 | |
| Location | Portland,Oregon, U.S. |
|---|---|
| Opened | 1924 |
| Closed | 2001 |
| Major events | NASCARCraftsman Truck Series NASCARWinston West Series World of Outlaws |
| Oval | |
| Surface | Clay (1924–1946; 2000–2001) Asphalt (1946–2000) |
| Length | 0.50 mi (0.8 km) |
| Turns | 4 |
Portland Speedway was a half-milerace track forauto racing inPortland,Oregon, U.S. It was in existence from 1924 until 2001.
The track began as a five-eighths-mile (one km) clay oval in 1924 on the site of a field in north Portland. The track hosted big cars, midget cars, and stock cars before the suspension of racing duringWorld War II.[1]
The track was paved in 1946 as a half-mile oval.NASCAR sanctioning came to Portland after Western Speedways, Inc. leased the track in 1984. It hosted four NASCARCraftsman Truck Series races from 1995 to 1998.[2]Mike Skinner andRon Hornaday Jr. won at Portland during their championship seasons, 1995 and 1996 respectively.[2]Rich Bickle andStacy Compton won the final two events there.[2]
The NASCARWinston West Series ran 36 Portland races between 1971 and 2000 withHershel McGriff winning a series high five times.[2] Other notable winners included future NASCARWinston Cup championBobby Allison, 1990 Daytona 500 winnerDerrike Cope, and NASCAR driversChad Little,Greg Biffle, andKen Schrader.[2] 1994 Portland winnerRick Carelli competed in all four Portland Craftsman Truck Series races, with three top tens and a best finish of third in 1998.[3]
The track held a total of sevenNASCAR Cup Series races during the1956 and1957 seasons.[4]
Between 1956 and 2000, the track held manyNASCAR West Series races.[4]
The last race on the pavement surface was on July 30, 2000.[1] The track was converted to a clay surface and hosted theWorld of Outlaws Sprint Cars in 2000 and 2001.[5][6]
45°35′37″N122°40′11″W / 45.59361°N 122.66972°W /45.59361; -122.66972