By: Spencer Neff
August 23, 2024
This weekend marks the final race on a natural terrain road course for the NTT INDYCAR SERIES in 2024.
Portland International Raceway hosts the BITNILE.com Grand Prix of Portland this weekend. It is the 30th race on the 1.964-mile, 12-turn course in Oregon’s most populous city.
With 13 races down, just four remain to close out the season. Here’s a look at the stories to watch this weekend.
Headlines
Team Penske’s Josef Newgarden continued a recent string of dominance across INDYCAR’s oval slate six days ago, winning the Bomamriito Automotive Group 500 at Worldwide Technology Raceway (Gateway).
The 2017 and 2019 INDYCAR Champion is currently eighth in the standings, 128 points behind championship leader Alex Palou. Newgarden started in second at his first Portland appearance during the series’ 2018 return. He has never finished outside the Top 10 but has yet to eclipse a trio of fifth-place efforts (2019, 2021 and 2023). Newgarden has six victories on permanent road courses in his career but none since Road America in 2022.
Palou, who is 49 points ahead of Andretti Global’s Colton Herta in his quest for a third championship, looks for his third win at Portland in four starts. A victory on Sunday would not only further strengthen his grip on the points lead but tie him with Michael Andretti and Al Unser Jr. at three Portland wins apiece.
Last year, Palou started fifth and led 69 of 110 laps en route to the victory and his second INDYCAR Championship.
This weekend also marks the return of Juri Vips. The Estonian driver, who made his first two series appearances at Portland and Laguna Seca in 2023, will drive the No. 75, a fourth entry for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing.
“I’m very grateful to the team for giving me this opportunity,” Vips expressed in the August 7 release.
I have been working closely with the team on the simulator program and it has been a year since I have been in the car, but I’m confident that the experience gained last year at Portland and Laguna Seca will help me to get up to speed quickly. It will still be a very big challenge and one I am very much looking forward to.”
Team Co-Owner Bobby Rahal added “We’re pleased to be able to run Juri in Portland for a number of reasons.”
“For one, he showed at both Portland and Laguna Seca last year that he certainly has the pace to feature in any event he runs with us. He has done a lot of work for us in the simulator this year, which has helped us understand the hybrid system, so it’s nice to reward him for his effort. I’m hopeful that this will lead to more races for him with RLL.”
Fast Facts
Race weekend: Friday, Aug. 23-Sunday, Aug. 25
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
150 seconds of total time with a maximum time of 15 seconds per activation
INDY NXT by Firestone
150 seconds of total time with a maximum time of 15 seconds per activation
Hybrid energy deployment parameters:
NTT INDYCAR SERIES
Unlimited activation with a maximum deployment of 260 kilojoules (kj) per lap
Firestone tire allotment:
NTT INDYCAR SERIES
Six sets primary, four sets alternate to be used during the event weekend. Teams must use one set of primary and one new set of alternate tires unless wet conditions are declared. One additional set is available for the weekend’s first session to teams fielding a rookie driver.
INDY NXT by Firestone
Three new sets to be used during the event weekend. Two carryover sets from the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course event may be used during pre-qualifying practice sessions on Friday and Saturday.
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Event website: www.raceportland.com
INDYCAR website: www.IndyCar.com
2023 race winners:
NTT INDYCAR SERIES
Alex Palou (No. 10 The American Legion Honda)
INDY NXT by Firestone
Louis Foster (No. 26 Andretti Autosport)
2023 NTT P1 Award winner: Graham Rahal (No. 15 PeopleReady Honda), 58.3195 seconds, 121.236 mph
2023 INDY NXT by Firestone pole winner: Louis Foster (No. 26 Andretti Autosport), 1 minute, 2.6302 seconds, 112.891 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
Louis Foster, 1 minute, 2.6302 seconds, 112.891 mph, Sept. 2, 2023
USA Network race telecast: BITNILE.COM Grand Prix of Portland, 3 p.m. ET Sunday, Aug. 25, USA Network (live). Kevin Lee is the play-by-play announcer for USA Network’s coverage of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, alongside analysts Townsend Bell and James Hinchcliffe. Georgia Henneberry 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 and Nick Yeoman are the turn announcers. DJ Clark, Ryan Myrehn and Michael Young 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 (1:05 p.m. ET Sunday) and all NTT INDYCAR SERIES and INDY NXT by Firestone practices and qualifying sessions air live on network affiliates, SiriusXM 218, racecontrol.indycar.com and the INDYCAR App powered by NTT DATA.
At-track schedule (all times local):
Friday, Aug. 23
1:45-2:30 p.m. – INDY NXT by Firestone practice 1, INDYCAR LIVE
2:55-4:10 p.m. – NTT INDYCAR SERIES practice 1 (45 minutes for all cars, followed by two groups for 10 minutes each), Peacock
Saturday, Aug. 24
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
4:20 p.m. – INDY NXT by Firestone qualifying (two groups/12 minutes each), INDYCAR LIVE
5:15-5:45 p.m. – NTT INDYCAR SERIES final practice, Peacock
Sunday, Aug. 25
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 (live)
Noon – USA Network on air
12:23 p.m. – BITNILE.COM Grand Prix of Portland “Drivers, start your engines”
12:30 p.m. – BITNILE.COM Grand Prix of Portland (110 laps/216.04 miles), USA Network (live)
Header Image By Joe Skibinski/INDYCAR
IndyCar1909.com 