WASHINGTON (AP) 鈥� The Freedom 250 Grand Prix is largely about 鈥� the Capitol hovering behind Turn 1, the Washington Monument off in the distance.
Now, IndyCar drivers can finally evaluate the actual track.
鈥淚 didn鈥檛 know if it was going to be fun or not to drive. It鈥檚 a blast, super fun,鈥� series points leader Alex Palou said after a morning practice session Saturday. 鈥淰ery bumpy, huge bumps heading into Turn 2 and Turn 6. Massive bumps that are going to spice things up.鈥�
The 1.7-mile street course in downtown Washington was an unknown commodity, set up for the first 鈥� and possibly the last 鈥� time for this event celebrating the country’s 250th birthday. As these tracks go, it looks pretty simple with only seven turns, all but one to the left.
That doesn’t mean the driving is smooth, though 鈥� even on the straightaway down Pennsylvania Avenue between Turns 1 and 2.
鈥淲e got quite a bit of bumps on the exit of Turn 1, quite a bit of bumps going into 2, the straightaway,鈥� said Pato O’Ward, who won last month at Mid-Ohio. 鈥淚 would say that鈥檚 taken over a little bit of what the characteristic of what this track is.鈥�
Pennsylvania Avenue is repaved often because of its role in presidential inaugurations. Race chair Bud Denker spoke highly of the area’s roads in to the event, but at high speed, the slightest bump can make a difference. Louis Foster went over one near the end of the Independence Avenue straightaway and ended up going nose-first into the wall 鈥� in the area Palou was talking about before Turn 6.
鈥淕oing to try to see if we can get a better balance in the corners, not focus so much on the bumps. They鈥檙e not going to disappear,鈥� Palou said. 鈥淚 think if you move a little bit on lanes, might be a little bit better, but it鈥檚 not going to completely go away from that.鈥�
Palou said Turn 2 鈥� a severe bend at the end of the Pennsylvania Avenue straightaway 鈥� presents a good passing opportunity. Same for Turn 5 鈥� a 90-degree left from 7th Street onto Independence Avenue.
鈥淚 think there鈥檚 going to be a lot of action. I see that just having a wide track, it鈥檚 just going to allow us to have more passing than, for example, Detroit,鈥� Palou said, referring to another downtown Indycar course. 鈥淚t鈥檚 so narrow that even if you are so much faster, you can just block so much easier. Here, if you鈥檙e not going to have the pace, they鈥檙e going to overtake you.鈥�
Palou had the top practice lap of 56.6145 seconds in the second session, then topped qualifying later in the day.
Although IndyCar owns the D.C. spotlight this weekend, NASCAR made its presence felt when four-time Cup champion Jeff Gordon swept Saturday’s two-race IROC event in Washington. Kurt Busch was runner-up in both races.
鈥淚 was like a kid in a candy store,鈥� Busch said. 鈥淚t was like I was in a bowl of M&M’s with all the colors and the banners. 鈥榃here鈥檚 my braking zone? I don’t know 鈥� oh, that’s a cool building.’鈥�
The weather was mostly fine despite some threatening clouds. IndyCar drivers can expect humid conditions for Sunday’s 147-lap, 250-mile race.
鈥淚t鈥檚 going to be physical,鈥� O’Ward said. 鈥淓very challenge that a street course usually throws at you. It鈥檚 bumpy. You got a bunch of sweat inside of the helmet. You鈥檙e bouncing up and down in there. It gets pretty rough, gets pretty aggressive.鈥�
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