After a few weeks off, IndyCar is back and gearing up for the green flag. This weekend, they are in Portland, Oregon at the Portland International Raceway. This track is located near the Columbia Stough and has 83 acres of environmental protection zones.
The raceway takes up a total of 268 acres, with the track itself being 1.97 miles long (3.7 km long). Without the chicane, the track is 1.915 miles long (3.08 km long).
The raceway was built in 1961 and has an extensive history. Before the area became a track (specifically for dirt bikes and Motocross), it was a town for ship workers in WWII. However, a flood virtually eradicated the town of Vanport, and it was never rebuilt. It then became the Portland International Raceway, which has hosted over 50 Motocross events, and 32 Indycar races.
Last year, Will Power and Team Penske took home the victory. This was his only win last season, and his final victory with Team Penske. Christian Lundgaard, who doesn’t have a seat for the 2027 season, took home second, and Alex Palou, the four-time Indycar champion, closed out the podium.
Going into this year’s race, there has been plenty of drama surrounding teams in their new seats for next season. Indy 500 winner Felix Rosenqvist announced he will be leaving Meyer Shank at the end of the season to join Arrow McLaren. For this race, he earned pole position with a time of 58.4828.
Just behind Rosenqvist is Alex Palou. He looks to extend his lead in the championship and secure five championships in a row. Just behind Palou is Power. Power looks to secure his first victory podium with Andretti this season.
The drama doesn’t stop there. Fan favorites, Arrow McLaren had a rough qualifying session. The three start from the back of the field with Lundgaard starting last. Next season’s second McLaren driver, Scott Dixon, will be starting 12th, behind Romain Grosjean.
Championship points are at stake. Could Rosenqvist take the championship lead? Can Palou come from behind just like he did in Long Beach? Time will tell at the Grand Prix of Portland. The green flag waves at 4 p.m. EST, live on FOX.
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