Tag: Bitnile.com Grand Prix of Porrtland

Race Day at Portland

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It’s Race Day! Cooler temperatures and cloudy skies are on tap with only a slight chance of rain. The weather may help the cars that were fast on Friday and hurt yesterday’s fast qualifiers.

First, congratulations to Myles Rowe, who clinched the USF Pro Championship yesterday afternoon. Rowe is the first black driver to win a championship. He was the first driver in Roger Penske’ Race for Equality and Change Program. Rowe began in USF 2000 two years ago with Force Indy. He won his title driving for Pabst Racing.

I will have a more in depth piece on Rowe and IndyCar history next week.

Today’s schedule: All Times Pacific

9:30 AMBITNILE.COM Grand Prix of Portland Gates Open
10:20 AM – 11:15 AM INDY NXTRace Peacock
11:40 AMNTT INDYCAR SERIESDriver Introductions
12:30 PMNTT INDYCAR SERIES BITNILE.COM Grand Prix of Portland (110 laps) NBC, Peacock.
3:15 PM – 4:05 PMUSF Pro 2000Race 3
4:20 PM – 5:00 PMUSF2000 Race 3

Here is the official starting lineup with penalties assessed and starting tire selections:

Final Practice Results

Does Graham Rahal break his victory drought today? Now that he has smashed the six year pole drought, I think it is time to erase the last remaining hole on his record.

Pit strategy is key to the race. The new early start zone implemented in 2022 made the race less interesting. iIhope for a more inriguing race today.

Alex Palou can clinch his second Indycar championship today by finishing the race with a lead of 49 points or more. If Scott Dixon wins and lead the most laps, Palou needs to finish fourth. Should the two Ganassi drivers end the day in the same spots they start the race, Palou is champion. He essentially gained a point when Dixon di not win the pole.

I will be back later tonight with a race warp up.

Black Magic- Rahal Takes Portland Pole on Primary Tires

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The month of May is now a distant memory in the Rahal Letterman Lanigan camp. Graham Rahal took his second pole of the season today at Portland International Raceway. After six years without a pole, Rahal now has earned two in three races.. The team’s 2023 season resume now reads 4 poles and one win. Christian Lundgaard won at toronrto and also has two p[ole positions. Except for the Indianapolis 500, the team has had a solid year.

The decision to stay on primary tires stemmed from the team having an extra set of sticker black tires. The team did not feel the red tires were much faster.

The resurgence of this team since May has been amazing to watch. Turning a team around mid-season is a Herculean task Just one goal remains for Rahal- to win tomorrow’s 110 lap race. It’s nice to have five truly competitive teams in the series.

Rahal elected to stay on primary tires for the entire Fast Six round.. His best lap of 58.3185 beat pole favorite Scott McLaughlin by 0.0340 seconds.

The expected Team Penske dominance of qualifying never occurred. Josef Newgarden crashed into the tire barrier in turn 12 less than three minutes into Round 2. Will Power missed the cut to the final round by 0.0531 seconds. Rahal grabbed the final spot in the Fast Six.

Newgarden starts 12th and Power rolls off seventh tomorrow.

Unofficial Lineup

McLaughlin Fastest in Practice 2

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Scott McLaughlin led as Penske 1-2 in Saturday’s practice at Portland. The defending race winner turned the fastest lap of the weekend, 58.1516 seconds, edging teammate Josef Newgarden by 0.1179 seconds..

Team Penske dominated the weekend in2022 and it appears they are looking to do it again.

Scott Dixon was third and points leader Alex Palou was fifth. Dixon has a slim chance of catching Palou for the title. He must win Sunday to keep his hopes alive.

Results

Saturday at Portland

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Good morning.

Today’s schedule: All times Pacific

8:30 AMBITNILE.COM Grand Prix of Portland Gates Open
9:00 AM – 10:00 AM NTT INDYCAR SERIESPractice 2
10:15 AM – 11:00 AMU.S. Touring Car ChampionshipRace 1
11:20 AM – 12:05 PMINDY NXTPractice 2
11:20 AM – 11:50 AMUSF2000Autograph Session in SpeedZone
12:00 PM – 12:30 PMUSF Pro 2000Autograph Session in SpeedZone
12:30 PM – 2:00 PMNTT INDYCAR SERIESQualifying
2:15 PM – 2:55 PMUSF2000Race 2
2:15 PM – 2:45 PMINDY NXTAutograph Session in SpeedZone
3:10 PM – 4:00 PMUSF Pro 2000Race 2
4:30 PM – 4:50 PMINDY NXTQualifying
5:15 PM – 5:45 PMNTT INDYCAR SERIESFinal Practice
6:00 PM – 6:45 PMU.S. Touring Car ChampionshipRace 2

Higher temperatures are on tap today. After a cool 69 degrees for morning practice, it will be 78 for qualifying and about 86 for final practice this afternoon. Rain will not be an issues.

If the field improves on yesterday’s speed, Will Power’s track record of 57.2143 seconds could be threatened. Christian Lundgaard was just nine tenths off the record speed yesterday.

Lundgaard ran 39 laps with his fast lap on his 26th circuit. Kyle Kirkwood, on the other hand, ran just 18 laps, and his best lap came on lap 13.

Notes

Myles Rowe can clinch the USFPro2000 championship this afternoon,

We may get some more silly season confirmations today or tomorrow. Stay tuned.

Lundgaard Tops First Practice

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Christian Lundgaard led a fast first practice sessionfor the Bitnile.com Grand Prix of Portland. as 14 drivers turned laps under 59 seconds. Lundgaard led most of the session and waqs the first to go to the red tires.

Jyke Kirkwood was second quickest, and Alex Palou was third. Lundgaard’s best lap was 58.177 seconds, 15 hundredths of second better than Kirkwood and 18 hundredths ahead of Palou.

The session stopped three times to retrieve stalled cars. Felix Rosenqist went off track just before turn 12 and stopped just short of the tire barrier. Santino Ferrucci spun in turn 11 and stopped on track. Ryan Hunter-Reayspun n turn 12 and stalled facing the wrong way.

Scott Dixon, the only driver with a chance to catch Alex Palou for the championship, was 19th fastest.

Practice 2 is tomorrow morning at 9 am Pacific time.

Results

Morning at PIR

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The skies have cleared, the rain chances are dropping for the weekend, and we have a pleasant morning here at Portland International Raceway.

There are a good number of fans already at the track enjoying the USF and touring car action, as well as wandering through the paddock.

PIR has made some facility improvements. First, the media center has moved to the opposite end of the paddock into a nice temporary glass and metal building. It is a nice change from the trailers media used my first trip out here.

The main pedestrian bridge looks new and freshly painted.

I wandered through the paddock this morning as cars were emerging from their transporters. Here are a few photos. I’ll be back in a bit with more.

Victory podium. The new logo looks sharp.
Will DHL be back next year?
MSR prepping the cars