Grid Penalty for Hunter-Reay
Tag: Portlad International Raceway
Morning at PIR
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.
Portland Race Preview
Today’s schedule. Times are Pacific
| 8:30 AM | BITNILE.COM Grand Prix of Portland | Gates Open |
| 9:00 AM – 9:30 AM | USF2000 | Practice |
| 9:45 AM – 10:15 AM | USF Pro 2000 | Practice |
| 10:30 AM – 11:00 AM | U.S. Touring Car Championship | Practice 1 |
| 11:15 AM – 11:45 AM | USF2000 | Qualifying |
| 12:00 PM – 12:30 PM | USF Pro 2000 | Qualifying |
| 12:30 PM – 1:30 PM | NTT INDYCAR SERIES | Autograph Session in SpeedZone |
| 12:45 PM – 1:15 PM | U.S. Touring Car Championship | Practice 2 |
| 1:55 PM – 2:40 PM | INDY NXT | Practice 1 |
| 3:00 PM – 4:15 PM | NTT INDYCAR SERIES | Practice 1 Peacock |
| 4:30 PM – 5:15 PM | USF2000 | Race 1 |
| 5:30 PM – 6:20 PM | USF Pro 2000 | Race 1 |
| 6:35 PM – 7:05 PM | U.S. Touring Car Championship | Qualifying |
Good morning from Portland. Yesterday was a gloomy, rainy day, but chances of rain over these next three days are diminishing. With the championship pretty much decided, it would seem there is little of interest to look for in Sunday’s 110 lap race. Some intrigue still remains, and part of it brings attention to the bottom of the grid. A former champion has a season win streak on the line, and another possible 2024 full timer gets his first chance to show what he can do.\
Power’s Streak on the Line
Scott Dixon saved his string of winning at least one race for 19 straight years by taking the checkered flag at the Gallagher Grand Prix. He added the Bommarito 500 for good measure last weekend, dominating the field.
Will Power has won at least one race every year for 16 straight seasons. 2023 has not seen Power in Victory Circle. With two races to go, we may see a desperate Power with a sense of urgency. Last year he won just oine race on the way to the title.
Palou’s Way to the Cup
Alex Palou can clinch the championship by finishing fifth or higher Sunday, no matter what Scott Dixon does. Dixon would have to win maxiumm points in both remaining races (he won’t) to have a chance.
Palou has won at Portland before, and I think he would like nothing better to cap his second title with a victory.
Leaders’ Circle on the Line
Up for grabs in the final two weekends is a spot in the Leaders’ circle, wotrth almost 1 million dollars to a team.
Herev are the current standings. The fourth Ganassi car, which is ineleigibke for the money, holds one of the top 22 spots, so 23rd place is the actual cutoff.
Vips Debut
Yuri Vips will make his Indycar debut in the number 30 car for RLL this weekend. Vips is a possible candidate to drive that car full time in 2024. He has essentially a two race tryout.
I understand giving someone a tryout, but the 30 is on the cusp of the leaders’ circle. I’d rather have someone with experience in the car here.
Race Notes
Not Indycar exactly, but news yesterday that the USF championships will switch to Continental Tire in 2024. Cooper tire had been the tire supplier for the Junior series for so long that I just thought it was part of the series name. Thanks to Cooper Tires for providing a great tire for the kids all these years.
I find it hard to believe it appears probable that Pato O’Ward, and the entire Arrow McLaren team will go winless this season. O’Ward was in a position to win at least three races early in the year, but the fickle racing gods intervened.
Last year Indycar moved the start zone back to the exit of the final turn. While it prevented the usual first lap mess in the Festival Curves, it made for a rather dull race.
Bitnile.com GP of Portland Fast Facts
From Indycar. My preview will post tomorrow evening after i arrive in Portland.
| Race weekend: Friday, Sept. 1-Sunday, Sept. 3 Track: Portland International Raceway, a 12-turn, 1.964-mile road course in Portland, Oregon Race distance: NTT INDYCAR SERIES: BITNILE.COM Grand Prix of Portland 110 laps / 216.04 miles | INDY NXT by Firestone: INDY NXT by Firestone Grand Prix of Portland 35 laps / 68.74 miles / 55 minutes Push-to-pass parameters: NTT INDYCAR SERIES: 200 seconds of total time with a maximum time of 20 seconds per activation. | INDY NXT by Firestone: 150 seconds of total time with a maximum time of 15 seconds per activation. Firestone tire allotment: NTT INDYCAR SERIES: Six sets primary, four sets alternate to be used during the event weekend. Teams fielding a rookie driver may use one additional set of primary tires. Teams must use one set of primary and one set of new (sticker) alternate tires for at least two laps in the race. INDY NXT by Firestone: Three new sets to be used during the event weekend. A carryover set from the Indianapolis GP event may be used during the first practice. X (formerly known as Twitter): @Race_Portland, @IndyCar, #PortlandGP, #INDYCARInstagram: @Race_Portland, @IndyCar, #PortlandGP, #INDYCARThreads: @IndyCar, #PortlandGP, #INDYCARFacebook: @PortlandGP, @INDYCAR, #INDYCARTikTok: @INDYCAR, #INDYCARYouTube: @INDYCAREvent website: www.raceportland.comINDYCAR website: www.IndyCar.com 2022 race winners: NTT INDYCAR SERIES Scott McLaughlin (No. 3 Freightliner Team Penske Chevrolet) INDY NXT by FirestoneBenjamin Pedersen (No. 24 Global Racing Group with HMD)2022 NTT P1 Award winner: Scott McLaughlin (No. 3 Freightliner Team Penske Chevrolet), 58.2349 seconds, 121.412 mph 2022 INDY NXT by Firestone pole winner: Benjamin Pedersen (No. 24 Global Racing Group with HMD), 1 minute, 3.6698 seconds, 111.048 mph Qualifying records:NTT INDYCAR SERIESWill Power, 57.2143 seconds, 123.577 mph, Sept. 1, 2018 (Set in Round 1 of knockout qualifying)INDY NXT by FirestonePato O’Ward, 1 minute, 2.8074 seconds, 112.573 mph, Aug. 31, 2018 NBC Sports race telecast: BITNILE.COM Grand Prix of Portland 3 p.m. ET Sunday, Sept. 3, NBC (live). Leigh Diffey is the play-by-play announcer for NBC’s coverage of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, alongside analysts Townsend Bell and James Hinchcliffe. Kevin Lee and Dillon Welch are the pit reporters. Peacock live streaming: All NTT INDYCAR SERIES practice sessions and qualifying will stream live on Peacock, NBC’s direct-to-consumer livestreaming product, while NBC’s race telecast of the BITNILE.COM Grand Prix of Portland will be simulcast on the streaming service. The INDY NXT by Firestone Grand Prix of Portland will be streamed on Peacock, with practice and qualifying being shown on INDYCAR LIVE. INDYCAR Radio Network broadcasts: Mark Jaynes is the anchor alongside analyst Davey Hamilton. Jake Query, Nick Yeoman and Michael Young are the turn announcers. Ryan Myrehn and Alex Wollf are the pit reporters. The BITNILE.COM Grand Prix of Portland race (3 p.m. ET Sunday), INDY NXT by Firestone Grand Prix of Portland (1 p.m. ET Sunday) and all NTT INDYCAR SERIES and INDY NXT by Firestone practices and qualifying sessions air live on network affiliates, SiriusXM 160, racecontrol.indycar.com and the INDYCAR App powered by NTT DATA. At-track schedule (all times local): Friday, Sept. 1 1:55-2:40 p.m. – INDY NXT by Firestone practice 1, INDYCAR LIVE3-4:15 p.m. – NTT INDYCAR SERIES practice 1, Peacock Saturday, Sept. 2 9-10 a.m. – NTT INDYCAR SERIES practice 2 (45 minutes green flag or 1 hour total), Peacock 11:20 a.m.-12:05 p.m. – INDY NXT by Firestone practice 2, INDYCAR LIVE 12:30 p.m. – BITNILE.COM Grand Prix of Portland NTT P1 Award qualifying (three rounds of knockout qualifying), Peacock 4:25 p.m. – INDY NXT by Firestone qualifying, INDYCAR LIVE 5:15-5:45 p.m. – NTT INDYCAR SERIES final practice, Peacock Sunday, Sept. 3 10:15 a.m. – INDY NXT by Firestone Grand Prix of Portland “Drivers Start Your Engines” 10:20 a.m. – INDY NXT by Firestone Grand Prix of Portland (35 laps / 68.74 miles / 55 minutes), Peacock Noon – NBC on air 12:23 p.m. – “Drivers, start your engines” 12:30 p.m. – BITNILE.COM Grand Prix of Portland (110 laps/216.04 miles), NBC (Live) Championship facts: Alex Palou leads the NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship with two races to go for the second time in his career. Palou previously led the championship with two races in 2021 when he won the NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship. There are two drivers still mathematically eligible for the 2023 NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship: Palou leads Scott Dixon by 74 points. Palou will clinch the championship if he leads Dixon by 54 points at the end of the race. Since the first INDYCAR SERIES race at Portland International Raceway, the winning driver has won the INDYCAR SERIES championship in the same season 11 times: Bobby Rahal (1987), Danny Sullivan (1988), Emerson Fittipaldi (1989), Michael Andretti (1991), Al Unser Jr. (1994), Alex Zanardi (1998), Gil de Ferran (2000), Cristiano da Matta (2002), Sebastien Bourdais (2004, 2007) and Alex Palou (2021).Point differential: The 74 points that separate Alex Palou and Scott Dixon are the largest margin with two races remaining since 2008. The average deficit with two races to go since 2008 is 24.3 points. Key championship point statistic: It’s been 16 years since an INDYCAR SERIES title was clinched before the final race of the season. The last time was when Sebastien Bourdais was crowned the 2007 Champ Car World Series champion following the penultimate round at Surfers Paradise, Australia. CHAMPIONSHIP WITH 2 TO GO (2008-2022) YEAR LEADER SECOND LEAD CHAMPION 2008 Scott Dixon Helio Castroneves 43 Scott Dixon 2009 Ryan Briscoe Dario Franchitti 25 Dario Franchitti 2010 Will Power Dario Franchitti 17 Dario Franchitti 2011 Dario Franchitti Will Power 5 Dario Franchitti 2012 Will Power Ryan Hunter-Reay 36 Ryan Hunter-Reay 2013 Helio Castroneves Scott Dixon 8 Scott Dixon 2014 Will Power Helio Castroneves 39 Will Power 2015 Juan Pablo Montoya Graham Rahal 9 Scott Dixon (-34) 2016 Simon Pagenaud Will Power 20 Simon Pagenaud 2017 Josef Newgarden Scott Dixon 31 Josef Newgarden 2018 Scott Dixon Alexander Rossi 26 Scott Dixon 2019 Josef Newgarden Simon Pagenaud 38 Josef Newgarden 2020 Scott Dixon Josef Newgarden 40 Scott Dixon 2021 Alex Palou Pato O’Ward 25 Alex Palou 2022 Will Power Josef Newgarden 3 Will Power 2023 Alex Palou Scott Dixon 74 ?? Race notes:There have been seven winners in 15 NTT INDYCAR SERIES races in the 2023 season. Marcus Ericsson (Streets of St. Petersburg), Josef Newgarden (Texas Motor Speedway, Indianapolis 500, Iowa Speedway-1, Iowa Speedway-2), Kyle Kirkwood (Streets of Long Beach, Streets of Nashville), Scott McLaughlin (Barber Motorsports Park), Alex Palou (Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course-1, Streets of Detroit, Road America, Mid-Ohio), Christian Lundgaard (Streets of Toronto) and Scott Dixon (Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course-2, World Wide Technology Raceway).The BITNILE.COM Grand Prix of Portland will be the 29th INDYCAR SERIES race at Portland International Raceway and the fifth since the NTT INDYCAR SERIES returned in 2018. Al Unser Jr. won the first INDYCAR SERIES race at Portland in 1984, while Scott McLaughlin won last season. McLaughlin, Alex Palou and Will Power are the only former winners entered in this year’s race.Eight INDYCAR SERIES drivers have won at Portland International Raceway from the pole – Danny Sullivan (1988), Al Unser Jr. (1994), Alex Zanardi (1996), Max Papis (2001), Cristiano da Matta (2002), Sebastien Bourdais (2004), Alex Palou (2021) and Scott McLaughlin (2022).Team Penske has won seven times at Portland International Raceway. Penske’s winning INDYCAR SERIES drivers are Danny Sullivan (1988), Emerson Fittipaldi (1993), Al Unser Jr. (1994, 1995), Gil de Ferran (2000), Will Power (2019) and Scott McLaughlin (2022). Chip Ganassi Racing has three wins at Portland with Alex Zanardi in 1996 and 1998 and Alex Palou in 2021. Newman/Haas Racing won a record eight times at Portland.Twenty-one drivers entered in the event have competed in past INDYCAR SERIES races at Portland International Raceway. Helio Castroneves, Scott Dixon, Ryan Hunter-Reay and Will Power each have six starts, most among the entered drivers. Fourteen entered drivers have led laps at the track (Castroneves 115, Scott McLaughlin 109, Power 68, Colton Herta 36, Graham Rahal 38, Alexander Rossi 32, Alex Palou 29, Pato O’Ward 28, Dixon 15, Josef Newgarden 8, Felix Rosenqvist 3, Marcus Ericsson 1, Callum Ilott 1 and Christian Lundgaard 1).Pato O’Ward won both Indy NXT by Firestone races at Portland in 2018 on his way to the series championship … Graham Rahal scored the first win of his professional racing career at Portland, winning the Star Mazda (now USF Pro 2000 championship) race in 2005.Milestones: Scott Dixon will attempt to make his 321st consecutive start, extending his INDYCAR SERIES record streak … With his next win, Will Power will tie Michael Andretti for fourth on the INDYCAR SERIES’ all-time victory list with 42 … Scott McLaughlin will attempt to make his 50th INDYCAR SERIES start. INDY NXT by Firestone Notes:The INDY NXT by Firestone Grand Prix of Portland will be the series’ 22nd race at Portland International Raceway. Previous Indy NXT by Firestone winners at Portland include Paul Tracy, Andre Ribeiro, Greg Moore, Pato O’Ward, Rinus VeeKay, David Malukas and Kyle Kirkwood. Current NTT INDYCAR SERIES rookie Benjamin Pedersen won the INDY NXT by Firestone race at Portland in 2022.Christian Rasmussen of HMD Motorsports is enjoying a dominant season, leading the series in wins (four), laps led (240 of 475) and top-10 finishes (10) through 11 races. Rasmussen, a native of Denmark, owns a 50-point lead over second-place Hunter McElrea of Andretti Autosport. Rasmussen can clinch the season championship by leading by at least 109 points after this event.Push-to-pass could play a key strategic role at Portland as INDY NXT by Firestone drivers will have a bank of 150 seconds to use an added 50 horsepower to assist in overtaking. The maximum amount of time for each press of the overtake system is 15 seconds.Matteo Nannini, Reece Gold, Nolan Siegel and Louis Foster became first-time winners earlier this season. Will another talented prospect like Jacob Abel, James Roe, Kyffin Simpson or Ernie Francis Jr. score a first INDY NXT by Firestone win in 2023 in Portland? |
Portland Fast Facts
| From Indycar: Race weekend: Friday, Sept. 2 – Sunday, Sept. 4 Track: Portland International Raceway, a 12-turn, 1.964-mile road course in Portland, Oregon Race distance: 110 laps / 216.04 miles | Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires: 35 laps / 68.74 miles / 55 minutes )Push-to-pass parameters: 200 seconds of total time with a maximum time of 20 seconds per activation. | Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires: 150 seconds of total time with a maximum time of 15 seconds per activation .Firestone tire allotment: Six sets primary, four sets alternate. Teams must use one set of primary and one new set of alternate tires in the race. (Note: A seventh set of primary tires is available to any car fielding a rookie driver.) Twitter: @Portland_GP, @IndyCar, #PortlandGP, #INDYCAR Event website: www.portlandgp.com INDYCAR website: www.IndyCar.com 2021 race winners: NTT INDYCAR SERIESAlex Palou (No. 10 PNC Bank Honda) Indy Lights Presented by Cooper TiresRace 1: David Malukas (No. 79 HMD Motorsports)Race 2: Kyle Kirkwood (No. 28 Andretti Autosport) 2021 NTT P1 Award winner: Alex Palou (No. 10 PNC Bank Honda), 58.7701, 120.306 mph Qualifying records:NTT INDYCAR SERIESWill Power, 57.2143 seconds, 123.577 mph, Sept. 1, 2018 (Set in Round 1 of knockout qualifying) Indy Lights Presented by Cooper TiresPato O’Ward, 1:02.8074, 112.573 mph, Aug. 31, 2018 NBC Sports race telecast: Grand Prix of Portland 3 p.m. ET Sunday, Sept. 4, NBC (live). Leigh Diffey is the play-by-play announcer for NBC’s coverage of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, alongside analysts Townsend Bell and James Hinchcliffe. Peacock Premium Live Streaming: All NTT INDYCAR SERIES practice sessions and qualifying will stream live on Peacock Premium, NBC’s direct-to-consumer livestreaming product, while NBC’s race telecast of the Grand Prix of Portland will be simulcast on the streaming service. Peacock Premium’s exclusive post-race show – featuring driver interviews, podium ceremonies and post-race analysis – will be streamed following the race. The Indy Lights Portland Grand Prix (1 p.m. ET Sunday) will be streamed on Peacock Premium with practice and qualifying being shown on INDYCAR Live! INDYCAR Radio Network broadcasts: Mark Jaynes is the anchor alongside analyst Davey Hamilton. Nick Yeoman, Michael Young and Ryan Myrehn are the turn announcers. Dan Rusanowski and Alex Wollf are the pit reporters. The Grand Prix of Portland race (3 p.m. ET Sunday), Indy Lights Portland Grand Prix (1 p.m. ET Sunday) and all NTT INDYCAR SERIES and Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires practices and qualifying sessions air live on network affiliates, SiriusXM 160, racecontrol.indycar.com and the INDYCAR App powered by NTT DATA. At-track schedule (all times local): Friday, Sept. 2 1:25-2:15 p.m. – Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires practice 1, INDYCAR Live! 2:30-3:45 p.m. – NTT INDYCAR SERIES practice 1, Peacock Premium Saturday, Sept. 3 9-10 a.m. – NTT INDYCAR SERIES practice 2 (45 minutes limited guarantee), Peacock Premium 11:15-11:55 a.m. – Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires practice 2, INDYCAR Live! 12:05 p.m. – Grand Prix of Portland NTT P1 Award qualifying (three rounds of knockout qualifying), Peacock Premium 3:25 p.m. – Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires Qualifying, INDYCAR Live! 4:15-4:45 p.m. – NTT INDYCAR SERIES final practice, Peacock Premium Sunday, Sept. 4 10:15 a.m. – Indy Lights Grand Prix of Portland “Drivers Start Your Engines” 10:20 a.m. – Indy Lights Grand Prix of Portland (35 laps / 68.74 miles / 55 minutes) Noon – NBC on air 12:23 p.m. – “Drivers, start your engines”12:30 p.m. – Grand Prix of Portland (110 laps/216.04 miles), NBC (Live) Championship facts: Will Power leads the NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship with two races to go for the fourth time in his career. Power previously led the championship with two races in 2010, 2012 and 2014. He won the NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship in 2014.There are seven drivers still mathematically eligible for the 2022 NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship: Power leads Josef Newgarden by 3 points with Scott Dixon (-14), Marcus Ericsson (-17), Alex Palou (-43), Scott McLaughlin (-54) and Pato O’Ward (-58) behind. Any driver who trails the points leader by 54 points or more following the race will be eliminated from contention.Power assumed the point lead following the Gallagher Grand Prix at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on July 30. The lead has changed hands seven times between McLaughlin, Newgarden, Palou, Power and Ericsson. Since the first INDYCAR SERIES race at Portland International Raceway, the winning driver has won the INDYCAR SERIES championship in the same season 11 times: Bobby Rahal (1987), Danny Sullivan (1988), Emerson Fittipaldi (1989), Michael Andretti (1991), Al Unser Jr. (1994), Alex Zanardi (1998), Gil de Ferran (2000), Cristiano da Matta (2002), Sebastien Bourdais (2004 and 2007) and Alex Palou (2021). Point differential: The three points that separate Will Power and Josef Newgarden is the closest margin with two races remaining since 2008. The 43 points separating the top five drivers in the championship is the tightest title chase since 2003, when 41 points separated the top five. The average deficit with two races to go since 2008 is 24.3 points. Key championship point statistic: No point lead is ever safe in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES. Since 2008, a driver has made up a deficit with two races to go and won the series championship five times. Dario Franchitti and Scott Dixon have done it twice. Franchitti trailed Ryan Briscoe by 25 points in 2009 and Will Power by 17 points in 2010; Ryan Hunter-Reay tracked down Power in 2012 after trailing by 36 points with two races remaining, Dixon overcame an eight-point deficit to Helio Castroneves in 2013 and was in third place, 34 points behind Juan Pablo Montoya, in 2015. CHAMPIONSHIP WITH 2 TO GO (2008-2022) YEAR LEADER SECOND LEAD CHAMPION 2008 Scott Dixon Helio Castroneves 43 Scott Dixon 2009 Ryan Briscoe Dario Franchitti 25 Dario Franchitti 2010 Will Power Dario Franchitti 17 Dario Franchitti 2011 Dario Franchitti Will Power 5 Dario Franchitti 2012 Will Power Ryan Hunter-Reay 36 Ryan Hunter-Reay 2013 Helio Castroneves Scott Dixon 8 Scott Dixon 2014 Will Power Helio Castroneves 39 Will Power 2015 Juan Pablo Montoya Graham Rahal 9 Scott Dixon (-34) 2016 Simon Pagenaud Will Power 20 Simon Pagenaud 2017 Josef Newgarden Scott Dixon 31 Josef Newgarden 2018 Scott Dixon Alexander Rossi 26 Scott Dixon 2019 Josef Newgarden Simon Pagenaud 38 Josef Newgarden 2020 Scott Dixon Josef Newgarden 40 Scott Dixon 2021 Alex Palou Pato O’Ward 25 Alex Palou 2022 Will Power Josef Newgarden 3 ? Race notes: There have been eight different winners in 15 NTT INDYCAR SERIES races in the 2022 season. Scott McLaughlin (Streets of St. Petersburg, Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course), Josef Newgarden (Texas Motor Speedway, Streets of Long Beach, Road America, Iowa Speedway-1, World Wide Technology Raceway), Pato O’Ward (Barber Motorsports Park, Iowa Speedway-2), Colton Herta (Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course-1), Marcus Ericsson (Indianapolis 500), Will Power (Raceway at Belle Isle Park), Scott Dixon (Streets of Toronto and Streets of Nashville) and Alexander Rossi (Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course-2) have all won in 2022. The record for most different winners in a season is 11 in 2000, 2001 and 2014.The Grand Prix of Portland will be the 28th INDYCAR SERIES race at Portland International Raceway and the fourth since the NTT INDYCAR SERIES returned in 2018. Al Unser Jr. won the first INDYCAR SERIES race at Portland in 1984, while Alex Palou won in 2021. Palou, Will Power and Takuma Sato are the only former winners entered in this year’s race. Seven INDYCAR SERIES drivers have won at Portland International Raceway from the pole – Danny Sullivan (1988), Al Unser Jr. (1994), Alex Zanardi (1996), Max Papis (2001), Cristiano da Matta (2002), Sebastien Bourdais (2004) and Alex Palou (2021).Team Penske has won six times at Portland International Raceway. Penske’s winning INDYCAR SERIES drivers are Danny Sullivan (1988), Emerson Fittipaldi (1993), Al Unser Jr. (1994 and 1995), Gil de Ferran (2000) and Will Power (2019). Chip Ganassi Racing has three wins at Portland with Alex Zanardi in 1996 and 1998 and Alex Palou in 2021. Newman/Haas Racing won a record eight times at Portland. Twenty-one drivers entered in the event have competed in past INDYCAR SERIES races at Portland International Raceway. Helio Castroneves, Scott Dixon and Will Power each have five starts, most among the entered drivers. Fourteen entered drivers have led laps at the track (Castroneves 115, Power 66, Colton Herta 36, Graham Rahal 36, Alexander Rossi 32, Alex Palou 29, Pato O’Ward 28, Takuma Sato 25, Dixon 15, Josef Newgarden 8, Jack Harvey 5, Scott McLaughlin 5, Felix Rosenqvist 3 and Marcus Ericsson 1). Pato O’Ward won both Indy Lights races at Portland in 2018 on his way to the series championship…Graham Rahal scored the first win of his professional racing career at Portland, winning the Star Mazda (now Indy Pro 2000 championship) race in 2005.Milestones: Scott Dixon will attempt to make his 305th consecutive start, the second-longest streak in INDYCAR SERIES history … With his next pole position, Will Power will break a tie with Mario Andretti for the INDYCAR SERIES record for most career poles. They both have 67 pole positions … With his next win, Power will tie Michael Andretti for fourth on the INDYCAR SERIES’ all-time victory list with 42. Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires Notes: The Indy Lights Grand Prix of Portland will be the series’ 21st race at Portland International Raceway. Previous Indy Lights winners at Portland include Paul Tracy, Andre Ribeiro, Greg Moore, Pato O’Ward and Rinus VeeKay. Current NTT INDYCAR SERIES rookies David Malukas and Kyle Kirkwood split the Indy Lights Grand Prix of Portland doubleheader in 2021.Linus Lundqvist of HMD Motorsports with Dale Coyne Racing is enjoying a dominant season, leading the series in wins (five), poles (six) and top-five finishes (11) through 11 races. Lundqvist, a native of Sweden, owns a commanding 108-point lead over second-place Matthew Brabham of Andretti Autosport. Lundqvist can clinch the season championship by leading by at least 109 points after this event.Danial Frost, Christian Rasmussen and Hunter McElrea have all scored their first Indy Lights win in 2022. Just three races are remaining for other talented prospects such as Sting Ray Robb, Benjamin Pedersen, Kyffin Simpson or Ernie Francis Jr. to score a first series win. Push-to-pass could play a key strategic role at Portland as Indy Lights drivers will have a bank of 150 seconds to use an added 50 horsepower to assist in overtaking, similar to the drivers in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES. The maximum amount of time for each press of the overtake system is 15 seconds. |
Grand Prix of Portland Fast Facts
From Indycar:
Race weekend: Saturday, Sept. 11 – Sunday, Sept. 12
Track: Portland International Raceway, a 12-turn, 1.964-mile road course in Portland, Oregon
Race distance: 110 laps / 216.04 miles
Media Links: Entry List (PDF) | Driver Video Quotes
Push-to-pass parameters: 200 seconds of total time with a maximum time of 20 seconds per activation.
Firestone tire allotment: Six sets primary, four sets alternate. Teams must use one set of primary and one new set of alternate tires in the race. (Note: A seventh set of primary tires is available to any car fielding a rookie driver.)
Twitter: @Portland_GP, @IndyCar, #PortlandGP, #INDYCAR
Event website: www.portlandgp.com
INDYCAR website: www.IndyCar.com
2019 race winner: Will Power (No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet)
2019 pole winner: Colton Herta (No. 88 Capstone Turbine Honda), 57.8111 seconds, 122.302 mph
Qualifying record: Will Power, 57.2143 seconds, 123.577 mph, Sept. 1, 2018 (Set in Round 1 of knockout qualifying)
NBC television broadcast: Race, 3 p.m. ET Sunday, Sept. 12, NBC (live). Leigh Diffey is the lead announcer alongside analysts Townsend Bell and Paul Tracy.
Peacock Premium Live Streaming: Saturday’s NTT INDYCAR SERIES practice sessions and qualifying will stream live on Peacock Premium, NBC’s direct-to-consumer livestreaming product.
INDYCAR Radio Network broadcasts: Nick Yeoman will be the lead announcer alongside analyst Davey Hamilton. Jake Query and Michael Young are the turn announcers. Ryan Myrehn and Alex Wolff will report from the pits. The Grand Prix of Portland will air live on network affiliates, Sirius XM 205, indycar.com and the INDYCAR Mobile app powered by NTT DATA. All NTT INDYCAR SERIES practices and qualifying are available on SiriusXM 205, indycar.com and the INDYCAR Mobile app.
At-track schedule (all times local):
Saturday, Sept. 11
9 – 10:15 a.m. – NTT INDYCAR SERIES practice, Peacock Premium (live)
12:15 – 1:30 p.m. – Qualifying for the NTT P1 Award (three rounds of knockout qualifying), Peacock Premium (live)
3:15 – 3:45 p.m. – NTT INDYCAR SERIES final practice, Peacock Premium (live)
Sunday, Sept. 12
12:05 p.m. – Driver introductions
12:35 p.m. – Command to start engines
12:42 p.m. – Grand Prix of Portland (110 laps/216.04 miles), NBC (live)
Championship facts:
- Pato O’Ward leads the NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship with three races to go for the first time in his career. O’Ward also led the points after his win in the second race of the Chevrolet Dual in Detroit in June.
- Since the first INDYCAR SERIES race at Portland International Raceway, the winning driver has won the INDYCAR SERIES championship in the same season 10 times: Bobby Rahal (1987), Danny Sullivan (1988), Emerson Fittipaldi (1989), Michael Andretti (1991), Al Unser Jr. (1994), Alex Zanardi (1998), Gil de Ferran (2000), Cristiano da Matta (2002), Sebastien Bourdais (2004 and 2007).
Key championship point statistic: Since 2008, the driver who has led the championship with three races to go has won the championship eight times – Scott Dixon in 2008, 2018 and 2020, Dario Franchitti in 2011, Will Power in 2014, Simon Pagenaud in 2016 and Josef Newgarden in 2017 and 2019.
Point differential: The 10 points that separate Pato O’Ward and Alex Palou is the fourth-closest point margin since 2008. Prior to this season, the average lead with three races to go since 2008 was 31.7 points.
Championship-eligible drivers results at Portland International Raceway:
- There are 11 drivers still mathematically eligible for the 2021 NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship: Pato O’Ward, Alex Palou, Josef Newgarden, Scott Dixon, Marcus Ericsson, Colton Herta, Simon Pagenaud, Graham Rahal, Will Power, Takuma Sato and Rinus VeeKay. Any driver who trails the points leader by 108 points or more following the race will be eliminated from contention.
CHAMPIONSHIP WITH THREE TO GO (2008-2021)
| YEAR | LEADER | SECOND | LEAD | CHAMPION |
| 2008 | Scott Dixon | Helio Castroneves | 78 | Scott Dixon |
| 2009 | Ryan Briscoe | Dario Franchitti | 4 | Dario Franchitti |
| 2010 | Will Power | Dario Franchitti | 23 | Dario Franchitti |
| 2011 | Dario Franchitti | Will Power | 26 | Dario Franchitti |
| 2012 | Will Power | Ryan Hunter-Reay | 5 | Ryan Hunter-Reay |
| 2013 | Helio Castroneves | Scott Dixon | 49 | Scott Dixon |
| 2014 | Will Power | Helio Castroneves | 4 | Will Power |
| 2015 | Juan Pablo Montoya | Graham Rahal | 42 | Scott Dixon (-48) |
| 2016 | Simon Pagenaud | Will Power | 27 | Simon Pagenaud |
| 2017 | Josef Newgarden | Scott Dixon | 18 | Josef Newgarden |
| 2018 | Scott Dixon | Alexander Rossi | 29 | Scott Dixon |
| 2019 | Josef Newgarden | Alexander Rossi | 35 | Josef Newgarden |
| 2020 | Scott Dixon | Josef Newgarden | 72 | Scott Dixon |
| 2021 | Pato O’Ward | Alex Palou | 10 | ? |
Race notes:
- There have been nine different winners in 13 NTT INDYCAR SERIES races this season. Alex Palou (Barber Motorsports Park, Road America), Colton Herta (Streets of St. Petersburg), Scott Dixon (Texas Motor Speedway-1), Pato O’Ward (Texas Motor Speedway-2, Raceway at Belle Isle Park-2), Rinus VeeKay (Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course-1), Helio Castroneves (Indianapolis 500), Marcus Ericsson (Raceway at Belle Isle Park-1 and Streets of Nashville), Josef Newgarden (Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course and World Wide Technology Raceway) and Will Power (Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course-2) have all won in 2021. The modern record (1946-present) for most different winners in a season is 11 in 2000, 2001 and 2014.
- There have been seven different winners in the last 10 NTT INDYCAR SERIES races (Pato O’Ward, Rinus VeeKay, Helio Castroneves, Alex Palou, Marcus Ericsson, Josef Newgarden and Will Power) The only repeat winners in that stretch are O’Ward (Texas-2, and Raceway at Belle Isle Park-2), Ericsson (Raceway at Belle Isle Park-1 and Streets of Nashville) and Newgarden (Mid-Ohio and WWT Raceway).
- The Grand Prix of Portland will be the 27th INDYCAR SERIES race at Portland International Raceway, but the third since the NTT INDYCAR SERIES returned in 2018. Al Unser Jr. won the first INDYCAR SERIES race at Portland in 1984, while Will Power won the most recent race in 2019. Power, Takuma Sato and Sebastien Bourdais, who won in 2004 and 2007, are the only former winners entered in this year’s race.
- Six INDYCAR SERIES drivers have won at Portland International Raceway from the pole – Danny Sullivan (1988), Al Unser Jr. (1994), Alex Zanardi (1996), Max Papis (2001), Cristiano da Matta (2002) and Sebastien Bourdais (2004).
- Team Penske has won six times at Portland International Raceway. Penske’s winning INDYCAR SERIES drivers are Danny Sullivan (1988), Emerson Fittipaldi (1993), Al Unser Jr. (1994 and 1995), Gil de Ferran (2000) and Will Power (2019). Chip Ganassi Racing has two wins at Portland with Alex Zanardi in 1996 and 1998. Newman/Haas Racing won a record eight times at Portland.
- Seventeen drivers entered in the event have competed in past INDYCAR SERIES races at Portland International Raceway. Sebastien Bourdais has seven starts, most among the entered drivers. Ten entered drivers have led laps at the track (Bourdais 149, Will Power 66, Colton Herta 36, Alexander Rossi 32, Takuma Sato 25, Ryan Hunter-Reay 19, Scott Dixon 11, Max Chilton 10, Josef Newgarden 8 and Felix Rosenqvist 3).
- Pato O’Ward won both Indy Lights races at Portland in 2018, on his way to the series championship…Graham Rahal scored the first win of his professional racing career at Portland, winning the Star Mazda (now Indy Pro 2000 championship) race in 2005. James Hinchcliffe claimed his first Atlantics Championship win in Portland in 2006.
- Four rookies – Romain Grosjean, Callum Ilott, Jimmie Johnson and Scott McLaughlin – are expected to compete. Ilott will be making his NTT INDYCAR SERIES debut. The four rookies, along with veteran drivers Oliver Askew, Marcus Ericsson, Dalton Kellett, Pato O’Ward, Alex Palou and Rinus VeeKay, will all be making their first INDYCAR SERIES at Portland International Raceway.
Goodbye, Glen; Hello Portland; Hola, Mexico?
Indycar’s schedule release produced the expected dropping of Watkins Glen and introduction of Portland as its replacement.Mexico City is still a possibility for August 5. TV networks and times were not announced today.
The schedule is below:
2018 Verizon IndyCar Series schedule
March 9-11 St. Petersburg, FL
April 6-7 Phoenix Raceway, AZ
April 13-15 Long Beach, CA
April 20-22 Barber Motorsports Park, AL
May 11-12 GP of Indianapolis, IN
May 15-27 Indianapolis 500, IN
June 1-3 Dual in Detroit, MI (2 races, Sat. & Sun)
June 8-9 Texas Motor Speedway, TX
June 22-24 Road America, WI
July 7-8 Iowa Speedway, IA
July 13-15 Toronto, ON, Canada
July 27-29 Mid-Ohio SportsCar Course, OH
Aug. 18-19 Pocono Raceway, PA
Aug. 24-25 Gateway Motorsports Park, IL
Aug. 31-Sept. 2 Portland International Raceway, OR
Sept. 14-16 Sonoma Raceway, C
Before I discuss Watkins Glen, here are some thoughts about the schedule. The last three races are all west of the Mississippi. Having Portland and Sonoma as the last two races eliminates travel time for the teams and allows a great promotion period for Sonoma. This season the last four races had teams going back and forth from the east to the west, way back east again then all the way to California. This is the easiest schedule travel wise in a while.
The Indy 500 qualifying weekend is not listed on the schedule as it has been the last two years. Perhaps it will be added when the TV schedule is published.
Portland was a staple of CART and Champ Car but was a casualty in the merger. Indycars raced there from 1984. until 2007. There were some fun races there, including the closest three car finish on a road course in 1997 when Mark Blundell beat Gil De Ferran by 0.027 seconds and third place Raul Boesel by 0.055 seconds. They were three wide at the line. In 1986, Michael Andretti ran out of fuel coming to the checkered flag and was passed by dad Mario, who won by 0.07 seconds. The race was on Father’s Day then. Michael said that was Mario’s present. The last winner at Portland was Sebastien Bourdais.
Watkins Glen rescued Indycar in 2016 when the Boston Grand Prix folded. I have enjoyed going to the race there. It’s a great track and a beautiful area. A race later in September when the leaves are turning would be amazing. It was obvious Labor Day wasn’t working attendance wise, but the the track’s schedule and Indycar’s stubborn insistence on not competing with football doomed the attempt to find a mutually agreeable date.
To keep tracks like Watkins Glen a part of the schedule, Indycar needs to extend the schedule into October. The television numbers will not be that much different. If they were getting over a million viewers a race and had a 30% drop when football begins, I could understand their concern. The current ratings will not change that much.
Mark Miles did not say that there is an absolute deadline for a decision on Mexico City. A Mexican driver in the series would definitely help that race if it happens. I haven’t heard anything about Esteban Guttierez having a ride for this, year. Someone might get him a one off for that weekend.
Silly Season News
Sage Karam will drive in the 500 for Dreyer and Reinbold in 2018. DRR also indicated their intention to enter more races next year. Entering Karam at Pocono might boost attendance a bit there.
If you haven’t seen the visor cam from Spencer Pigot driving the 2018 configuration at Road America yet, make sure you do. This car acts very different than the cars in manufacturer trim. Drivers actually drive the cars. You can find the video at the Indycar twitter site and possibly on Indycar.com.
The Pit Window by Mike Silver 