Drivers prepare to race through the Capitol as IndyCar takes over DC

Start your engines! IndyCar is taking over the streets of Washington this weekend, with drivers racing past some of the country's most famous landmarks at super-fast speeds

It's called the Freedom 250 Grand Prix, part of the celebration of America's 250th birthday

The chorus winds through seven turns along the National Mall, 147 laps and 250 miles in all

making this the first ever IndyCar race in Washington, D.C. And get this, drivers will go flying up Pennsylvania Avenue at speeds approaching 190 miles an hour

Organizers expect about 140,000 people to line the streets for Sunday's race

President Trump will be there, too, taking a ceremonial ride in advance of the main event

Before the engines even start, people in Washington are already split over whether this is a great way to celebrate America's birthday

I personally don't think it's a good idea. I think it's a waste of taxpayer dollars at a time when we aren't adequately funding education

and health care and so many other things. And I think it's kind of a tacky way to celebrate our country's history

and our 250th anniversary. There's many more ways that could do that in a more patriotic, celebratory way

It's a once-in-a-lifetime thing. So for us to complain about traffic for a couple of days, to be able to have a full-blown racetrack right in the heart of the city that we all live and love

it's going to be really exciting, and I can't wait to see it. But, yeah, I think it's going to be a really cool celebration

Practice and qualifying on Saturday with the main event Sunday afternoon, starting near the Capitol Reflecting Pool

The price tag, about $35 million. Roger Penske, the Penske Corporation, and corporate sponsors are helping foot the bill

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