President Donald Trump took a lap around the Freedom 250 Grand Prix race route in "the Beast," the heavily armored presidential limousine, to mark the historic event in Washington.
Trump, who is attending the race on Aug. 23 along with first lady Melania Trump, sat in his presidential vehicle, waving to crowds of attendees and military members as Air Force One flew overhead. He took a spin around the 1.7 mile track, though at slower speeds than the racers, before waving the official green flag to start the competition.
"We're going to make a little circle in a nice, secure car, slightly slower than the ones we're going to witness, but we're going to have fun," Trump said on Fox Sports' broadcast.
Crowds cheered as the motorcade drove around the track
ahead of the race. USA TODAY also spotted one woman throwing up a thumbs down as the president drove by.
Trump has been publicly involved in planning events to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the United States this summer. Originally, a bipartisan congressional commission called America 250 was set up in 2016 to plan events for the summer. But the president also formed Freedom 250 as a a private-public partnership to host events like the Grand Prix, the July 4th fireworks display, the Great American State Fair and the UFC fight on the White House lawn in June.
The president hosted an initial Grand Prix showcase at the White House in July, and IndyCar drivers Alex Palou, David Malukas and Felix Rosenqvist participated in the event.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump takes a lap in 'the Beast' at Freedom 250 Grand Prix, waves green flag
