Oilpressure

This past Friday, we got confirmation that rumors that had been swirling all week had become fact. President Trump signed an Executive Order for an IndyCar race, the Freedom 250, a street race to be run around the Nation’s Capital this coming August. This will be run in conjunction with America250 – the year-long celebration of the 250th anniversary of the birth of the United States.

Those close to my age will remember the much more hyped Bicentennial Celebration in 1976, the year I graduated high school. Still 250 years is a major milestone, so there are many different types of celebrations scheduled to take place around the US this year.

The reaction to this news was exactly as I expected – divided. Those on the left were horrified that IndyCar would stoop so low as to break bread with Donald Trump. Those on the right saw it as another opportunity to dig in their heels on their various political stances.

I debated throughout the weekend whether or not to even tackle this topic. I had originally planned to write about Tim Cindric’s surprise return to Team Penske, less than nine months after he was fired in shame over the second major controversy for the team that also happens to be owned by the owner of the series and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

I don’t normally wade into the shark-infested waters of political discussions here or on social media. Why anger half or my readers here, and what’s the point of getting into an argument with someone I don’t even know on social media? I have an idea that most here already know my political leanings, but for those with differing viewpoints – what’s the point of stirring up an argument? People come here to get away from such nonsense. No one wants to be lectured.

Now I don’t mind stirring up controversy about racing. That’s already easy enough to do, with so many differing IndyCar opinions out there. Most know that I am totally against any type of tire war, but I am in favor of opening up the rulebook for innovation to include possibly (gasp) multiple chassis manufacturers. I completely support the decision to end the season on Labor Day weekend to avoid any conflict with the NFL at all cost. However, I was angered at the huge gaps that existed for years in the spring schedule. Fortunately, that has been addressed with the 2026 NTT IndyCar Series schedule. And I am very much in favor of the latest move at IMS that saw the facility ditch Pepsi in favor of Coke.

But when it comes to politics, I tend to refrain from expressing my opinion. I think most should do the same. I was brought up in an era when it was considered bad taste to discuss sex, religion or politics. I wish celebrities felt that way. Susan subjected me to watching the Grammys last night, where it took only eight minutes for the first political reference to emerge.

Why do any celebrities think we want to be lectured to?

Although each passing year puts me further out of touch with today’s contemporary music, in my (much) younger days, I used to watch the Grammys to see live non-lip-synced performances from the biggest stars of the day. Even in the 70s and 80s when I cared about the Grammys, I found it a huge turn-off when some 8th-grade drop-out rock star, lectured me about what I was supposed to feel about whatever crisis-of-the-day was going on.

I don’t like it when sports and politics meet, either. Most people tend to wander to sports to get away and escape from the dismal newscasts we see on every channel. Sports is usually when different types of people unite over a common goal. At Titans games, on the rare times that the team actually scores a touchdown, people from all different backgrounds hug each other in celebration. It isn’t forced or choreographed. It’s authentic and genuine.

Yet so many people this week have become outraged over the fact that IndyCar “has chosen to mix sports and politics” by agreeing to race in our Nation’s Capital. Since when is it political to be patriotic? This is a celebration of America, not Donald Trump – as so many claim. I don’t choose to celebrate Independence Day in only the years when the sitting President is in my political party. I celebrate it every year because I love this country and I’m proud to be an American – no matter who the President is.

I feel sorry for those on the far extremes of both political parties. They miss out on a lot of enjoyment, which might possibly explain why many of them seem so joyless. I have a good friend (Tom) who loved football and was always eager to have in-depth football conversations with me. When the whole kneeling thing hit the NFL, beginning with Colin Kaepernick in 2016; he totally boycotted the NFL. Many also said they were boycotting, but they were back watching and following by the beginning of the next season. Not Tom. To this day, he has not watched a single NFL game in ten seasons. He still follows college football religiously, but says he is happy to have his fall Sundays freed up for other things. I’m not so sure.

Closer to racing, I have a friend that grew up in Indianapolis, who has attended every Indianapolis 500 since he was a boy. When IMS required everyone to be vaccinated against COVID in 2021 before being allowed in the IMS Media Center, not only did he not comply – he claims he has not watched a race or attended an Indianapolis 500 since. He also chastised me in the process for “giving in”.

Maybe I’m too superficial or spineless, but my convictions are just not that strong. My principles do have a price, and that price is my ability to enjoy something, regardless of where it falls in the political spectrum. I don’t care for Jane Fonda at all, because of her actions in Hanoi against our own troops in the 60s. But Jane Fonda has made some good movies and I will sit, watch and enjoy them – regardless of what she has done in her personal life. I do have the ability to turn off my political beliefs and enjoy the moment.

This weekend I have seen countless comments over social media from people saying they have watched their last IndyCar race, because they are angered that “IndyCar has jumped in bed with Trump”. Others say that they have no intention of attending the race, which is doing nothing but inflating Trump’s ego. Then there was the shining comment I saw on Facebook Sunday morning from one person that said “I hope a car goes in the crowd and wipes out a whole bunch of those MAGA a**holes”. Nice.

Others blame FOX Sports, which is a business cousin to FOX News. Although MSNBC was just as connected to NBCSN, no one seemed to have a problem separating those two.

I have mixed emotions about this event, but it has nothing to do with politics. On the surface, it looks like the decision was hastily made to squeeze it into an already busy August schedule without much thought. I have to think the basic course layout has already been selected in collaboration with IndyCar. Marshall Pruett said on his podcast that he began to hear whispers of this event last summer. I didn’t hear those whispers, but his ear is a lot closer to the ground than mine is. Pruett is usually correct, so I have to assume that he is this time, and that proper thought and planning has already gone into this event. If that’s the case, they have had a lot more time that most people think.

I’m also concerned about the massive security at such an event. The press release has said the event will be free to the public. What does that mean? Does that mean there will be some free General Admission tickets for standing room only, but the grandstands will be available at a cost – along with the usual pit and garage passes for those willing to pay? Or does this mean it will be a total free-for-all – to generate a giant crowd for television? I hope it’s the former. If it’s a free-for-all; I’ll stay home.

I’ve read where people are accusing Trump of grandstanding by issuing an Executive Order for this to happen. Not that he’s above grandstanding, but in this case it expedites the process. From what I understand, an Executive Order bypasses the usual protocols of getting permits approved and all of the administrative red tape that can bring the process to a crawl. Time is of the essence. In less than eighth months, this event will have already taken place. If IndyCar doesn’t want egg on their face, they will need to cut out as much red tape as possible.

My biggest concern is that this is being put together by the US Government, which has been a model of insufficiency for decades. Marshall Pruett said he has heard rumors that Green Savoree Racing Promotions is going to be involved. If so, that will be a big help. They are already promoters for St. Petersburg, Mid-Ohio, Toronto and Portland. They have the experience and expertise to put together successful events – especially on temporary street circuits. If the federal government is heavily involved in putting this event together – God only knows what we’ll get. If you’ve ever filed for Medicare, you know what I mean.

This has the potential to be really big for IndyCar. It’s not as if IndyCar was the third or fourth racing series this was offered to – we were the original target for such a unique event. Yes, the cars are built in Italy and there is a Japanese engine manufacturer (and the Chevy engines are actually built by Ilmor in the UK); but IndyCar is an American based series that runs almost all of its races in the US. I’ve seen people joke that if Pato O’Ward wins, he will be deported. Yes that’s funny, but I think some people actually believe it.

But for all of the comments from those that are losing their collective minds over this, there are also just as many who are in favor of the Freedom 250. Many of them admit they have never watched an IndyCar race, but they will attend or watch this one. They are stoked about an IndyCar race being included in the America250 Celebration, even while admitting they know little about IndyCar.

IndyCar has been desperate to pull itself out of the doldrums. This may be the best opportunity yet, for that to happen. Yet I see and hear those that are fans, hoping this event implodes and never gets off the ground. Who does that help? Do they think it will hurt Trump? No, he’ll just blame IndyCar publicly and move on to the next celebratory event.

The bad thing about these times we are in is that we are now forced to choose sides, and we can never acknowledge that there might be something of merit on the other side. Those of us that like to think we are closer to the middle are labeled as weak, spineless and lacking conviction. The extremists on both sides claim that being silent is the worst thing you can do. You must be a raving lunatic, whichever side you choose. I disagree.

I think of my friend Tom that is boycotting the NFL, even though he was once a huge fan. Who is he hurting, the NFL? They seem to be doing just fine without him. Instead, he’s depriving himself of a sport that he loved for decades. I admire his conviction, but I also think he has cut off his nose to spite his face. Maybe he’s right and I’m wrong, but I also think I represent the middle ground – not taking extreme stances that only hurt yourself in the long run.

I am very excited for the Freedom 250. It is an eighteenth points-paying race that fans have been clamoring for for years; and who doesn’t like more racing? I’m thrilled that IndyCar has been chosen to be part of the America250 celebration. I think it will be a very patriotic event and will put a lot of new eyeballs on the sport – both in person and on network television. You can be assured that FOX will promote this event correctly. Remember – they now own 30% of IndyCar.

I am fearful that a lot of people will refuse to watch or attend this event, simply out of their hatred of Donald Trump. I would support this event whether Trump was in the White House, Joe Biden, Bill Clinton or Ronald Reagan. This isn’t about supporting the temporary occupant of the White House. It’s about celebrating patriotism and the love of our country, and being excited for IndyCar being chosen for that platform. I hope the naysayers will come around and see it that way. I am hopeful they will, but based on the comments I saw this weekend – I am not convinced.

George Phillips

This entry was posted on February 2, 2026 at 4:04 am and is filed under IndyCar. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.