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President Donald Trump on Monday ended the debate over whether race car drivers are athletes as his administration showcased the power of IndyCar vehicles ahead of the Freedom 250 Grand Prix in Washington, D.C., next month.
Trump attended the Freedom 250 Grand Prix presentation at the White House with IndyCar star Álex Palou, racing team owner Roger Penske and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy.
NATION’S CAPITAL’S 250TH CELEBRATION OF AMERICA BOOSTED BY ICONIC AUTOMAKER’S TWO-WEEK TRIBUTE TO INNOVATION
President Donald Trump reacts after receiving a helmet on West Executive Drive at the White House during a showcase for the upcoming Freedom 250 Grand Prix auto race, Monday, July 13, 2026, in Washington. Alex Brandon/AP (Alex Brandon/AP)
“Next month, these great sports pilots, these athletes, they will be great athletes,” Trump said. “Nothing that anyone can do. They were born with something special. They were born with the ability to push that pedal all the way to the floor. Most people can’t do that. Very few people can.
“These are beautiful cars. They will make freedom roar. It will be a freedom that will roar like never before.”
The showcase also included a live pit stop.
The Freedom 250 Grand Prix of Washington, DC will take place August 22-23. The track layout features a 1.66-mile course and seven turns.
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Reigning IndyCar champion Alex Palou gives a helmet to President Donald Trump on West Executive Drive at the White House during a showcase for the upcoming Freedom 250 Grand Prix auto race, Monday, July 13, 2026, in Washington. (Alex Brandon/AP)
Trump’s statement comes amid a highly contentious debate in the auto racing world over whether professional auto racing drivers are actually athletes.
ESPN star Stephen A. Smith entered the territory in April when a caller on his radio show suggested that Richard Petty was one of the greatest athletes of all time. He said driving a car doesn’t “count” as being an athlete.
NASCAR greats Jeff Gordon and Kyle Larson pushed back on Smith’s insinuations in an interview with PK Press Club Digital in May before the Indy 500.
President Donald Trump speaks with Alex Palou, Bud Denker, David Malukas and Roger Penske on West Executive Drive at the White House during a showcase for the upcoming Freedom 250 Grand Prix auto race, Monday, July 13, 2026, in Washington. (Alex Brandon/AP)
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Larson, the reigning NASCAR Cup Series champion, challenged Smith, or anyone for that matter, to take a ride in a race car “without feeling like they’re going to die.”
