 | |
 Grand Prix Circuit (2008–present) | |
| Location | Portland, Oregon, U.S. |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 45°35′49″N122°41′45″W / 45.59694°N 122.69583°W /45.59694; -122.69583 |
| Capacity | 30,000 |
| FIA Grade | 2 |
| Owner | City of Portland |
| Broke ground | 1960 |
| Opened | June 1961; 64 years ago (1961-06) |
| Major events | Current: IndyCar Series Grand Prix of Portland (1984–2007, 2018–2019, 2021–present) NASCAR Xfinity Series Pacific Office Automation 147 (2022–2025) ARCA Menards Series West Portland 112 (1986, 2009–2012, 2021–present) Trans-Am West Coast Championship (2017–2019, 2021–2025) Former: Formula E Portland ePrix (2023–2024) IMSA Portland Grand Prix (1978–1994, 1999–2001, 2004–2006) Pirelli World Challenge Rose Cup Races (2001, 2004–2005, 2018–2019) Trans-Am Series (1972, 1975–1987, 1990–1995, 2001, 2004–2005, 2009) NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Grainger Industrial Supply 225K (1999–2000) AMA Superbike Championship (1983–1984) |
| Website | portlandraceway |
| Grand Prix Circuit (2008–present) | |
| Surface | Asphalt/concrete |
| Length | 1.967 mi (3.166 km) |
| Turns | 12 |
| Race lap record | 0:58.7403 ( Carlos Muñoz,Dallara DW12,2018,IndyCar) |
| Formula E Circuit (2023–2024) | |
| Surface | Asphalt/concrete |
| Length | 2.001 mi (3.221 km) |
| Turns | 12 |
| Race lap record | 1:10.650 ( Robin Frijns,Jaguar I-Type 6,2024,F-E) |
| Grand Prix Circuit (1992–2007) | |
| Surface | Asphalt/concrete |
| Length | 1.944 mi (3.129 km) |
| Turns | 12 |
| Race lap record | 0.59.259 ( Will Power,Lola B02/00,2006,Champ Car) |
| Grand Prix Circuit (1984–1991) | |
| Surface | Asphalt/concrete |
| Length | 1.922 mi (3.093 km) |
| Turns | 12 |
| Race lap record | 0:57.626 ( Wayne Taylor,Intrepid RM-1,1991,IMSA GTP) |
| Grand Prix Circuit (1971–1983) | |
| Surface | Asphalt/concrete |
| Length | 1.915 mi (3.082 km) |
| Turns | 9 |
| Race lap record | 1:04.860 ( John Fitzpatrick,Porsche 935 K4,1982,IMSA GTP) |
| Full Circuit (1969–1970) | |
| Surface | Asphalt/concrete |
| Length | 1.799 mi (2.896 km) |
| Turns | 9 |
| West Delta Park Circuit (1966–1968) | |
| Surface | Asphalt/concrete |
| Length | 1.964 mi (3.160 km) |
| Turns | 11 |
| West Delta Park Circuit (1961–1965) | |
| Surface | Asphalt/concrete |
| Length | 1.999 mi (3.217 km) |
| Turns | 11 |
Portland International Raceway (PIR) is amotorsport facility located inPortland, Oregon, United States. It is part of theDelta Park complex on the former site ofVanport, just south of theColumbia River. It lies west of theDelta Park/Vanport light rail station and less than a mile west ofInterstate 5.
The track hosts theIndyCar Series,ICSCC andSCCA and OMRRA road racing, theNASCAR Xfinity Series andARCA Menards Series West, andSCCA 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 adragstrip and amotocross track.
The road course is almost perfectly flat and runs clockwise. Two track configurations are possible. The modern Grand Prix circuit includes a hardchicane at the end of the front straight, referred to as the "Shelton Chicane" in honor of Vanport racing legendMonte Shelton, and involves 12 turns at a length of 1.967 mi (3.166 km). Without the chicane, the track has nine turns and a lap length of 1.915 mi (3.082 km). Portland is classified as anFIAGrade Two circuit.[2]
PIR boasts a Winners' List starring some of the most accomplishedopen-wheel drivers of all time includingMario Andretti (1985–1986),Emerson Fittipaldi (1989),Michael Andretti (1990–1992),Bobby Rahal (1987),Sébastien Bourdais (2004, 2007),Will Power (2019, 2024), andÁlex Palou (2021, 2023).
The City of Portland is working to establish the track ascarbon neutral.[3] In 2023, an investigation revealed the use ofleaded gasoline at the track, which may pose significant health risks for spectators and residents near the track.[4] This occurs primarily during drag races, as unleaded fuel (often alcohol based) is used in major weekends.
PIR is built on the former location ofVanport, Oregon, which was destroyed onMemorial Day, May 30, 1948, when a railroad berm broke and water from theColumbia 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 thePortland Rose Festival. Since then, the Rose Cup has become an annual event. Racing at "West Delta Park",[5] 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.[5]
In 1975, Portland International hosted theTrans-Am Series, the premier series of theSports Car Club of America, which was won byJohn Greenwood, driving aChevrolet Corvette. Greenwood would go on to win the1975Trans-Am Series Championship.
Beginning in 1984, Portland International began hosting the cars and stars of thePPG Indycar World Series, withAl Unser Jr. taking his first win, driving aCosworth poweredMarch.
Portland is best-remembered as being the site of two of the closest finishes on aroad course inIndy car racing history. In 1986,Michael Andretti lost fuel pressure on the final turn of the final lap, which allowed his fatherMario to catch up and beat him to the finish line by 0.070 seconds. At the time, it was the closest finish of any race in Indy car history.In 1997, in a three-wide finish,Mark Blundell beat second placeGil de Ferran by 0.027 seconds, and beat third placeRaul Boesel by 0.055 seconds. For a road course race, it was the all-time closest finish in CART series history, as well as the closest three-car finish in series history.
In 1999 and 2000, theNASCAR 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, withBill Lester andBobby 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.[6] The track reopened on February 23, 2008, with a ribbon cutting ceremony.
In September 2018, theGrand Prix of Portland returned after an 11-year hiatus, now anIndyCar Series race. The qualifying record is 0:57.3467, set byWill Power during the2018 Grand Prix of Portland. Will Power (2019, 2024) andÁlex Palou (2021, 2023) have each won twice since the race returned to the calendar.
On September 29, 2021, it was announced that theNASCAR Xfinity Series would race there in the regular season.
On December 8, 2022, it was announced thatFormula E would race at PIR with a slightly modified layout in the2022–23 season instead ofBrooklyn Street Circuit.[7]Nick Cassidy won the inauguralPortland ePrix in June 2023, andAntónio Félix da Costa won both races in June 2024.
The unofficial outright all-time lap record set during a race weekend is 0:55.760 seconds, set byWayne Taylor on the old circuit layout, in anIntrepid RM-1-Chevrolet, during qualifying for the1991 G.I. Joe's/Camel Grand Prix Presented by Nissan. As of August 2025, the fastest official race lap records at Portland International Raceway are listed as:
40% of races at the Portland International Raceway useleaded gasoline.[4] The urban location of the track, near thePortsmouth,Kenton andPiedmont neighborhoods, has raised concerns about the potential for the Raceway to contribute tolead poisoning of nearby residents and a movement to end the use of leaded fuels at the Raceway.[48] Testing conducted at PIR indicated that concentrations of lead in public areas could not conclusively be determined by traffic on the Raceway since the track sits next to heavy highway traffic and industrial complexes. The dissipation of leaded fuels before reaching the general attendees coupled with ever-efficient modern engines minimized any significant health risks to general attendees.[49]
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