INDYCAR RACE REPORT: Freedom 250 Grand Prix of Washington, D.C.
Race Results
| Freedom 250 Grand Prix of Washington, D.C. |
| Will Power | P3 |
| Kyle Kirkwood | P1 |
| Marcus Ericsson | P4 |
Race Notes
- The NTT INDYCAR SERIES took on the Streets of Washington, D.C. this afternoon for the inaugural Freedom 250 Grand Prix, with a caution-filled race bringing plenty of action to the 1.7-mile street circuit for 250 miles.
- Kyle Kirkwood led the way for Andretti Global bringing home a Series-first victory in Washington, D.C., while teammate Will Power joined him on the podium in third. Marcus Ericsson, who won last weekend’s inaugural race in Markham, took the checkered just shy of an all Andretti podium in fourth.
- With today’s win, Andretti Global has claimed victory at all three new street circuits on the 2026 calendar (Kirkwood – Arlington, Ericsson – Markham, Kirkwood – Washington D.C.).
- Kirkwood closed the gap on Championship leader Alex Palou with today’s win to 91 points with three races remaining.
- The 146-lap race saw six caution periods, totaling 29 laps.
- INDYCAR returns to oval racing next weekend with a doubleheader at The Milwaukee Mile for the penultimate race weekend of the 2026 season.
Will Power
No. 26 TWG AI Honda
P3
| Started | P12 |
| Standings | P10 (328 points) |
- Taking the green from the sixth row, Will Power began the 147-lap race on the Streets of Washington, D.C. on an alternate strategy.
- Power moved into the top 10 in the first half of the race and continued to move forward as the No. 26 worked its way toward the front of the field.
- The Australian ran at the front through the second half of the race, leading twice for a total of five laps before making his final pit stop on Lap 117.
- Power recorded the fastest lap of the race on Lap 122 at 157.9495 seconds before securing a third-place finish.
- The result marked his third street course podium of the season and moved him into the top 10 in the INDYCAR Championship Standings.
“We have a really good team, good car, good stops and good strategy. All those things helped us to make moves on the track today. It’s so awesome to see Kyle win this race after it was Marcus last week; the two of us on the podium. This is such an epic event, man. Looking back, I could never have dreamed of being here and racing in a place like this when I started, all those years ago, in Toowoomba. I’m stoked. I really wanted to get on the podium. Obviously, a win would be phenomenal, but one of our team cars won today, so we’re becoming the team to beat.”
Kyle Kirkwood
No. 27 Sam’s Club Honda
P1
| Started | P2 |
| Standings | P2 (462 points) |
- Starting from the front row, Kirkwood made an early pass to take the lead on the opening lap.
- Through multiple early caution periods, Kirkwood maintained the lead until the third yellow of the day, when the No. 27 Sam’s Club Honda made its first pit stop on Lap 39.
- Despite losing some positions following his first pit stop, Kirkwood worked his way back through the field to retake the lead on Lap 51.
- Kirkwood cycled back to the lead for the final time on Lap 117 and stayed there through the checkered flag. He led a record breaking 128 of 147 laps, the most ever on a street course.
- He also recorded the fastest leader lap on Lap 145 at 104.996 mph.
- This marks Kirkwood’s seventh career victory and second win of the season on an inaugural street circuit.
“You can’t even put this moment into words. This is incredible. I’m almost in tears here. This is a big moment for us, a big moment for America, a big moment for Andretti Global and a big moment for Sam’s Club and Honda. These No. 27 guys, they’re the ones that gave me the equipment and this car right here to go out there and perform. But man, that was a hard race. After 147 laps, I’m out of breath right now if I’m being honest. What an incredible place to race. You know, if you can’t win at the Indy 500, this is definitely the place to win. I don’t know if we’re ever going to get another chance to race here, but I hope we do. This was awesome. What a dream come true.”
Marcus Ericsson
No. 28 Acura Honda
P4
| Started | P21 |
| Standings | P7 (361 points) |
- Sporting a fresh Acura Honda livery for the inaugural Freedom 250 Grand Prix, Marcus Ericsson took the green flag from 21st following a six-position grid penalty for an unapproved engine change.
- As the early stages of the race progressed, Ericsson methodically made his way through the field, gaining 12 positions from his starting spot to move into the top 10 by the halfway point of the 147-lap race.
- By Lap 117, the Swede had worked his way into the top five before making his way into fourth in the closing laps.
- Today’s fourth-place finish marks Ericsson’s fifth top-five result of the season, moving him to seventh in the INDYCAR Championship Standings.
“An amazing day for us as an organization and for us as a sport. This has been a huge event, and the track has been packed with fans all weekend. To come away with a 1-3-4 finish for the team is just ginormous. For us on the No. 28 Acura Honda, to finish fourth after starting 21st was a great result. The crew did a great job with the strategy and pit stops, and we had great power from Honda. It was just a fun drive. I had to overtake a lot of cars to work my way up to fourth.”
Ron Ruzewski
INDYCAR Team Principal
“Just a huge day today and an unbelievable team effort. I can’t say enough about all three drivers and the effort they put forward. To come away with a 1-3-4 finish is a testament to our drivers and the entire team. It’s a historic result, and I’m really proud of everyone and the effort they put in. We want to carry this momentum into the next couple of weeks and finish the season strong.”
