Portland International Raceway (PIR) is a motorsport facility in Portland in the U.S. state of Oregon. It is part of the Delta Park complex on the former site of Vanport, just south of the Columbia River. It lies west of a light rail station and less than a mile west of Interstate 5.
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![]() Map of Portland International Raceway | |
Location | Portland, Oregon, U.S. |
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Time zone | GMT−8 |
Coordinates | 45°35′49″N 122°41′45″W |
Capacity | 30,000 |
FIA Grade | 2 |
Owner | City of Portland |
Operator | E. C. Mueller[1] |
Opened | 1960 |
Major events | Current: IndyCar Series Grand Prix of Portland (1984–2007, 2018–2019, 2021–present) NASCAR Xfinity Series Pacific Office Automation 147 (2022) ARCA Menards Series West (1986, 2009–2012, 2021–present) Former: IMSA Portland Grand Prix (1978–1994, 1999–2001, 2004–2006) Pirelli World Challenge Rose Cup Races (2001, 2004–2005, 2018–2019) NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series LINE-X 225 (1999–2000) AMA Superbike Championship (1983–1984) |
Grand Prix Circuit (2008–present) | |
Surface | Asphalt/concrete |
Length | 1.967[2] miles (3.166 km) |
Turns | 12 |
Race lap record | 0:58.7403 (![]() |
Grand Prix Circuit (1992–2007) | |
Surface | Asphalt/concrete |
Length | 1.944 miles (3.129 km) |
Turns | 12 |
Race lap record | 0.59.259 (![]() |
Grand Prix Circuit (1984–1991)[3] | |
Surface | Asphalt/concrete |
Length | 1.922 miles (3.093 km) |
Turns | 12 |
Race lap record | 0:57.626 (![]() |
Grand Prix Circuit (1971–1983) | |
Surface | Asphalt/concrete |
Length | 1.915 miles (3.082 km) |
Turns | 9 |
Race lap record | 1:04.860 (![]() |
Website | www |
The track hosts the IndyCar Series, ICSCC and SCCA and OMRRA road racing, the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West, and SCCA autocross events. Additionally, the PIR grounds are host to OBRA (Oregon Bicycle Racing Association) bicycling races on the track and the surrounding grounds. The facility includes a dragstrip and a motocross track.
The road course is almost perfectly flat and runs clockwise. Two track configurations are possible. One includes a hard chicane at the end of the front straight and involves 12 turns alength of 1.945 mi (3.130 km). Without the chicane, the track has nine turns and a lap length of 1.915 mi (3.082 km). Portland is classified as an FIA Grade Two circuit.[4]
The City of Portland is working to establish the track as carbon neutral.[5]
PIR is built on the former location of Vanport, Oregon, which was destroyed on Memorial Day, May 30, 1948, when a railroad berm broke and water from the Columbia River flooded the city. After the flood, all that remained were the paved streets and concrete foundations of destroyed buildings.
The first races took place on these old city streets in 1961 during the Portland Rose Festival. Since then, the Rose Cup has become an annual event. Racing at "West Delta Park",[6] as PIR was known back then, was quite dangerous. Racers leaving the track unexpectedly could collide with leftover concrete foundations or fall into ponds.
Under the threat of losing the Rose Cup races, since many of the sanctioning racing bodies would no longer sanction races due to the deteriorating roads and dangerous obstacles, the track was finally paved in the 1970s.[6]
In 1975, Portland International hosted the Trans-Am Series, the premier series of the Sports Car Club of America, which was won by John Greenwood, driving a Chevrolet Corvette. Greenwood would go on to win the 1975 Trans-Am Series Championship.
Beginning in 1984, Portland International began hosting the cars and stars of the PPG Indycar World Series, with Al Unser Jr. taking his first win, driving a Cosworth powered March.
In 1999 and 2000, the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series ran a race at Portland International Raceway. The race was added after the demise of the ½-mile Portland Speedway that hosted races early in the series. The 1999 running saw the first (and as of 2021, the only) time there were more than one African-Americans competing in the same NASCAR top-three division race, with Bill Lester and Bobby Norfleet on the grid.
At the end of 2007 and the beginning of 2008, PIR went through a track renovation. The track was repaved with new asphalt and some minor changes were made to the track layout. Turns 4-7 were widened. The fence on the inside of turn 6 was moved to provide a better sightline through the corner. Turn 7 was sharpened to slow down racers prior to entering the back straight. Formula One-style curbs were also installed on the track.[7] The track reopened on February 23, 2008, with a ribbon cutting ceremony.
In September 2018, the Grand Prix of Portland returned after an 11-year hiatus. The qualifying record is 0:57.3467, set by Will Power during the 2018 Grand Prix of Portland.
On September 29, 2021, it was announced that the NASCAR Xfinity Series would race there in the regular season.
The official outright all-time lap record set during a race weekend is 55.760 seconds, set by Wayne Taylor on the old circuit layout, in an Intrepid RM-1-Chevrolet, during qualifying for the 1991 G.I. Joe's/Camel Grand Prix Presented by Nissan. The official race lap records at Portland International Raceway are listed as:
Category | Time | Driver | Vehicle | Date |
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Grand Prix Circuit: 3.166 km (2008–present) | ||||
IndyCar | 58.7403 | Carlos Muñoz | Dallara DW12 | 2018 Grand Prix of Portland |
Indy Lights | 1:03.1665[8] | Rinus VeeKay | Dallara IL-15 | 2019 Indy Lights Grand Prix of Portland |
Indy Pro 2000 | 1:07.159[9] | Rinus VeeKay | Tatuus PM-18 | 2018 Pro Mazda Grand Prix of Portland |
US F2000 | 1:11.210[10] | Kyle Kirkwood | Tatuus USF-17 | 2018 US F2000 Grand Prix of Portland |
TCR Touring Car | 1:18.770[11] | Michael James Lewis | Hyundai i30 N TCR | 2018 Portland Pirelli World Challenge round |
Stock car racing | 1:21.883[12] | Myatt Snider | Chevrolet Camaro SS | 2022 Pacific Office Automation 147 |
Grand Prix Circuit: 3.129 km (1992–2007) | ||||
Champ Car | 59.259 | Will Power | Lola B02/00 | 2006 Grand Prix of Portland |
CART | 1:00.801 | Bruno Junqueira | Lola B02/00 | 2002 G.I. Joe's 200 |
GTP | 1:02.067[13] | P. J. Jones | Eagle MkIII | 1992 G.I. Joe's/Camel Grand Prix Presented by Nissan |
LMP1 | 1:04.271[14] | Andy Wallace | MG-Lola EX257 | 2005 Portland Grand Prix |
LMP2 | 1:04.488[15] | Lucas Luhr | Porsche RS Spyder | 2006 Portland Grand Prix |
LMP900 | 1:04.909[16] | Emanuele Pirro | Audi R8 | 2000 Rose City Grand Prix |
Formula Atlantic | 1:05.680[17] | Joe D´Agostino | Swift 016.a | 2006 Portland Formula Atlantic round |
Indy Lights | 1:06.572[18] | Greg Moore | Lola T93/20 | 1995 Portland Indy Lights round |
GT1 (GTS) | 1:08.595[14] | Oliver Gavin | Chevrolet Corvette C6.R | 2005 Portland Grand Prix |
LMP675 | 1:09.394[19] | Didier de Radigues | Reynard 01Q | 2001 Grand Prix of Portland |
WSC | 1:09.595[20] | Fermin Velez | Ferrari 333 SP | 1994 Grand Prix of Portland |
GTP Lights | 1:10.849[13] | Parker Johnstone | Spice SE91P | 1992 G.I. Joe's/Camel Grand Prix Presented by Nissan |
GTS | 1:11.475[21] | Darin Brassfield | Oldsmobile Cutlass | 1993 G.I. Joe's/Camel Grand Prix |
GT2 | 1:12.931[22] | Jaime Melo | Ferrari F430 GTC | 2006 Portland Grand Prix |
Trans-Am | 1:13.992[23] | Scott Pruett | Chevrolet Camaro | 1994 Portland Trans-Am round |
GTO | 1:14.613[21] | Brian DeVries | Oldsmobile Cutlass | 1993 G.I. Joe's/Camel Grand Prix |
Stock car racing | 1:15.554[24] | Chris Hart | Chevrolet Monte Carlo | 2000 NEXTPOSURE 100 |
Pickup truck racing | 1:16.776[25] | Greg Biffle | Ford F-150 | 2000 LINE-X 225 |
GTU | 1:17.355[26] | John Fergus | Dodge Daytona | 1992 G.I. Joe's Camel Gran Prix Presented by Nissan |
Super Touring | 1:20.227[27] | Randy Pobst | Honda Accord | 1996 Portland NATCC round |
Grand Prix Circuit: 3.093 km (1984–1991) | ||||
GTP | 57.626[28] | Wayne Taylor | Intrepid RM-1 | 1991 G.I. Joe's/Camel Grand Prix |
CART | 1:00.058[29] | Michael Andretti | Lola T91/00 | 1991 Budweiser/G.I.Joe's 200 |
GTO | 1:02.772[30] | Dorsey Schroeder | Ford Mustang | 1991 G.I. Joe's/Camel Grand Prix |
GTP Lights | 1:03.495[28] | Ruggero Melgrati | Spice SE89P | 1991 G.I. Joe's/Camel Grand Prix |
AAC | 1:07.996[30] | Tommy Riggins | Oldsmobile Cutlass | 1991 G.I. Joe's/Camel Grand Prix |
GTU | 1:08.872[30] | John Fergus | Dodge Daytona | 1991 G.I. Joe's/Camel Grand Prix |
Trans-Am | 1:11.090[31] | Greg Pickett | Mercury Capri | 1984 Portland 200 |
Stock car racing | 1:11.313[32] | Derrike Cope | Ford Thunderbird | 1986 Motorcraft 300 |
Grand Prix Circuit: 3.082 km (1971–1983) | ||||
GTP | 1:04.860[33] | John Fitzpatrick | Porsche 935 K4 | 1982 G.I. Joe's/Toyota Grand Prix |
GTO | 1:10.540[33] | Don Devendorf | Nissan 280ZX Turbo | 1982 G.I. Joe's/Toyota Grand Prix |
GTU | 1:13.780[34] | Bob Bergstrom | Porsche 924 Carrera GTR | 1983 G.I. Joe's Grand Prix |
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