IndyCar's Freedom 250 Grand Prix spectacle in Washington, DC draws massive TV ratings

How many?

FOX Sports reports that 3.282 million viewers tuned in to see open-wheel racing around some of the most iconic landmarks the nation's capital has to offer.

That figure is a staggering 279% over the average for non-Indy 500 races on Sundays.

It also brings the IndyCar season average up to 1.875 million viewers, a 32% increase over last season, and a 70% jump over 2024, when the series was broadcast on NBC and Peacock.

Of course, it helped that it was an entertaining race.

While Kirkwood maintained control the entire race, some late restarts saw him having to fend off some pressure from Team Penske's Scott McLaughlin and Arrow McLaren's Christian Lundgaard.

It'll be interesting to see if the series' momentum continues as it moves on to a doubleheader weekend at the Milwaukee Mile.

Thanks to that win and a rough race for championship leader Alex Palou, we've got a title battle shaping up through the final three races of the season.

After the two oval races in Milwaukee, the 2026 IndyCar series will wrap up with a road course race at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.

All three of these races will air on FOX.