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Trump sought to place himself at the center of the action, taking a “lap of honor” in the armored presidential limousine nicknamed “The Beast” ahead of the race and arranging an Air Force One flyover. It was one of seven waves of military flyovers in the preshow, capped with a pass from all six branches of the military with a B-2 bomber as the centerpiece.

Air Force One, escorted by four fighter jets, flew overhead as Trump did his lap. The jet was the Qatar-gifted aircraft that the president has been using as Air Force One, which has attracted scrutiny not only for Trump’s acceptance of the luxury gift but because it is not equipped with some of the same missile detection and countermeasure systems found on older presidential jets.

During his lap in “the Beast” around the circuit, Air Force One flew over the course, capping off a series of flyovers to herald the big race.

Sunday’s festivities were also the latest opportunity for Trump to revel in the way he’s putting his mark on the nation’s capital, including large banners showing his face on government buildings, the construction of a massive White House ballroom, a gold-adorned Oval Office and botched repairs at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.

Since returning to Washington, Trump has deployed the national guard, wrecked the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool, demolished the East Wing of the White House and run the John F Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts into the ground. His face adorns the Department of Justice, and he still has grand plans for a triumphal arch worthy of a Roman emperor.

The Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, which primarily runs domestic flights, has been under a three-hour airspace closure to accommodate the US military flyover.

Never slow to demonstrate his fealty to Trump, Mike Johnson, the Republican speaker of the House of Representatives, told Fox News that he wants to bring the IndyCar Grand Prix back next year and make it an annual event.

Kyle Kirkwood gave the Freedom 250 an American winner, racing to his second victory of the IndyCar season on the streets of downtown Washington in a dominant performance Sunday.

WASHINGTON — Blasting down these iconic and bumpy streets with a view of the U.S. Capitol from his car, Florida native Kyle Kirkwood took the checkered flag to win a once-in-a-lifetime IndyCar race on a sunny Sunday.

In a race set up as part of the country’s 250th birthday celebration, President Donald Trump gave drivers the green flag at the start and D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser served as grand marshal. Kirkwood crossed the finish line in front of the U.S. Capitol 3.09 seconds ahead of Christian Lundgaard, after leading for 128 of a possible 147 laps.

President Donald Trump, who joined forces with D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser to launch the race in January on short notice, waved the green flag to start the race. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy waved the checkered flag to end the 147-lap race.

Trump, who took part in an honorary lap and waved the green flag to start the race, had a hand in bringing the event closer to reality when he signed an executive order in January. He later used White House grounds to promote it, declaring it’ll “be like no other race ever” last month.

Several cars went onto pit road, and that’s when the day started to fall apart for Palou. He appeared to hit a tire in someone else’s area while exiting, and he was assessed a drive-through penalty.

Malukas crashed one turn later on Lap 37, bringing out the caution flag and causing most of the field to pit for fresh tires. Palou was given a drive-through penalty for a pit stop infringement, ending his hopes of victory. He later hit the wall and broke his front wing, falling to the back.

Duffy is among the Trump officials defending Sunday’s main event which prompted the installation of a 1.7-mile circuit that will see drivers zipping past historic landmarks and around museums by the National Mall at up to 180 miles per hour.

Reaching top speeds of about 180 miles per hour during the weekend, the cars zipped down Pennsylvania Ave between the Capitol and the White House, the longest straight on the track. They raced past the D.C. courthouse and the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum during the seven-corner track.

"It will be an awesome display of American patriotism and raw horsepower ingenuity. You're going to see cars at the level that they've never been at before, with cars racing more than 190 mph and even higher than that down Pennsylvania Avenue," he continued.

The race has attracted sponsorships from big companies that do business with the federal government, fueling ethics concerns given Trump world’s proximity to the event, as Politico’s Samuel Larreal has pointed out.

Before the race, Trump and his wife will lead a traditional prerace kickoff in his presidential limo, U.S. Ambassador Monica Crowley, Trump’s liaison to the organizing group America250, said in an interview on Fox Business on Friday.

Trump’s other events to mark the semiquincentennial of the Declaration of Independence’s signing have included a UFC fight on the White House lawn, military aircraft flyovers, a massive July Fourth fireworks show on the National Mall and a Great American State Fair that the president headlined after scores of ’90s-era musical acts dropped out. The events have all had a Trumpian flair, featuring appearances from his friends and the aim of showcasing spectacle, Americana and power.

In other events earlier this summer, Trump hosted an Ultimate Fighting Championship event on the White House lawn, as well as a fireworks show on 4 July.