Executive Order 14381 directs the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Transportation to designate a route in Washington, D.C., for an INDYCAR street race called the Freedom 250 Grand Prix.
The order was signed at the White House on Jan. 30, 2026, and published in the Federal Register on Feb. 4, 2026. It tells the two secretaries to act within 14 days of that signing date.
| Official | Directive |
|---|---|
| Secretary of the Interior and Secretary of Transportation | Designate a Washington, D.C., route for an INDYCAR street race within 14 days |
| Secretary of the Interior and Secretary of Transportation | Move permits and approvals for the Freedom 250 Grand Prix as quickly as possible |
| Secretary of Transportation | Use available funds to help present the race |
| Secretary of Transportation, with the FAA Administrator | Allow permitted aerial photography without compromising nearby government facilities |
| Interior and Transportation secretaries, with the D.C. mayor as needed | Keep roads, trails, or bridges on the course maintained and usable |
The order says the race will be held near the National Mall and calls it the first motor race in the Nation’s capital. It says drivers would travel a course around national monuments to mark the 250th anniversary of America’s independence. The order does not give a date for the race.
The designated route must be suitable for an INDYCAR street race and must present the capital as part of that anniversary, the order says. The interior and transportation secretaries are the officials charged with choosing it.
Those secretaries must also take steps so permits, approvals, and other authorizations needed to plan, prepare for, and hold the Freedom 250 Grand Prix are granted as quickly as possible. The order says the steps may include the interior secretary treating the race as a special event under National Capital Region park rules changed for America250 events, if that secretary finds the step necessary and appropriate.
The transportation secretary is directed to use available funds to help present the race, in line with applicable law and as that official finds appropriate. The order does not state a dollar figure, and it does not name a fund beyond those available funds.
Working through the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration, the transportation secretary must take steps so unmanned aircraft and other aerial photography can be used by people who hold the proper permits. The order says that photography is to add to public enjoyment of the race and show the capital, without putting nearby government facilities at risk.
The two secretaries, working with the Mayor of Washington, D.C., as needed, must see that any roads, trails, or bridges on the course are kept up and can be used for the race, the order says.
In its purpose section, the order says American INDYCAR racing has led motor sports for more than 100 years, with cars topping 200 miles per hour. It names A.J. Foyt and Mario Andretti as legends of the sport. It also says the Indianapolis 500, run each Memorial Day weekend, draws people from around the world and is the largest one-day sporting event anywhere.
The order says it is to be carried out in line with applicable law and only if appropriations are available. It states that it does not give any person a right that can be enforced in court against the United States, its departments, or its officers. The Department of the Interior must pay to publish the order.
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