Red Bull Showrun to take over Pennsylvania Avenue in DC on Saturday
WASHINGTON (DC News Now) — The Red Bull Showrun kicks off Saturday afternoon in D.C., bringing Formula One drivers and cars to the streets of the District along with a number of road closures.
The event started with the Red Bull Showrun DC Fan Fest at Union Market on Friday, to be followed by a day of motorsports on Pennsylvania Avenue on Saturday.
Spectators at Saturday’s free event can expect to see retired F1 driver and current racing analyst David Coulthard get behind the wheel and show off the Red Bull team’s high-tech cars, burning rubber and doing donuts — all with the U.S. Capitol and the city as the backdrop.
Friday’s Fan Fest included an RB19 Static Car, RB7 Fireups, Q&A with the Oracle Red Bull Racing Team, Red Bull Pit Stop Challenge, racing simulators, merchandise sales and more.
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Red Bull representatives say the world of motorsports is growing, and so is the F1 fanbase in the United States. Saturday’s event is all about bringing racing and F1 in front of fans new and old.
Coulthard told DC News Now’s Randi Bass it’s an honor to introduce D.C. fans to a sport he loves so much.
“For me now, in retirement as a driver, to have the responsibility to come here, I feel pleasure. I look around and see people smiling. They’re fans of the sport, or maybe they’re just curious about the sport, and I’m a fan of the sport. I’ve just had one of the best seats in the house for a few years,” said Coulthard. “To have the opportunity to put a Grand Prix car on Pennsylvania Ave, Capitol building in the background, that’s a great thrill.”
He said driving during Red Bull Showruns is a different atmosphere compared to that of a normal race, and he enjoys getting the chance to really get in on the action with fans.
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Some DMV super-fans looking forward to Saturday said this is the closest they may ever get to seeing this kind of racing and driving action.
“I’ve only ever seen F1 events on TV. I didn’t realize this event was going to be so ‘all in.’ I’m excited to be so close to it and really see it. It moves through your body and it rumbles, it’s overwhelming,” said Claire Schottle, who traveled to D.C. for the Fan Fest from the Manassas area Friday.
D.C. Deputy Mayor Nina Albert stopped by Friday’s Fan Fest, too. She said bringing the Showrun to D.C. helps to cement the District as a “sports capital,” and this event is another example of arts, sports, and entertainment all coming together and bringing people into D.C.
She also added that it has taken quite a bit of planning between city officials and the federal government to coordinate the event and surrounding road closures.
The following streets will be posted as Emergency No Parking and closed to vehicle traffic from Friday, April 19, 2024, at 7 p.m. through Sunday, April 21, 2024, at 5 p.m.:
Pennsylvania Avenue from 3rd Street to 7th Street, NW
Constitution Avenue from 3rd Street to 7th Street, NW
4th Street from Madison Drive to Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
6th Street from C Street to Constitution Avenue, NW
Pennsylvania Avenue from 3rd Street to Constitution Avenue, NW will be posted as Emergency No Parking and closed to vehicle traffic on Sunday, April 21, 2024, from 5 p.m. through 10 p.m.
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