racks are hard to miss in central Athens this summer. Kiosks and stores keep outdoor stands piled high as more tourists seek relief from the midday heat.

The Acropolis drew about 4.6 million visitors in 2025, a record year for Greek tourism. Many spend hours in mid-30s Celsius (mid-90s Fahrenheit) temperatures with little shade. Even a carriage horse at the foot of the ancient monument has joined in, sporting a brown bucket hat with holes cut for its ears.

“You need a hat. I’m already red as it is,” said Jack Yosif, an Australian tourist wearing a black baseball cap. “It’s a bit more of a common thing nowadays, and people are a bit more aware.”

Scorching temperatures didn't deter a record 38 million visitors last year, the most recent for which there is data. The combination of extreme heat and high demand for sites – which means not everyone can visit in the morning – is adding urgency to sun protection.

Greek health campaigners have welcomed a growing awareness of the dangers of ultraviolet exposure and risk of heat stroke. Red Cross volunteers at the Acropolis hand out kits with sunscreen, water, information leaflets and red caps.

On nearby Syntagma Square, kiosk owner Konstantinos Mallios says hat sales have risen in recent years. His stylish and souvenir models run up to 20 euros ($24) while the cheapest costs 6 euros. Available elsewhere is semi-disposable headgear: mass-produced hats made using compressed paper pulp.

And there are more ostentatious options. At her basement workshop, hatmaker Lisa Sarigiannidou turns straw braids into boaters using century-old presses and molds in a matter of minutes. Her hats start at around 50 euros, with elaborate designs costing more than 100 euros.

“People’s attitudes toward hats have changed,” said Sarigiannidou, who was trained by her hatmaker father. “In the past, when a young woman tried on a hat and looked at herself in the mirror, she usually laughed. Now they try them on seriously ... and they wear them straight out the door.”

Theodora Tongas and Srdjan Nedeljkovic in Athens contributed

Hats are displayed alongside materials using in their production on hangers and shelves at a shop in Athens, Greece, Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis)

A Russian tourist tries on a hat and takes a selfie at a shop in Athens, Greece, Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis)

Tourists wearing hats visit the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier outside the Greek Parliament in Athens, Greece, Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis)

Tourists wearing hats visit the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier outside the Greek Parliament in Athens, Greece, Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis)

Tourists wearing hats take photographs on the rocky Areios Pagos Hill next to the Acropolis in Athens, Greece, Friday, Aug. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis)