By: Spencer Neff
September 1, 2023
The calendar has turned to September and the NTT INDYCAR SERIES heads to the Pacific Northwest. Portland International Raceway, a 1.964-mile, 12-turn road course in Oregon, which first hosted INDYCAR in 1984. Sunday’s 110-lap event will be the 29th in this circuit’s history.
Before the 27-car grid hits the track to begin the final two events of the season (both on permanent road courses), here’s a look at the major stories around the paddock.
Headlines
On Sunday, Chip Ganassi Racing’s Scott Dixon turned in another masterful drive. After a nine-spot grid penalty relegated him to 16th on the gird, Dixon carved his way to his second win in a row.
The victory, his 55th, places the six-time INDYCAR Champion 74 points back of teammate Alex Palou. Palou, who has led the championship since his GMR Grand Prix win at the IMS Road Course in May, must finish on the podium to clinch his second championship.
If Dixon leaves Portland within 54 points (49 points if Palou starts at Laguna Seca) of Palou, he will remain mathematically eligible.
Seven of Palou’s eight career victories have been on permantent road courses, including his 2021 debut at this venue. Palou earning the championship this weekend would mark the first time since Dan Wheldon (2005) that a championship was decided before the last race.
The Ganassi duo fight it out for the organization’s 15th championship.
Among other storylines, Meyer Shank Racing has announced Tom Blomqvist will fill in for Simon Pagenaud as driver of the No. 60 car, who is still recovering from a July practice crash at Mid-Ohio. Three weeks ago, Blomqvist was announced as the 2024 driver for MSR’s No. 06, currently occupied by Helio Castroneves.
In his July 15 debut on the streets of Toronto, Blomqvist qualified 20th but finished 25th following opening-lap contact.
“Now I’ve got a little bit more understanding and knowledge and I’m hoping it’s going to be easier this time,” he exclaimed on Monday.
“I’m going to have the opportunity to get into the simulator and I know a little bit more of what to expect in terms of the way the weekend runs. I don’t know Portland at all and I know everyone has been racing flat-out in the summer. It’s still going to be an absolutely huge challenge.”
Another driver announcement was made on Monday. Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing confirmed Juri Vips, who last raced in Formula 2 with Hitech Grand Prix, as the driver of the No. 30 for the final two races.
Vips joins Tõnis Kasemets as drivers from Estonia to race IndyCar. Kasemet made five ChampCar starts in 2006. This year, Vips has conducted tests with RLLR at Sebring and Barber.
“I’m super happy to get the opportunity with Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing and very thankful to Bobby, Mike and everyone at the team,” Vips relayed in Monday’s announcement.
“We tested together at the end of 2022 in Sebring and it seemed like we just gelled. I got along with everyone and I really like the atmosphere at the team. Bobby’s also one to give second chances and I’m extremely grateful that he is giving me one and I really hope to bring a good result for him, Mike and the whole team.”
Vips’ debut is on the heels of Conor Daly’s run at Gateway in the No. 30 after Jack Harvey was released from the team on August 15.
Fast Facts
Race weekend: Friday, Sept. 1-Sunday, Sept. 3
Track: Portland International Raceway, a 12-turn, 1.964-mile road course in Portland, Oregon
Race distance: NTT INDYCAR SERIES: BITNILE.COM Grand Prix of Portland 110 laps / 216.04 miles | INDY NXT by Firestone: INDY NXT by Firestone Grand Prix of Portland 35 laps / 68.74 miles / 55 minutes
Push-to-pass parameters: NTT INDYCAR SERIES: 200 seconds of total time with a maximum time of 20 seconds per activation. | INDY NXT by Firestone: 150 seconds of total time with a maximum time of 15 seconds per activation.
Firestone tire allotment: NTT INDYCAR SERIES: Six sets primary, four sets alternate to be used during the event weekend. Teams fielding a rookie driver may use one additional set of primary tires. Teams must use one set of primary and one set of new (sticker) alternate tires for at least two laps in the race. INDY NXT by Firestone: Three new sets to be used during the event weekend. A carryover set from the Indianapolis GP event may be used during the first practice.
X (formerly known as Twitter): @Race_Portland, @IndyCar, #PortlandGP, #INDYCAR
Instagram: @Race_Portland, @IndyCar, #PortlandGP, #INDYCAR
Threads: @IndyCar, #PortlandGP, #INDYCAR
Facebook: @PortlandGP, @INDYCAR, #INDYCAR
TikTok: @INDYCAR, #INDYCAR
YouTube: @INDYCAR
Event website: www.raceportland.com
INDYCAR website: www.IndyCar.com
2022 race winners:
NTT INDYCAR SERIES
Scott McLaughlin (No. 3 Freightliner Team Penske Chevrolet)
INDY NXT by Firestone
Benjamin Pedersen (No. 24 Global Racing Group with HMD)
2022 NTT P1 Award winner: Scott McLaughlin (No. 3 Freightliner Team Penske Chevrolet), 58.2349 seconds, 121.412 mph
2022 INDY NXT by Firestone pole winner: Benjamin Pedersen (No. 24 Global Racing Group with HMD), 1 minute, 3.6698 seconds, 111.048 mph
Qualifying records:
NTT INDYCAR SERIES
Will Power, 57.2143 seconds, 123.577 mph, Sept. 1, 2018 (Set in Round 1 of knockout qualifying)
INDY NXT by Firestone
Pato O’Ward, 1 minute, 2.8074 seconds, 112.573 mph, Aug. 31, 2018
NBC Sports race telecast: BITNILE.COM Grand Prix of Portland 3 p.m. ET Sunday, Sept. 3, NBC (live). Leigh Diffey is the play-by-play announcer for NBC’s coverage of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, alongside analysts Townsend Bell and James Hinchcliffe. Kevin Lee and Dillon Welch are the pit reporters.
Peacock live streaming: All NTT INDYCAR SERIES practice sessions and qualifying will stream live on Peacock, NBC’s direct-to-consumer livestreaming product, while NBC’s race telecast of the BITNILE.COM Grand Prix of Portland will be simulcast on the streaming service. The INDY NXT by Firestone Grand Prix of Portland will be streamed on Peacock, with practice and qualifying being shown on INDYCAR LIVE.
INDYCAR Radio Network broadcasts: Mark Jaynes is the anchor alongside analyst Davey Hamilton. Jake Query, Nick Yeoman and Michael Young are the turn announcers. Ryan Myrehn and Alex Wollf are the pit reporters. The BITNILE.COM Grand Prix of Portland race (3 p.m. ET Sunday), INDY NXT by Firestone Grand Prix of Portland (1 p.m. ET Sunday) and all NTT INDYCAR SERIES and INDY NXT by Firestone practices and qualifying sessions air live on network affiliates, SiriusXM 160, racecontrol.indycar.com and the INDYCAR App powered by NTT DATA.
At-track schedule (all times local):
Friday, Sept. 1
1:55-2:40 p.m. – INDY NXT by Firestone practice 1, INDYCAR LIVE
3-4:15 p.m. – NTT INDYCAR SERIES practice 1, Peacock
Saturday, Sept. 2
9-10 a.m. – NTT INDYCAR SERIES practice 2 (45 minutes green flag or 1 hour total), Peacock
11:20 a.m.-12:05 p.m. – INDY NXT by Firestone practice 2, INDYCAR LIVE
12:30 p.m. – BITNILE.COM Grand Prix of Portland NTT P1 Award qualifying (three rounds of knockout qualifying), Peacock
4:25 p.m. – INDY NXT by Firestone qualifying, INDYCAR LIVE
5:15-5:45 p.m. – NTT INDYCAR SERIES final practice, Peacock
Sunday, Sept. 3
10:15 a.m. – INDY NXT by Firestone Grand Prix of Portland “Drivers Start Your Engines”
10:20 a.m. – INDY NXT by Firestone Grand Prix of Portland (35 laps / 68.74 miles / 55 minutes), Peacock
Noon – NBC on air
12:23 p.m. – “Drivers, start your engines”
12:30 p.m. – BITNILE.COM Grand Prix of Portland (110 laps/216.04 miles), NBC (Live)
Header Image By Joe Skibinski/INDYCAR
IndyCar1909.com 