IndyCar makes history today. The inaugural Freedom 250 Grand Prix of Washington, D.C. sends the NTT IndyCar Series onto a temporary street course near the National Mall for the first time, with the green flag set for 1:00 PM ET on FOX. Alex Palou starts from pole and headlines our card as the pick to win. Still, the short price on the runaway championship leader leaves room for a longer play. Below are our predictions and best bets for the Freedom 250, from the featured outright pick to a value angle and a pair of race-day props.
Last Updated: Sunday, August 23, 2026
2026 Freedom 250 Grand Prix of Washington, D.C. — Time & How to Watch
| Where | Streets of Washington, D.C. |
| When | Sunday, August 23 – 1:00 PM ET |
| TV | FOX |
Pre-Race Report
Alex Palou will lead the field to green after claiming the pole. He circled the 1.7-mile, seven-turn layout in 56.899 seconds at 107.558 mph, his seventh pole of the 2026 season. It marks the first IndyCar race in the nation’s capital, a 147-lap sprint covering roughly 250 miles to commemorate America’s 250th anniversary.
Kyle Kirkwood qualified second and shares the front row with Palou. Scott McLaughlin starts third, followed by Christian Rasmussen in fourth and Marcus Armstrong in fifth. David Malukas rolls off sixth after a lockup forced him to abort his final qualifying lap. Pato O’Ward lines up seventh, with Dennis Hauger eighth, Christian Lundgaard ninth and Felix Rosenqvist completing the top 10.
Track position carries extra weight here. This is a tight, first-year street circuit with no prior race data, and clean air matters when passing lanes are limited. That backdrop shapes every pick below. The drivers who qualified up front hold a real advantage, but the unknowns of a brand-new layout raise the odds of incidents, cautions and shuffled strategy. We laid out the full market in our Freedom 250 odds preview, and Palou has only tightened his grip since.
2026 Freedom 250 Grand Prix — Top Odds to Win
| Name | Odds |
|---|---|
| Alex Palou | -120 |
| Kyle Kirkwood | +325 |
| Scott McLaughlin | +850 |
| Christian Lundgaard | +1000 |
| David Malukas | +1200 |
| Pato O’Ward | +1600 |
| Felix Rosenqvist | +2000 |
| Marcus Ericsson | +2000 |
| Will Power | +2000 |
| Christian Rasmussen | +2200 |
Odds accurate as of Sunday, August 23, 2026 via TheSpread.com. Odds change, get the latest IndyCar Odds – Props
2026 Freedom 250 Grand Prix Top Pick to Win
Palou has been the class of the field all year. He owns six wins through the first 14 rounds and has taken three of the four street races on the 2026 calendar. He also carries a 133-point championship lead over Kirkwood. Now he adds the pole on a circuit that rewards the car out front. The No. 10 Chip Ganassi Racing Honda has been the most complete package in the series, and street tracks have been his strongest surface this season.
The Pick: Alex Palou to win (-120)
The case against is the price. At -120, Palou’s implied probability sits near 54.5 percent, so there is little margin baked into the number. A first-year street course also invites chaos. Seven tight corners, a full-course caution at the wrong moment, or a single restart mistake can undo even the fastest car. Backing him means trusting that the best car also runs the cleanest race on an unfamiliar layout. He has the profile to do exactly that. The upside is simply capped by the short price.
2026 IndyCar Freedom 250 Predictions: Value Play
Kirkwood is the logical pivot off the favorite. He qualified second, starts alongside Palou on the front row, and sits second in the championship standings. His street-course résumé is among the best in the field. He won at Long Beach in 2023 and again in 2025, and he took the Detroit street race in 2025. On a track where clean air and track position rule, his No. 27 Andretti Global Honda is starting exactly where it needs to be.
The Pick: Kyle Kirkwood to win (+325)
At +325, the implied probability is roughly 23.5 percent, which offers far more room than Palou’s number. The risk is obvious. Kirkwood has to beat the most dominant street-course driver of the season, and he must do it from directly behind him. If passing proves as difficult as expected, second on the grid can quickly become a follow-the-leader afternoon. Still, one caution cycle or one bold strategy call can flip the order, and Kirkwood is the driver best positioned to take advantage.
2026 IndyCar Freedom 250 Additional Picks and Final Thoughts
Two secondary markets stand out. Honda locks out the front row with Palou and Kirkwood, and Honda-powered cars fill much of the top 10. That makes the manufacturer market a clean way to lean on the strongest engine bay of the weekend.
The Pick: Honda to win the manufacturer battle (-240)
The counterpoint is the price and the depth behind Honda. At -240, the implied probability is near 70.6 percent, so the value is thin. Chevrolet still has McLaughlin starting third and O’Ward capable of a charge, so a single Honda retirement early could swing the market.
The head-to-head board offers one more angle. Pato O’Ward starts seventh, three spots ahead of Felix Rosenqvist in tenth, and O’Ward has been the higher-ceiling driver this season.
The Pick: Pato O’Ward to beat Felix Rosenqvist (-125)
The case against is real. Rosenqvist qualified only three spots back, street races scramble finishing order, and an early O’Ward incident ends the matchup fast. On a circuit where overtaking is scarce, a head-to-head can hinge on one pit sequence rather than pure pace.
Expect track position and fuel strategy to decide this one. With no historical data on the layout, teams will guess at pit windows and tire wear early. Late cautions could bunch the field and hand the lead to whoever times the final stops best. Here are our four picks for the Freedom 250: Alex Palou to win (-120), Kyle Kirkwood to win at value (+325), Honda to win the manufacturer battle (-240), and Pato O’Ward to beat Felix Rosenqvist head-to-head (-125).
2026 Freedom 250 Betting FAQ
Who is the favorite to win the Freedom 250?
Alex Palou is the favorite at -120. He starts from pole and leads the 2026 IndyCar Series championship standings by a wide margin.
When is the Freedom 250 Grand Prix of Washington, D.C.?
The inaugural Freedom 250 is scheduled for Sunday, August 23, 2026, with the green flag set for 1:00 PM ET on the streets of Washington, D.C.
What channel is the Freedom 250 on?
The 2026 Freedom 250 Grand Prix of Washington, D.C. will be broadcast on FOX.
Who is on pole for the Freedom 250?
Alex Palou won the pole with a lap of 56.899 seconds at 107.558 mph. It was his seventh pole of the 2026 season, and Kyle Kirkwood joins him on the front row.
How many laps is the Freedom 250?
The Freedom 250 runs 147 laps around the 1.7-mile temporary street circuit, a total distance of just under 250 miles.