Category: Auto Racing

Portland Pole- Rosenqvist Keeps on Truckin’

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Photo by Brad Proctor

On the final lap in the final seconds Félix Rosenqvist snatched the pole from Alex Palou for tomorrow’s Only Bulls Grand Prix at Portland. The winning lap of 58.4828 seconds edgedthe championship leader by 0.0148 seconds.

“We weren’t super quick yesterday, so a great comeback today by the team,” Rosenqvist said.

Favorites like Kyle Kirkwood fell out of the top six in Round Two. The Fast Six had Rosenqvist, Palou, Will Power, Rinus VeeKay, Marcus Ericsson, and Kyffin Simpson’

VeeKay is becoming a Fast Six regular while Simpson and Ericsson have had occasional visits to the final round. Power got through the second round with a wild lap fighting for control of the car to squeeze in at the checkered flag.

Scott Dixon was not as fortunate. Dixon clipped the Armco in turn 1, looped the car, and tried to make up for lost time. His suspension had broken giving no chance to improve his time.

Honda ruled the day. Rinus VeeKay is the only Chevy to make the Fast Six, and with David Malukas moving to 16th place with his penalty, Honda starts the race with 11 of the top 12 cars.

While Rosenqvist went on to the pole, teammate Marcus Armstrong finished a disappointing 21st. Christian Lundgaard had a hybrid issue and will start 25th.

That will do it for today. Thanks for following along.

Morning warn up is at 10 am Pacific tomorrow on FS1.

Results

Armstrong Fastest in Practice 2

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Photo by Brad Proctor

Marcus Armstrong turned the quickest lap in the morning practice session as Meyer Shank Racing and Chip Ganassi Racing took the top four spots. The teams have a technical alliance.

The Andretti Global trio of Will Power, Marcus Ericsson, and Kyle Kirkwood shpwed strengh early, with Po fastest at the end of the all-car segment. Power finished seventh, Ericsson sixth, and Kirkwood ninth.

Qualifying is at 4 pm pacific time on FS1

Results

Portland Qualifying Day

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Today’s schedule: All times Pacific

Gates open 8:30 am

. All on FS1

9-9:45 am: IndyNXT Practice

10:05-11:25 am: IndyCar Practice (40 minutes all skate, 12 minutes Group A, 12 minutes Group B)

Noon: IndyNXT Qualifying

4 pm: IndyCar Qualifying

Practice groups:

\Qualifying groups will be published later.

Another warn sunny day is on tap in Portland, with the temperature projected to be 88 degrees when IndyCar qualifies for tomorrow’s Only Bulls Grand Prix.

Oliver Wheldon won the USF 2000 race t=yesterday afternoon. Wheldon started on pole, lost the lead briefly, then retook the top spot and took the ch3eckered flag,

Yesterday’s media bullpen was one of the most in-depth sessions of the season. These late season bullpens get awkward when drivers not staying with their current teams have to talk around questions about their future. They handle the situation well, however.

My friend Brad Proctor took some great photos during IndyCar practice yesterday. Below are a few of them.

Palou Edges Kirkwood in Portland Practice 1

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The champ is gonna champ. Alex Palou led Practice 1 today for the Portland Grand Prix, just narrowly quicker than Kyle Kirkwood by eight hundredths of a second.

“Good day, great start,” Palou said. “I think there’s some work to do with the alternates (Firestone Firehawk tires), but we were really good on primaries, so I’m looking forward to tomorrow.

“It’s good that we tested here because it allowed us to start with good speed already in the No. 10 DHL Honda. But, yeah, some work to do still. We just need more speed.”

Kirkwood was very happy with his run.

“We definitely came here with a much different car than we’ve ever ran here, and hopefully it’s paying off,” Kirkwood said. “Early days here, but it’s promising. Compared to where we were last year, this is a big step in the right direction.”

The skies and air improved greatly as the day progressed, and the Portland area is now clear of the wildfire pollution.

Rinus VeeKay was quick in both the all-car session and his group, finishing third overall. He might be one to watch on Sunday, Will Power finished fourth today. Teaqm Penske had a decent day with Scott McLaughlin seventh, David Maluks eighth, and Josef Newgarden ninth.

Pato O’Ward struggled, spinning out in turn 1 and later having a tire lock up on the approach to the turn. He finished 15th.

Notes

Earlier in the day, David Malukas told me he feels quite confident in the car which has won the last two races at Portland. He will lose six places after qualifying with an engine penalty, which will hurt his chances.

Kyle Kirkwood said he feels he has the advantage over Malukas and Christian Lundgaard over the rest of the schedule. He believes his team is stronger on two of the types of tracks left, where Malukas and Lundgaard just each may only be stronger on one type of circuit. Lundgaard was 22nd fastest today.

Kirkwood ultimately wants to catch Palou, which he believes is possible. A lot would have to go right for the Andretti driver for that to happen.

Results

Grid Penalties for Cars 12 and 4

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From IndyCar officiating:

INDYCAR Officiating Announces
Portland International Raceway Grid Penalties  

INDIANAPOLIS (Friday, Aug. 7, 2026) – INDYCAR Officiating has announced six-position starting grid penalties for the entries of No. 4 A.J. Foyt Enterprises and No. 12 Team Penske for unapproved engine changes. The No. 12 of Team Penske made two unapproved engine changes during the race weekend at Nashville Superspeedway while the No. 4 of A.J. Foyt Enterprises made an unapproved engine change following the Monday, July 20 race.
The No. 4 of A.J. Foyt Enterprises and No. 12 of Team Penske were in violation of:
Rule 16.1.2.3.2. A fifth (5th) Engine is eligible to earn Engine Manufacturer points and will be considered an Approved Engine Change-Out if a Full Season Entrant has completed the Full Season Entrant Engine Mileage with its first four (4) Engines. Otherwise, a fifth (5th) or more Engine does not earn Engine Manufacturer points and will be considered an Unapproved Engine Change-Out.
The No. 12 of Team Penske was in violation of:Rule 16.1.6.2.1. If an Entrant makes two (2) Unapproved Engine Change-Outs during an on-track Event, the penalty for the second (2nd) Unapproved Engine Change-Out is served at the following Race.
According to Rule 16.1.6.1.2., the penalty is a six-position starting grid penalty on road and street course events and nine positions at oval events and will be served at the series’ next event, which is the OnlyBulls Grand Prix of Portland on Sunday, Aug. 9 at Portland International Raceway. 
 

Portland Preview- Last Chances, Best Chances

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Friday, August 7, 2026

Times are Pacific

Gates open at 8:30
9:00 – 9:30 a.m. USF2000 Championship Practice
9:45 – 10:15 a.m. USF Pro 2000 Practice
11:45 a.m. – 12:15 p.m. USF2000 Championship Qualifying
12:00 – 1:00 p.m. NTT INDYCAR SERIES Autograph Session at FanZone
12:30 – 1:00 p.m. USF Pro 2000 Qualifying
1:30 – 2:15 p.m. INDY NXT by Firestone Practice 1- FS2
2:35 – 3:55 p.m. NTT INDYCAR SERIES Practice 1– FS1
4:10 – 4:50 p.m. USF2000 Championship Race 1
5:05 – 5:50 p.m. USF Pro 2000 Ra

Good morning from a somewhat smoggy, acrid Portland. The wind is supposed to shift this afternoon, and the air quality will improve over the weekend. Today will be the warmest day of the weekend with a high near 90. Race day should see a temperature in the low 80s.

The IndyCar season begins its mad dash to the end of the season with six races in five weeks. Alex Palou is closing in on his fifth titile in six years. A good weekend in the Pacific Northwest should all but seal the championship for him.

For David Malukas, Kyle Kirkwood, and Christian Lundgaard-second, third, and fourth in the standings, time is running out. Gaining ground on Palou this weekend is essential for the three drivers to have any chance at the Astor Cup.

While Sunday may be the last chance for the thr4ee drivers closest to the points leader, Portland may be the best chance for some drivers seeking their first career or season victory. Will Power has won in 2024 and 2025. His first season at Andretti has improved the second half of 2026, and he should do well. David Malukas continues to chase his first career win. I don’t think that this is his weekend, however. Marcus Armstrong came just three laps short of winning at Road America. Could he break into the winner’s column Sunday?

Other than the first turn chaos, Portland has not been known for scintillating racing since IndyCar returned in 2018. I don’t see much changing on race day. In the end, I am picking Will Power to get his first win with Andretti Global and his third straight at this track.

Notes

Narcus Ericsson re -signed with Andretti global for 2027. Ericsson has had the year he needed to in order to retain the ride.

It appears Colton Herta’s chance to land a Formula 1 seat have evaporated. IndyCar return options are limited, but some team could get a great upgrade by signing him. What ann interesting add tom the Silly Season at this point of the year.

Portland is the penultimate race which I will cover on site. I am going to Washington as a fan only, but I will have a race wrap up. Milwaukee will be my last on site race to cover.

I’ll be back after practice unless something huge breaks before then.

Marcus Ericsson Staying With Andretti Global in 2027 Season

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From IndyCar:

Andretti Global announced Aug. 6 it has signed Marcus Ericsson to stay with its NTT INDYCAR SERIES team for the 2027 season.

Ericsson (photo, top), who won the 2022 Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge with Chip Ganassi Racing, will stay at Andretti Global for a fourth season in 2027. The Swede will compete the team’s three-driver lineup alongside Will Power and Kyle Kirkwood.

“I’m really excited about the contract extension,” Ericsson said. “I think it’s been a good year for us. We’ve really been turning things around after last year, and we’ve put in a lot of hard work, and that’s really been paying off.

“The results haven’t always gone our way this year, but I feel like we’ve been competitive and in the mix on every type of track. That makes me excited for next year and to be able to build on the momentum we’ve created this year. So, I’m super excited about that.”

Marcus Ericsson

Ericsson (photo, above), 35, is ninth in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES standings this season in a rebound after finishing a career-low 20th last season. He earned his first career NTT P1 Award for pole in March on the Streets of Arlington and finished a season-best second in June at World Wide Technology Raceway.

“One of our priorities has been building consistency across our INDYCAR program, and bringing Marcus back is an important part of that,” Andretti Global President Jill Gregory said. “He’s shown exactly what he’s capable of this season through the speed and results he’s delivered. Keeping our driver lineup together next season allows us to build on the chemistry and performance we’ve established as a team.”

Ericsson’s return provides continuity to a lineup that has combined for one victory, two pole positions and 11 top-five finishes this season.

The Longest Race- Too Long?

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The Freedom 250 in the nation’s capital on July 23 was scheduled for 125 or 212 miles, which makes it the longest street race of the season, and the longest street race St. Pete in 2019.

IndyCar announced this week that the race distance has increased to 147 laps and 250 miles, making it the longest true street race in IndyCar history. Cleveland’ Burke Lakefront airport circuit had races of 300 miles in 1982 and 1983, but I would not consider that venue a true street race

In your humble blogger’s opinion, the half of an Indianapolis 500 distance is too long for a race on this type of circuit.

From 2013-2019 St, Pete races were 110 laps., 198 miles. The fastest time for those races was two hours and four minutes in 2019. I attended every one of those races, and I thought each one was exceedingly long.

In 2025, IndyCar street race distances averaged 171 miles. St. Pete was the longest race at 180 miles, and Toronto was the shortest at 160.74 miles. Detroit took the most time to complete at two hours.

To date in 2026, Arlington was the longest street race at 191.1 miles, and the checkered flag fell after one hour, 55 minutes.

At the original Washington 212 miles, we were already looking at a two hour plus event. Now, the race should take at least two and a half hours to complete. I have no problem with an oval race at that length. At least there will be passing and some excitement. But, we are talking about a street race, and a new circuit at that\.

I don’t understand the change in distance, and the rationale that it is keeping with the 250 years theme falls flat. After all, 250 is just a number. Making the race 250 kilometers is a better idea.

IndyCar cut 75 laps from the Nashville race, citing excessive heat. Now they are adding 25 laps to Washington during a time of year when the DC area is very hot. I find this inconsistency puzzling.

I understand that situations occasionally require modifying schedules and race distances, but those decisions should be made as circumstances arise. The deecision to extend this race makes little sense.