Fox’s decision to invest in the future of IndyCar last month came with the promise from the network to help put together new major racing events in the future. And according to reports, one of the first steps in this act may very well be a street race in Washington D.C. to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States.
According to Adam Stern of Sports Business Journal, who learned of the information from “two people familiar with the matter,” IndyCar has “explored the idea” of hosting the street race in Washington D.C. as soon as 2026. This of course comes after Fox’s decision last month to purchase a 33 percent stake in Penske Entertainment, the owner of IndyCar.
While both IndyCar and Fox Sports declined to comment when asked by Stern about a possible D.C. street race, it’s perhaps not a surprise why the possibility of a street race in Washington D.C. is intriguing for both entities, especially in 2026 for the nation’s anniversary.
Other professional leagues have made it a point to plan special events in celebration of the United States’ 25oth birthday. Most notably, UFC President Dana White has already laid out his plan to host a UFC event from the south lawn of the White House on July 4 of 2026.
According to Stern, IndyCar, which is ending its 2025 schedule this weekend at Nashville Superspeedway, is not expected to release its 2026 schedule until next week at the earliest. So we may have to wait to see whether the possibility of a race in Washington D.C. will come to be as early as 2026.
Given the fact that Roger Penske seemingly has a good relationship with President Donald Trump, even receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom during Trump’s first term, it sure seems as if the possibility would at least on the table.
But regardless of whether this event comes to be, it sure seems like Fox’s investment in IndyCar is making a significant impact on the reach of the sport. Notably, heading into the final event of the calendar year, IndyCar events in 2025 are up 28% in viewership on Fox compared to the same point in 2024 when NBC held the broadcasting rights.
About Reice Shipley
Reice Shipley is a staff writer for Comeback Media that graduated from Ithaca College with a degree in Sports Media. He previously worked at Barrett Sports Media and is a fan of all things Syracuse sports.