The NTT INDYCAR SERIES stands on its most prestigious stage ever this weekend when it races in the nation’s capital in the Freedom 250 Grand Prix of Washington, D.C.

No race cars have ever roared down Pennsylvania Avenue, screamed past the U.S. Capitol, blew by the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum and delivered a high-speed wave to the National Mall on either side.

SEE: D.C. Event Details

Certainly, no motorsports entity has ever been invited to the federal city by a sitting president, and INDYCAR plans to deliver a horsepower show like no other.

Freedom 250 Grand Prix of Washington, D.C.

Officially, the 147-lap race covering 250 miles will be the 15th of 18 events on the INDYCAR SERIES calendar. But of course, this opportunity is much, much more than that.

“We’re already inspired by it, and the ‘wow’ factor is already there,” California-born Alexander Rossi said. “As soon as it was announced (in January), you were counting the days until you get to do it.”

The first practice will be held at 9 a.m. ET Saturday, with FS1 providing live coverage. The rest of the day features a second practice at 1 p.m. and qualifying for the NTT P1 Award at 5 p.m., both sessions carried by FS2.

Sunday is the big day for the INDYCAR SERIES. FOX will open a 90-minute pre-race show featuring Helio Castroneves, Danica Patrick, Chris Myers and Tom Rinaldi at 11:30 a.m. ET with the official race broadcast beginning at 1 p.m.

From a competition standpoint, this is the first of four races to settle the series championship, although Chip Ganassi Racing’s Alex Palou is all but assured of capturing his fourth consecutive season title and fifth in six years. His advantage is a staggering 133 points, 12 points more than he led by at this point of last year’s historic beatdown.

Palou has won six of the first 14 races, and he still has a chance to become the second INDYCAR SERIES driver in history to win eight races in consecutive seasons. The legendary Mario Andretti won eight each in 1966 and 1967.

The interesting race is for second place. Six points separate Andretti Global’s Kyle Kirkwood, Team Penske’s David Malukas and Arrow McLaren’s Christian Lundgaard. Lundgaard has won two races this season, Kirkwood one. Malukas is still looking to earn the first win of his career.

Freedom 250 Grand Prix of Washington, D.C.

This will be the sixth street circuit race of the season and the second in as many weeks. Palou has won three of them with Kirkwood and Marcus Ericsson, the winner of last weekend’s Ontario Honda Dealers Indy at Markham, taking one each.

Rossi, Ericsson and Palou are among the seven Indianapolis 500 winners in this 25-driver field. Scott Dixon, Will Power, Josef Newgarden and Felix Rosenqvist are the others. Obviously, they were on big stages at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Memorial Day weekend, but racing around America’s historic landmarks during the celebration of the country’s 250th year is a whole other level.

The stage is set.