Tag: Portland International Raceway

Lundgaard Pole Caps Wild Fast Six

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IndyCar photo

In one of the more entertaining Fast Six sessions of the season, Christian Lundgaard snatched the pole from Will Power late, but a penalty will drop him to seventh on the starting grid. Without the penalty the front row would have been a McLaren lockout as Lundgaard’s teammate, Pato O’Ward, finished second and will inherit the pole for tomorrow’s race. O’Ward missed out on a point that would have helped in his pursuit of Alex Palou for the series championship.

Christian Lundgaard and Pato O’Ward. This will not be the last time we see this front row.

Arrow McLaren has struggled in the past in qualifying, but 2025 has seen marked improvement.

Power led for most of the Fast Six as he and teammate Josef Newgarden both made the second round. Newgarden qualified ninth, but has a six place grid penalty.

Points leader Alex Palou was making a charge for the top spot when he spun and tapped tire barrier, relegating him to sixth place

Notes

The second row will feature Will Power and David Malukas. Irony?

After all penalties are served, Lundgaard will start seventh, Newgarden 15th, Kyffin Simpson will start 18th, and Santino Ferrucci will lineup 21st.

It was a disappointing day for the Andretti team, with only Marcus Ericsson reaching the second round. Colton Herta will move up to 12th in the official lineup.

Results

The final warmup session before Sunday’s race will be this afternoon at 4:30 Pacific on FS1.

Lundgaard Leads Tight Practice 1

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Five drivers finished practice within two tenths of a second in the opening npractice session for Sunday’s IndyCar race at Portland International Raceway.

Christian Lundgaard nipped Alex Palou by just one tenth of a second, turning a lap of 59.1037 seconds. Following Palou were Marcus Armstrong, Felix Rosenqvist, Josef Newgarden. Newgarden’s time was 59.3014 seconds. Louis Foster in 13th place is the first driver more than a half second off Lundgaard’s mark.

Several red flags halted the session, the longest for Scott Dixon who went off course in turn 11 and narrowly missed hitting the tire barriers.

In a media availability after practice, David Malukas was non-committal about his status for 2026.

“Same old, same old,” was his response, saying he is racing for A. J. Foyt Racing right now.

Kyle Kirkwood also spoke. He had the seventh quickest time today. Kirkwood is encouraged necause when Andretti tested here a couple of weeks ago, morning conditions were similar to what they will be for tomorrow morning’s practice, and afternoon conditions were similar to Sunday’s race forecast.

Tomorrow is a quick, early day for IndyCar with practice at 9 am Pacific time and qualifying at 11:35 am. There is a finaql practice at 4:30 pm.

I will be back int he morning. Thanks for following today.

IndyCar Announces Grid Penalty

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From IndyCar:

 INDIANAPOLIS (Friday, Aug. 8, 2025) – INDYCAR has announced a six-position starting grid penalty for the No. 8 Chip Ganassi Racing entry for avoidable contact involving driver Kyffin Simpson during the Sunday, July 27 race at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. The penalty comes after a post-race review of the Lap 1, Turn 6 incident with the No. 60 entry of Meyer Shank Racing.
Simpson was in violation of:
Rule 9.3.3. Avoidable Contact – The primary responsibility for avoiding contact with a Competitor resides with the overtaking Competitor and the secondary responsibility resides with the Competitor(s) being overtaken. A Competitor who fails to demonstrate their responsibility and initiates a maneuver that results in contact with another Competitor may be penalized.
According to the rulebook, a penalty can be applied at the next INDYCAR race if the penalty cannot be served at the event where the infraction took place.
Consistent with an Unapproved Engine Change-Out penalty in the INDYCAR rulebook, the Avoidable Contact grid penalty is six positions on road and street course events and nine positions at oval events and will be served at the series’ next event, the BITNILE.COM Grand Prix of Portland presented by askROI on Sunday, Aug. 10 at Portland International Raceway. 

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

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

Portland GP- Early Look at the Schedule

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All times Pacific

Friday, September 1

3 pm-4:15 Indycar practice 1 Peacock

Saturday, September 2 Peacock

9 am-10 Indycar practice 2 Peacock

12;30 pm-2 Indycar qualifying Peacock

5:15-5:45 Indycar Final practice Peacock

Sunday, September 3

10:20 am Indy NXT race (35 laps or 55 minutes) Peacock

12:30 pm Indycar race (110 laps) NBC, Peacock

BITNILE.COM New Race Sponsor at Portland

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PORTLAND, Ore. (Aug. 1, 2023) – BITNILE.COM has been announced as the title sponsor of the annual NTT INDYCAR SERIES event at Portland International Raceway (PIR), Sept. 1-3, 2023. The Labor Day weekend motorsport festival headlined by the 110-lap penultimate race of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES season will be called the BITNILE.COM Grand Prix of Portland.  

Starting at 10 a.m. PT tomorrow (Aug. 2), Single Day tickets go on sale for the three-day event at PIR featuring non-stop action with 10 total races from five different series. Ticket prices start as low as $25 for Single Day General Admission and $70 for Single Day Grandstand seats. Three-day tickets remain available for purchase and offer the best value. Fans should visit raceportland.com/indycar to buy tickets for the BITNILE.COM Grand Prix of Portland weekend. 

BITNILE.COM, owned by BitNile Metaverse, Inc., is a rapidly growing virtual world with over 1.4 million engaged users. Earlier this year, the platform debuted social gaming with the launch of roulette, offering users an opportunity to play for fun or real money prizes, and the site also allows gamers the opportunity to drive on virtual race tracks including the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

BITNILE.COM also sponsors Ed Carpenter Racing, an NTT INDYCAR SERIES team that will be represented by Indianapolis 500 winner Ryan Hunter-Reay and Rinus VeeKay in the BITNILE.COM Grand Prix of Portland.

“I firmly believe that the BITNILE.COM Grand Prix of Portland embodies the essence of innovation and technology, mirroring the cutting-edge nature of the metaverse world we operate,” stated Milton “Todd” Ault III, executive chairman of BitNile.com and Ault Alliance. “By sponsoring this thrilling event at Portland International Raceway, we aim to share our passion for technological advancement with the world, creating an electrifying experience for IndyCar fans both at the track and in the metaverse.”

The 2023 BITNILE.COM Grand Prix of Portland marks the 29th running of this event, adding to the rich history of open-wheel racing in the Rose City. The NTT INDYCAR SERIES headlines the weekend and takes the green flag Sunday, Sept. 3, in a late-season race that could decide and finalize the championship chase. The series points leader after the completion of the past four Portland rounds (2018, 2019, 2021 and 2022) has gone on to claim the NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship.

“We are thrilled to welcome our new title sponsor and partner BITNILE.COM to the team!” said Jerry Jensen, general manager of Green Savoree Portland, which owns and operates the event at PIR. “BITNILE.COM is already such a great supporter of IndyCar racing through their sponsorship of Ed Carpenter Racing. With this new partnership, we look forward to growing this event, building off a strong foundation of classic IndyCar races dating back to 1984, with invaluable support from BITNILE.COM.”

This year’s field will feature returning race winners Scott McLaughlin (2022), Alex Palou (2021) and Will Power (2019). The grid is anticipated to also boast other notable drivers such as 10-year Formula One veteran Romain Grosjean and, including Power, eight Indianapolis 500 winners: this year’s winner Josef Newgarden, four-time winner Helio Castroneves, 2008 winner and six-time NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion Scott Dixon, Marcus Ericsson, Ryan Hunter-Reay, Simon Pagenaud and Alexander Rossi.

The three top open-wheel development series that feed into the NTT INDYCAR SERIES will also race at PIR on Labor Day weekend. INDY NXT will battle on Sunday, Sept. 3, for 35 laps on the 1.964-mile, 12-turn permanent road course. Drivers from USF Pro 2000 Presented by Cooper Tires and USF2000 Presented by Cooper Tires will contend for championships as both series conclude their seasons with tripleheader races across the weekend. Additionally, the U.S. Touring Car Championship will add exciting sports car action to the event lineup.

Children 12 and under receive free general admission to the event. This also includes complimentary access to the NTT INDYCAR SERIES Paddock throughout the weekend when accompanied by a ticketed adult. PIR is located less than a tenth of a mile from a public transit stop – the Delta Park/Vanport MAX Station on TriMet’s MAX Yellow Line – making a trip to the track exceptionally affordable for families.
For all ticket pricing, grandstand locations and additional festival information, visit raceportland.com/indycar. Stay up to speed on the BITNILE.COM Grand Prix of Portland on social media all year long by following #PortlandGP.
About BitNile Metaverse, Inc.:Founded in 2011, BitNile Metaverse (Nasdaq: BNMV) owns 100% of BNI, including the BitNile.com metaverse platform. The Platform, which went live to the public on March 1, 2023, allows users to engage with a new social networking community and purchase both digital and physical products while playing 3D immersive games. In addition to BitNile.com, Inc., BitNile Metaverse also owns three non-core subsidiaries either directly or indirectly: approximately 66% of Wolf Energy Services Inc. (OTCQB: WOEN) indirectly; 100% of Zest Labs, Inc. directly; and approximately 89% of Agora Digital Holdings Inc. directly. BitNile Metaverse also owns approximately 70% of White River Energy Corp (OTCQB: WTRV).
About BITNILE.COM Grand Prix of Portland:Portland International Raceway (PIR) is the home of the BITNILE.COM Grand Prix of Portland. PIR is a 1.964-mile, 12-turn permanent road course owned by the City of Portland and operated under Portland Parks & Recreation. Opened in 1960 to host sports car and drag racing, the 268-acre property hosts over 550 events annually including automotive and motorcycle road racing, motocross, cruise-ins and other special events including the Rose Cup Races. PIR has been the site of many memorable INDYCAR races. Al Unser Jr. won the inaugural one in 1984, and the NTT INDYCAR SERIES returned in 2018 after an 11-year absence with 2017 and 2020 Indianapolis 500 winner Takuma Sato taking the checkered flag. The Father’s Day race of 1986 featured Mario Andretti passing his son Michael on the last lap and winning by 0.070 of a second. The closest three-way road racing finish in INDYCAR SERIES history took place at PIR in 1997 when the top three were covered by just 0.055 of a second. In 2021, Alex Palou’s victory in Portland propelled him to win the 2021 NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship. The Grand Prix of Portland is owned and operated by Green Savoree Portland, LLC, which also promotes NASCAR Xfinity Series’ Pacific Office Automation 147 event at PIR (June 2-3, 2023) and whose affiliates own and operate three additional INDYCAR SERIES races:  Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg presented by RP Funding (March 3-5, 2023), The Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio Presented by the 2023 Accord Hybrid (June 30-July 2, 2023) and Honda Indy Toronto (July 14-16, 2023). 

Portland Wrap Up

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Can Scott Dixon win a seventh title?

Happy Labor Day. The Grand Prix of Portland gave Indycar what it wanted, a tight three way battle for the championship at Weather Tech Raceway Laguna Seca next Sunday. Five drivers are mathematically eligible to win the title, but I think only Will Power,Josef Newgarden, and Scott Dixon have a realistic shot.

Portland’s spot on the schedule makes it kind of a stepchild. Fans are more interested in how it sets up the season finale the following week. I think that and the Labor Day weekend placement on the calendar hurt the attraction of the event.

Yesterday’s crowd wStaras decent, not great. Based on the scarcity of fans at the ntrack Saturday, it was a great turnout. Inhad a sense that there were fewer food vendors at the track than there were on my last visit in 2019. My friend who attended last year’s race, confirmed ny suspicions.

Portland has never been one to have a lot of fan activities or concerts. Perhaps these things may help attendance. I didn’t get a sense that the city as a whole embraces the event. It’s too bad. Portland is a fun city with lots of neat little neighborhoods I enjoy exploring.

Cleaner Start

Indycar finally listened to the drivers and allowed the pole sitter to accelerate at the exit of turn 12. The result was a lack of the traditional chaos in the first turn. The pack was bunched up as tyhey entered the tuirn, but theres was enough separation for everyone to get through cleanly. Whether that made the overall race better, i’m not so sure.

Poor Jimmie Johnson. He drove one of his cleansest races of the year and gets hit out of nowhere by Rinus VeeKay while VeeKay was trying to lap him. Despite all his road course struggles this year, Johnson’s car is still in the Leader’s Circle for 2022.

I’m heading to Seattle to check a bucket list city off my to see list and watch a Mariners game. I’ll stiil keep up with all the latest McLaren signings and firings. Thanks for following along this weekend. Next weekend is going to be wild.