ADVERTISEMENT FOX Sports Rolls Out Its ‘Most Ambitious Live Motorsports Production’ Ever at IndyCar Freedom 250 GP in DC By: Jason Dachman, Editorial Director, U.S. • Posted on: August 20, 2026 • 13 minute read ADVERTISEMENT A massive deployment of specialty cameras, graphics, and AR will showcase the nation’s capital and offer viewers unique insights into the action Although building racetracks in the center of major cities is nothing new for IndyCar, Sunday’s Freedom 250 Grand Prix in Washington, DC, is — to put it mildly — an entirely different beast. For the first time in the city’s history, cars will speed through the streets of the National Mall with the U.S. Capitol and other iconic landmarks providing a one-of-a-kind backdrop. It will be up to FOX Sports and IMS Productions to bring the event to viewers at home, and they will have more than 90 cameras and a wealth of technology at their disposal to do so. “I don’t think you could have picked a more challenging municipality to do this in,” says Mike Davies, EVP, technical and field operations, FOX Sports . “But, at the same time, I don’t know if you could have picked a more picturesque and iconic location than this. This is a truly special one, not only for FOX but for Penske, for IndyCar, and for the country.” FOX Sports’ OwlCam in position for this weekend’s IndyCar Freedom 250 Grand Prix in Washington, DC (Photo: FOX Sports/Erik Arneson) In what the broadcaster is calling “the most ambitious live motorsports production in FOX Sports history,” Sunday’s coverage will feature an onsite studio show on par with FOX’s Big Noon Kickoff efforts, the debut of an Owl Cam 4D gimbal system mounted on a purpose-built bridge, a camera atop the Washington Monument, a 70-ft. camera crane in the middle of the National Mall, and aerial coverage providing views of the nation’s capital, as well as all the bells and whistles that have become a signature of FOX’s IndyCar coverage. What Happens When Washington, DC, Is the Star of the Show Although Penske Entertainment has designed dozens of tracks running through city streets, creating a course that crosses federal and municipal grounds presented a new level of difficulty. The course was the vision of Penske President Bud Denker and FOX Sports CEO/Executive Producer Eric Shanks ; Penske VP, Operations, John Bailey and his team led the effort to make that vision a reality. “For the first time that I can remember, we TV folks definitely don’t have the toughest job here,” says Davies. “It’s the people designing and building the track, closing the streets, making the agreements, and dealing with endless logistics. The amount of work and regulatory gymnastics that had to be done just to get to this point — and the race hasn’t even started — is pretty astounding. Bud, John, and their people have made the impossible possible.” The IndyCar Freedom 250 will be the first Indy street race in the nation’s capital. The Freedom 250 Grand Prix circuit runs past the U.S. Capitol, down Pennsylvania Avenue, and along the National Mall. FOX Sports has scattered more than 90 cameras (for comparison, the network deployed roughly 70 cameras at the Indianapolis 500) throughout the monumental core and mounted them on IndyCars to provide views that sports events in the nation’s capital have never delivered before. “Because the location is the star and the whole reason we’re here, every single camera angle needed to be pored over and made perfect,” says Davies. “We are lucky enough to televise all the hard work that Penske has done; we just need to make sure that we put the cameras in the right place and cut the race in a way that doesn’t obscure this amazing achievement. We’re just the storytellers here, Penske is doing the heavy lifting.” Davies also credits FOX Corp.’s government-relations team — led by EVP Kristopher Jones , EVP Jamie Gillespie , VP Joanna Orlando , and VP Alex Dillie — for spearheading the logistical effort and clearing the various regulatory hurdles for FOX Sports. Massive Specialty Arsenal: Owl Cam, Aerial Coverage, In-Car Systems Headlining the camera complement is the new Owl Cam, a 4D gimbal with four-axis stabilization — enabling pan, tilt, roll, and vertical movement — mounted on a 60-ft. bridge spanning Pennsylvania Avenue near Sixth Street. The gyroscopic head travels the length of the bridge (built by PORTZAWA, with camera rigging by JITACam), providing an overhead view of cars as they pass beneath. The custom system affords fans a viewpoint down Pennsylvania Avenue, with the U.S. Capitol as a backdrop, as cars race past at their fastest speeds. The starting line for the IndyCar Series Freedom 250 “This camera was informed by what [was done] in the Formula 1 movie, as well as other racing movies and videogames,” Davies explains. “We were looking to have those quick pans that go underneath so you’re able to follow the cars at full speed and get a very unconventional look. “We had to build the bridge here,” he continues, “but we’re hoping this becomes something that we can do for other races where there are preexisting bridges. The beauty of Indy street racing is, it gives you the chance to create these totally new perspectives that people have never seen before.” The production also features a camera mounted on the top observation level of the Washington Monument — believed to be a first for a sports event — and a camera on a 70-ft. crane providing overhead crowd shots, as well as vantage points of the Capitol, the Monument, and other landmarks. Coverage also originates from the air, which required clearance by the Secret Service, DHS, and FAA. FOX is being assisted by government resources for helicopter coverage, and additional aerial coverage provided by Beverly Hills Aerials will deliver overhead looks at the circuit against the Capitol, the National Mall, and the monumental core. NEP Specialty Capture (formerly BSI) is supplying 15 in-car camera systems with three or four cameras apiece, a two-seater in-car system for VIP rides on track, an RF Steadicam, a “Megalodon” shallow–depth-of-field MōVI rig, and two robotic pit cameras. FOX also has a variety of other robos (including a new ultra-high-speed system that debuted at the Arlington GP in March) and POVs throughout the track to capture the action from unique angles. Onsite Studio: Elevated Set Highlights the Capitol Before the green flag flies on Sunday, FOX will kick off the festivities with a 90-minute pre-race show from a custom-built set against the backdrop of the U.S. Capitol. IndyCar Series Pre-Race , which begins at 11:30 a.m. ET on FOX and FOX One, will take viewers inside the scene in DC and capture a salute to the U.S. military — complete with multi-branch flyover. Given the country’s 250th-birthday celebration, FOX’s remote-studio production team immediately targeted the nation’s capital as the perfect setting. To clear the race fence line and provide unobstructed views, the set had to be built 13 ft. off the ground. “We’ve [previously] run into a number of restrictions related to federal land, most recently with our July 4 World Cup show from Independence Hall,” notes Rod Conti , SVP, studio remote operations, FOX Sports . “At first, that was a major concern. But, with that experience fresh in our minds, we anticipated and prepared for a number of potential obstacles. Thankfully, beyond the standard limitations and protection protocols, we did not encounter nearly as many challenges as expected.” The U.S. Capitol is the backdrop for FOX Sports’ onsite set. To achieve the shot, FOX sacrificed the traditional fan-facing setup typically seen on Big Noon Kickoff , the FIFA World Cup, and other onsite studio activations. To capture some of that atmosphere, though, the network has multiple RF and remote cameras in place to incorporate pre-race festivities and fans into the broadcast. FOX’s roofed structure and sided set protect against the elements, but heat is expected to be an issue amid the persistent summer temperatures. As a result, an HVAC system has been integrated to keep both talent and technical infrastructure cool and fully operational. The 13-ft. platform also allowed FOX to house all its stage-side technical infrastructure below the set, making the integrated AC system even more essential to maintaining a safe and reliable operating environment. On the talent side, host Chris Myers is joined by analysts Helio Castroneves and Danica Patrick , and reporter Tom Rinaldi offers features and interviews live from Washington. In addition to the pre/post-race shows on FOX, the set will support onsite FOX News programming, including FOX News Sunday . “Coming off a monumental World Cup production,” says Conti, “this crew jumped immediately into another major task, despite the bumps and bruises that came with it. The ability to be versatile, adapt quickly, and shift gears across all types of productions is what makes a great team. The combination of experience, skill sets, and the willingness to work together is our greatest strength. When this team comes together, there truly is no challenge too big.” Behind the Pomp: Truck Compound, RF Coordination, Other Infrastructure FOX Sports and IMS Productions have erected their production compound near Turn 7, in the parking lot of the Voice of America building. IMS Productions IMS HD-5 mobile units are home to the live race production, and Game Creek Video Varsity A and B units serve the pre/post-race shows. Aggreko generators power the entire compound, and NEP Specialty Capture is on hand with its own facilities to handle RF coordination. A robo camera is one of the 90 cameras that FOX Sports has distributed around the course in in the National Mall. “It has been an incredible undertaking in and of itself,” says Davies of the compound buildout. “But also factor in that everything’s coming down from Toronto, where we had our first race with [IndyCar at Markham] last weekend, and it has been a challenging week. I think you would have to go back pretty far in time to find the last time [IndyCar] had first-run street courses in back-to-back weeks. But that’s exactly what Penske has done, and they’ve pulled it off beautifully.” NEP Specialty Capture has undertaken the unenviable task of coordinating frequencies with the FCC, DHS, and Secret Service while accommodating a full week of FOX News programming onsite. Roughly 80 antennas and about 27,000 ft. of fiber will be deployed within the track perimeter. The company is handling RF links for all 15 in-car systems as well as helicopters and aerial coverage, six RF handhelds (with return video and wireless camera control for shading/painting), four personal return monitors, four talent packs for pit reporters, five Blue Steel wireless microphones for the studio sets, six PLs, 10 IFBs, and the driver’s-comms receive system. “We’ve had a great deal of help from other entities and agencies due to the magnitude of this event, its location, and heightened security,” says Shaun Thomas , who has served as NEP’s EIC on every IndyCar race since FOX took over last season. “They’ve done all the heavy lifting.” According to Thomas, about 415 frequencies are typically in use for an IndyCar race. In the nation’s capital, that task is significantly complicated by the existing infrastructure that he and his team must work around: cell towers, transit-tracking systems, emergency-responder radios, taxi dispatchers, and local television and radio stations will all continue to operate during the race. “The Secret Service, the FCC, and Team Harbinger have been the driving force behind the frequency coordination of this event,” says Thomas. “They are the heavy lifters, and their involvement has been unbelievably helpful. We will all be in contact with one another during the event so, if there are any conflicts, we can work together to correct them as quickly as possible.” Graphics and AR: HUDs, Ghost Car Live, Landmark Pointers Throughout the IndyCar season, FOX has continued to collaborate with MOBII and SMT to make the speed, strategy, and precision of the racing more accessible and engaging for viewers. That effort continues this weekend in DC with returning elements like Ghost Car Live, telemetry graphics, and virtual race enhancements, as well as MOBII’s new sector-barrier graphic and bespoke heads-up displays (HUDs) for FOX’s Top Gun, driver’s-eye, and roll-hoop cameras. “We’re trying to layer on more and more things so that anybody can understand what’s going on with this race,” says Davies. “Our job is to take the technically complex rules and techniques they use and present them in a way that average fans can understand.” FOX Sports’ elevated studio overlooks the course. The HUD once again provides viewers with a look at key telemetry — throttle, brake, gear, speed — along with the car’s position on the track and its distance to the car in front. Keyed onto the in-car feed and the driver’s-eye camera, it creates an Iron Man –like overlay in which the viewer can see every data point the driver reads. The HUD is driven largely by machine learning developed with MOBII. The company ingests in-car footage and trains a model on it so that the graphics remain locked in position even as the camera pans. That stability allows FOX not only to marry telemetry with the in-car shot but also to build visuals around the tires and around the cars ahead of and behind the driver. “MOBII has been fantastic in terms of integrating our heads-up–display elements,” says Davies. “We have different HUD elements for our Top Gun camera, our driver’s-eye, and our roll-hoop camera, and each one has a bespoke look with all the telemetry on there. It has been a game-changer for how we cover racing.” The set is roofed and has sides to protect against the elements and provides HVAC to keep talent and equipment cool and operational. Meanwhile, SMT’s Ghost Car technology leverages data and telemetry to virtually highlight replays and compare driver performance. Ghost Car Live enables a Mario Kart –style visualization, virtually inserting the pole car into the live in-car feed of another qualifying driver to provide an immediate visual comparison of speed and performance. As it has done all season, SMT also delivers real-time data and telemetry, GPS vehicle tracking, 3D and optical pointers, live scoring, and track visualization. One new addition, created specifically for the DC locale, is a set of optical pointers identifying landmark buildings, monuments, and memorials throughout the course. SMT’s RACEf/x platform delivers 3D pointer graphics, combining feeds from FOX’s instrumented cameras with SMT GPS vector units and IndyCar telemetry to precisely track vehicles and deliver real-time onscreen visualization. Iso track pointers provide optical-based tracking for both in-car and aerial perspectives, and the new landmark pointers help orient viewers within the street circuit. “Working with SMT to bring landmark pointers and Ghost Car Live to a street race through the heart of Washington gives our viewers a completely new way to experience IndyCar,” says Davies. “They have been fantastic at getting the pointers not only on the standard broadcast cameras but also on the aerials, where they can make an even bigger splash.” SMT technology also powers FOX Sports’ live-scoring graphics and the FOX Box, and its GPS hardware tracks every car throughout the event. SMT is also providing the live wind-graphic trackmap, giving viewers a real-time look at wind conditions around the circuit. FOX Sports coverage of the Freedom 250 Grand Prix of Washington, DC, begins Sunday at 11:30 a.m. ET with FOX IndyCar Series Pre-Race on FOX and FOX One, followed by the race at 1 p.m. ET. 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