Grand Prix of Portland

Last updated
Grand Prix of Portland
Grand Prix of Portland Logo.jpg
Portland international raceway.svg
IndyCar Series
Venue Portland International Raceway
Corporate sponsor BitNile.com
First race1984
First ICS race2018
Distance216.37 mi (348.21 km)
Laps110
Previous namesStroh's/G.I. Joe's 200 (1984–1985)
Budweiser/G.I. Joe's 200 (1986–1990, 1996)
Texaco/Havoline Presents the Budweiser/G.I. Joe's 200 (1991–1995, 1998–1999)
Budweiser/G.I. Joe's 200 Presented by Texaco/Havoline (1997)
Freightliner/G.I. Joe's 200 Presented by Texaco (2000–2001)
G.I. Joe's 200 (2002–2003)
Champ Car Grand Prix of Portland (2004)
G.I. Joe's Grand Prix of Portland (2005–2006)
Mazda Grand Prix of Portland (2007)
Grand Prix of Portland (2018–2019, 2021–2022)
BitNile.com Grand Prix of Portland (2023–2024)
BitNile.com Grand Prix of Portland presented by askROI (2025)
Most wins (driver) Michael Andretti
Al Unser Jr.
Will Power (3)
Most wins (team) Team Penske (10)
Most wins (manufacturer)Chassis: Lola (12)
Engine: Chevrolet (8)

The Grand Prix of Portland (known as the BitNile.com Grand Prix of Portland presented by askROI for sponsorship reasons) is a race in the IndyCar Series held at the Portland International Raceway in Portland, Oregon. The race was an annual event from 1984 to 2007, initially as a race in the CART series, and later as part of the Champ Car World Series. After a ten-year hiatus, the race made its return to the IndyCar Series in the 2018 season.

Contents

History

Championship car racing first appeared in the Portland area in June of 1909, at the 14.6-mile Portland Road Race Course. Two 3-lap races were held, followed by a 7-lap main event titled the Wemme Cup, which was won by Bert Dingley.

Portland is best-remembered as being the site of two of the closest finishes on a road course in Indy car racing history. In 1986, Michael Andretti lost fuel pressure on the final turn of the final lap, which allowed his father Mario 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 place Gil de Ferran by 0.027 seconds, and beat third place Raul 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.

For nearly its entire existence, the title sponsor of the race was sporting goods retailer G.I. Joe's and took place in June, during or around the Portland Rose Festival. Numerous times, the race was held on Father's Day. After a ten-year hiatus, the race made its return to the IndyCar Series in the 2018 season. [1] From 2018-2023, the race was held in September on or around Labor Day weekend. In 2024, the race was moved to August to accommodate the new IndyCar schedule. Since returning to the calendar, the race has been promoted by Green Savoree Racing Promotions. In 2025, August would remain the month of the event along with the NASCAR event later that month.

Race winners

SeasonDateDriverTeamChassisEngineRace DistanceRace TimeAverage Speed
(mph)
Report
LapsMiles (km)
CART/Champ Car World Series [2]
1.915 miles (3.082 km) course
1984 June 17 Flag of the United States.svg Al Unser Jr. Galles Racing March 84C Cosworth 104199.16 (320.516)1:53:17105.484 Report
1985 June 16 Flag of the United States.svg Mario Andretti Newman/Haas Racing Lola T900 Cosworth 104199.16 (320.516)1:51:35107.083 Report
1986 June 15 Flag of the United States.svg Mario Andretti Newman/Haas Racing Lola T86/00 Cosworth 104199.16 (320.516)1:50:53107.759 Report
1987 June 14 Flag of the United States.svg Bobby Rahal Truesports Lola T87/00 Cosworth 104199.16 (320.516)1:50:02108.59 Report
1.922 miles (3.093 km) course
1988 June 19 Flag of the United States.svg Danny Sullivan Penske Racing Penske PC-17 Chevrolet-Ilmor 104199.888 (321.688)1:57:17102.253 Report
1989 June 25 Flag of Brazil (1968-1992).svg Emerson Fittipaldi Patrick Racing Penske PC-18 Chevrolet-Ilmor 104199.888 (321.688)1:55:20103.984 Report
1990 June 24 Flag of the United States.svg Michael Andretti Newman/Haas Racing Lola T90/00 Chevrolet-Ilmor 104199.888 (321.688)1:48:22110.643 Report
1991 June 23 Flag of the United States.svg Michael Andretti Newman/Haas Racing Lola T91/00 Chevrolet-Ilmor 104199.888 (321.688)1:44:06115.208 Report
1.95 miles (3.14 km) course
1992 June 21 Flag of the United States.svg Michael Andretti Newman/Haas Racing Lola T92/00 Ford-Cosworth XB102198.9 (320.098)1:53:25105.219 Report
1993 June 27 Flag of Brazil.svg Emerson Fittipaldi Penske Racing Penske PC-22 Chevrolet-Ilmor C102198.9 (320.098)2:03:5496.312 Report
1994 June 26 Flag of the United States.svg Al Unser Jr. Penske Racing Penske PC-23 Ilmor D102198.9 (320.098)1:50:43107.777 Report
1995 June 25 Flag of the United States.svg Al Unser Jr. Penske Racing Penske PC-24 Mercedes-Benz-Ilmor 102198.9 (320.098)1:54:49103.933 Report
1996 June 23 Flag of Italy.svg Alex Zanardi Chip Ganassi Racing Reynard 96I Honda 98191.1 (307.545)1:50:25103.837 Report
1.967 miles (3.166 km) course
1997 June 22 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Mark Blundell PacWest Racing Reynard 97I Mercedes-Benz-Ilmor 78*153.426 (246.915)2:00:1276.575 Report
1998 June 21 Flag of Italy.svg Alex Zanardi Chip Ganassi Racing Reynard 98I Honda 98192.766 (310.226)1:54:06101.355 Report
1.969 miles (3.169 km) course
1999 June 20 Flag of Brazil.svg Gil de Ferran Walker Racing Reynard 99I Honda 98192.962 (310.542)1:47:44107.457 Report
2000 June 25 Flag of Brazil.svg Gil de Ferran Penske Racing Reynard 2KI Honda HRK112220.528 (354.905)2:00:46109.564 Report
2001 June 24 Flag of Italy.svg Max Papis Team Rahal Lola B01/00 Ford-Cosworth 76*149.644 (240.828)2:00:2074.606 Report
2002 June 16 Flag of Brazil.svg Cristiano da Matta Newman/Haas Racing Lola B02/00 Toyota 110216.59 (348.567)2:03:19105.381 Report
2003 June 22 Flag of Mexico.svg Adrián Fernández Fernández Racing Lola B02/00 Ford-Cosworth XFE100196.9 (316.879)1:56:16101.602 Report
2004 June 20 Flag of France.svg Sébastien Bourdais Newman/Haas Racing Lola B02/00 Ford-Cosworth XFE94185.086 (297.867)1:45:50104.923 Report
1.964 miles (3.161 km) course
2005 June 19 Flag of Brazil.svg Cristiano da Matta PKV Racing Lola B02/00 Ford-Cosworth XFE105206.22 (331.878)1:51:51110.616 Report
2006 June 18 Flag of the United States.svg A. J. Allmendinger Forsythe Racing Lola B03/00 Ford-Cosworth XFE105206.22 (331.878)1:48:32113.989 Report
2007 June 10 Flag of France.svg Sébastien Bourdais Newman/Haas Racing Panoz DP01 Cosworth XFE103202.292 (325.557)1:45:42114.816 Report
2008

2017
Not held
IndyCar Series
1.967 miles (3.166 km) course
2018 Sept. 2 Flag of Japan.svg Takuma Sato Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Dallara DW12 IR-18 Honda 105206.535 (332.386)2:00:09102.971 Report
2019 Sept. 1 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Will Power Team Penske Dallara DW12 IR-18 Chevrolet 105206.535 (332.386)1:58:43104.225 Report
2020 Canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
2021 Sept. 12 Flag of Spain.svg Álex Palou Chip Ganassi Racing Dallara DW12 IR-18-18 Honda 110216.37 (348.214)2:07:04102.011 Report
2022 Sept. 4 Flag of New Zealand.svg Scott McLaughlin Team Penske Dallara DW12 IR-18 Chevrolet 110216.37 (348.214)01:56:15.6892111.493 Report
2023 Sept. 3 Flag of Spain.svg Álex Palou Chip Ganassi Racing Dallara DW12 IR-18 Honda 110216.37 (348.214)01:57:01.9814110.758 Report
2024 Aug. 25 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Will Power Team Penske Dallara DW12 IR-18 Chevrolet 110216.37 (348.214)01:55:34.1948112.161 Report
2025 Aug. 10 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Will Power Team Penske Dallara DW12 IR-18 Chevrolet 110216.37 (348.214)02:01:06.0311107.038 Report
Notes

Support race winners

Race summaries

CART PPG Indy Car World Series

Al Unser Jr. won his first career Indy car race at Portland in 1984. Unser would go on to win three times at Portland. AlUnserJrMay2007.jpg
Al Unser Jr. won his first career Indy car race at Portland in 1984. Unser would go on to win three times at Portland.
Mario Andretti won the 1986 race at Portland, the closest finish in Indy car history on a road course at the time. Mario Andretti 1984.jpg
Mario Andretti won the 1986 race at Portland, the closest finish in Indy car history on a road course at the time.
Michael Andretti won at Portland three consecutive years (1990, 1991, 1992). Michael Andretti 2007 Michigan.jpg
Michael Andretti won at Portland three consecutive years (1990, 1991, 1992).

CART Fedex Championship Series

Mark Blundell's dramatic victory in 1997 was the closest 1-2-3 finish in CART series history at the time. Mark Blundell portrait 2011.jpg
Mark Blundell's dramatic victory in 1997 was the closest 1-2-3 finish in CART series history at the time.

Champ Car World Series

Sebastien Bourdais is a two-time winner at Portland (2004, 2007). Sebastien bourdais.JPG
Sébastien Bourdais is a two-time winner at Portland (2004, 2007).
Alex Palou has won twice since IndyCar's return to Portland (2021, 2023). Alex Palou at Road America in 2021.png
Alex Palou has won twice since IndyCar's return to Portland (2021, 2023).

IndyCar Series

References

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Preceded by
Java House Grand Prix of Monterey
IndyCar Series
BitNile.com Grand Prix of Portland
Succeeded by
Snap-on Milwaukee Mile 250

45°35′49″N122°41′45″W / 45.59694°N 122.69583°W / 45.59694; -122.69583