{"id":2622945,"date":"2026-07-02T17:09:01","date_gmt":"2026-07-02T21:09:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/thunderbirds-to-race-cars-inside-horsepower-of-america-at-the-great-american-state-fair\/"},"modified":"2026-07-02T17:10:12","modified_gmt":"2026-07-02T21:10:12","slug":"thunderbirds-to-race-cars-inside-horsepower-of-america-at-the-great-american-state-fair","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/thunderbirds-to-race-cars-inside-horsepower-of-america-at-the-great-american-state-fair\/","title":{"rendered":"Thunderbirds to race cars: Inside Horsepower of America at the Great American State Fair"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">28<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fthunderbirds-to-race-cars-inside-horsepower-of-america-at-the-great-american-state-fair%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2622945&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The Great American State Fair, held in Washington, D.C., celebrated American industries and achievements under the theme \u201cHorsepower of America,\u201d showcasing innovations in space travel, racing, and aviation. Colonel Justin \u201cAstro\u201d Elliott of the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds emphasized that American \u201chorsepower\u201d is driven by the ingenuity and bravery of its people,highlighting advancements in aviation. Attendees enjoyed breathtaking flyovers of the Capitol and National Mall, marking a historic first. The event also featured displays of American-made motorcycles, IndyCars for the upcoming Freedom 250 Grand Prix, and a documentary about the Thunderbirds. Elliott stressed the importance of dedication and continuous improvement, encouraging people to excel in their roles. The <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >fair runs<\/a> until July 10, with nightly projection shows on the Washington Monument celebrating America&#8217;s story.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<article class=\"fn-body\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2014 <\/strong>The <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/freedom250.org\/celebration\/the-great-american-state-fair\">Great American State Fair<\/a> is celebrating different American industries and achievements. On Thursday, July 2, the fair highlighted \u201c<a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/4632952\/union-station-ford-exhibit-america-250\/\">Horsepower<\/a> of America,\u201d where American innovations, from space travel, to the thrill of racing, and the power of flight were on display.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Colonel Justin \u201cAstro\u201d Elliott, commander of the<a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.airforce.com\/thunderbirds\/overview\"> U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds<\/a>, spoke with the <em>Washington Examiner <\/em>about how American \u201chorsepower\u201d today is the innovation and courage of the people <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/infrastructure\/4631083\/sean-duffy-rule-civil-supersonic-aircraft\/\">pushing aviation<\/a> to new limits.<\/p>\n<section class=\"explore-more-section\" id=\"wex-recommended-widget\">\n<div class=\"magazine-container single\">\n<h1 class=\"magazine-title mt-2\">Recommended Stories<\/h1>\n<p>             <i class=\"fa-solid fa-play icon\"><\/i>         <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-grid\">\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/4634624\/john-fetterman-graham-platner-dirtbag\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>\u2018King of the dirtbags\u2019: Fetterman on Platner\u2019s Kik and ex-girlfriend baggage<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/4633821\/tourism-up-washington-fourth-july\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Tourism numbers up in Washington for Fourth of July<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/4633881\/boy-goes-missing-while-swimming-potomac-river-great-falls-park\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Boy goes missing while swimming in Potomac River by Great Falls Park<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\">Col. Justin \u201cAstro\u201d Elliott speaks with Washington Examiner on July 2, 2026. (Maxie Brock\/Washington Examiner)<\/p>\n<p>&#8221; data-large-file=&#8221;https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/\/2026\/07\/localimages\/Screenshot-2026-07-02-at-3.31.43-PM-e1783025423978.png?w=696&#8243; height=&#8221;577&#8243; width=&#8221;1024&#8243; &#8220;https:><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Col. Justin \u201cAstro\u201d Elliott speaks with Washington Examiner on July 2, 2026. (Maxie Brock\/Washington Examiner)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIt\u2019s not our machines, it\u2019s our people, and it\u2019s the freedom we have to think,\u201d Elliott told the <em>Washington Examiner. <\/em>\u201cThat is American horsepower \u2014 it\u2019s that initiative that we continue to take to lead the world in innovations and exploring the unknown.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-1\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-1\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-15\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-1\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-large is-resized\">The Freedom 250 IndyCar on display for \u2018Horsepower of America\u2019 at the Great American State Fair on July 2, 2026. (Maxie Brock\/Washington Examiner)<\/p>\n<p>&#8221; data-large-file=&#8221;https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/\/2026\/07\/localimages\/Screenshot-2026-07-02-at-3.30.33-PM.png?w=696&#8243; height=&#8221;576&#8243; width=&#8221;1024&#8243; &#8220;https:><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Freedom 250 IndyCar on display for \u2018Horsepower of America\u2019 at the Great American State Fair on July 2, 2026. (Maxie Brock\/Washington Examiner)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Elliott\u2019s comments came as he stood in front of an array of displays showcasing American horsepower and thrill. From American-themed <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.harley-davidson.com\/us\/en\/index.html?source_cd=SEM_Retention_PPC%7CGOOGLE%7CHDV_GGL_Search_US_EN_Corp_AlwaysOn_Brand_Core_Exact_CPC%7CAlwaysOn_Brand_Exact_XX%7Charley+davidson&#038;_cr=ppc%7CGOOGLE%7CHDV_GGL_Search_US_EN_Corp_AlwaysOn_Brand_Core_Exact_CPC%7CAlwaysOn_Brand_Exact_XX%7Charley+davidson&#038;s_kwcid=AL!15884!3!645250994833!e!!g!!harley%20davidson&#038;gclsrc=aw.ds&#038;gad_source=1&#038;gad_campaignid=19581085121&#038;gbraid=0AAAAADykC1K3L8V4GyURSxeohJyzZMBZw&#038;gclid=CjwKCAjwmJjSBhB-EiwAkZgxi91ctAFv3YLK_1ZhYWcn6ryUAZrjtjbG40kDIDCt4YK5hrRRrF9nDhoCo2IQAvD_BwE\">Harley-Davidson<\/a><em> <\/em>motorcycles to a custom-wrapped <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.indycar.com\/\">IndyCar<\/a><em> <\/em>slated to participate in the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/sports\/4602525\/freedom-250-indycar-race-attracts-massive-interest\/\">Freedom 250 Grand Prix <\/a>on Aug. 23. <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Alongside the on-the-ground displays, the Thunderbirds created their own showcase in the sky, with flyovers of the U.S. Capitol and <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/entertainment\/4634247\/three-alternative-july-4-fireworks-shows-skip-national-mall\/\">National Mall<\/a>. Cutting hard banks and leaving behind their famous smoke trails.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cFirst time in history to do it over a capitol like this,\u201d Elliott said. \u201cYou\u2019re looking at a human being performing at the utmost level, I think that\u2019s what draws us to those flyovers and those <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/cuomo-wasnt-the-first-times-up-leaders-have-history-of-covering-up-liberal-scandals\/\" title=\"Cuomo Wasn\u2019t the First: Time\u2019s Up Leaders Have History of Covering Up Liberal Scandals\">air shows<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-2\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-2\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-16\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-2\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Since the Great American State Fair started, one thing has been consistent among attendees: the flyovers are their favorite parts of the day. As soon as the jet engines were heard by the crowds echoing through the streets of D.C., everybody in attendance rushed to the lawn to take out their phones and capture them <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/former-cia-counter-insurgency-officer-urges-us-government-to-use-war-tactics-against-domestic-extremists-like-those-who-stormed-us-capitol\/\" title=\"Former CIA Counter-Insurgency Officer Urges US Government to Use War Tactics Against Domestic Extremists Like Those Who Stormed US Capitol\">flying overhead<\/a>. Cheering and clapping were heard every time they did a pass, and everyone was helping locate what direction they would be coming from next.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIt\u2019s going to kick off three days of very intense flying here,\u201d Elliott said. \u201cI\u2019m really excited to see the crowd reaction.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-large is-resized\">The U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds flying over head at \u2018Horsepower of America\u2019 at the Great American State Fair on July 2, 2026. (Amy DeLaura\/Washington Examiner)<\/p>\n<p>&#8221; data-large-file=&#8221;https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/\/2026\/07\/localimages\/Screenshot-2026-07-02-at-3.32.10-PM.png?w=696&#8243; height=&#8221;640&#8243; width=&#8221;1024&#8243; &#8220;https:><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds flying over head at \u2018Horsepower of America\u2019 at the Great American State Fair on July 2, 2026. (Amy DeLaura\/Washington Examiner)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On the main stage was a screening of the <em>Netflix <\/em>original documentary called <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.netflix.com\/title\/81673111\"><em>Air Force Elite: Thunderbirds<\/em><\/a><em>, <\/em>which featured Elliott and his crew. <\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-3\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-3\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-17\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-3\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThey were so dedicated to making a movie about people and about a team,\u201d Elliott said. \u201cNot a movie about <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/defense\/4619101\/air-force-maintenance-efforts-overdrive-iran-war\/\">airplanes<\/a>. That immediately sunk in with us, what they were trying to build, and we just let them into our lives.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Elliott also tied back lessons he has learned throughout his career back to what American horsepower meant to him.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/4632952\/union-station-ford-exhibit-america-250\/\"><strong>ROAD TO AMERICA 250 STARTS WITH FORD: EXHIBIT AT UNION STATION SHOWS OFF ICONIC VEHICLES<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-4\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-4\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-25\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-4\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI think it\u2019s really important to kind of bloom where you\u2019re planted,\u201d Elliott said. \u201cWhatever job you\u2019re given, whatever that may be, give it 1,000% and continue to be in that offensive mindset where you\u2019re never satisfied.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Great American State Fair runs until July 10. Starting at 9 p.m. on July 2, the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/freedom250.org\/media-center\/press-release\/freedom-250-announces-washington-monument-illumination\">Washington Monument will be lit up<\/a> with a projection show telling the story of America, every night from 9 p.m. to midnight, until July 5.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-5\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-5\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-26\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-5\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Washington, D.C. &#8211; The Great American State Fair showcases U.S. innovations and achievements, highlighting &#8220;Horsepower of America&#8221; with displays of space travel, racing, and flight. Colonel Justin \u201cAstro\u201d Elliott of the Thunderbirds emphasizes American ingenuity and courage driving aviation progress<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4345,"featured_media":2622946,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Screenshot-2026-07-02-at-3.31.43-PM-e1783025423978.png?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[70565,82115,82114,82113],"class_list":["post-2622945","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-great-american-state-fair","tag-horsepower","tag-race-cars","tag-thunderbirds"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Screenshot-2026-07-02-at-3.31.43-PM-e1783025423978.png?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2622945","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4345"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2622945"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2622945\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2622952,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2622945\/revisions\/2622952"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2622946"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2622945"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2622945"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2622945"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}