Washington, United States: Donald Trump will take a lap of honor at an IndyCar race through the streets of Washington this weekend, capping a summer of 250th anniversary festivities.
Racing cars will roar past historic landmarks including the US Capitol and Smithsonian Museums as 25 drivers make 147 laps of the course at speeds of up to 185 mph (298 kmh).
Workers have had to weld down more than 200 manhole covers on the 250-mile (400-kilometer) circuit so that the sheer force created by the speeding cars doesn't tear them off.
Practice and qualifying sessions are on Saturday and the "Freedom 250 Grand Prix" itself will take place on Sunday.
Trump, 80, is expected to take a ceremonial lap of honor in his armored limousine dubbed "The Beast" and then wave the green flag to start the race.
The event is being managed by the organizers of the IndyCar championship, the US motorsport whose cars resemble Formula One vehicles but often compete on oval tracks, including at the flagship Indianapolis 500 race.
Once in a lifetime
It marks a final attempt by Trump to stamp his mark on Washington's celebrations of the 250th anniversary, which began with an Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) bout in a huge cage on the White House lawn in June.
As with the UFC fight, the IndyCar organizers are footing the bill for a huge logistical challenge which has shut down some of Washington's busiest roads for days.
Thousands of spectators will line the route for the unprecedented race, which echoes Formula One contests staged on city streets in Las Vegas, Monaco and Singapore.
"I think that this really is probably a once in a lifetime event," Kim Harrison, a 45-year-old retired teacher from California, told AFP.
"It's going to just be amazing. The sights, the sounds, the smells. It's all going to be just wonderful," said Neva Hoover, 58, from Ohio, who owns of an auto body repair shop.
