By: Spencer Neff
August 25, 2024

2024 BitNile.com Grand Prix of Portland Results

Team Penske’s Will Power rebounded from a disappointing finish last weekend to win for the third time in 2024.

Power, who started in second, led 101 of 110 laps to win the BitNile.com Grand Prix of Portland at Portland International Raceway.

With his 44th career victory, Power also becomes the first three-time winner in 2024. He becomes the ninth driver to win multiple races in Portland.

Finishing 9.8267 seconds over Chip Ganassi Racing’s Alex Palou, Power vaults back to second in the standings with three races remaining. Palou leads the standings by 54 points.

Power’s teammate Josef Newgarden earned his first podium at the 1.964-mile, 11-turn road course in Oregon with a third-place effort, bookending the podium for Team Penske’s Chevrolet-powered entires among Palou’s Honda.

Andretti Global’s Colton Herta rebounded from a late-race penalty to finish in fourth. Palou’s teammate Marcus Armstrong earned his fifth Top Five of 2024 in fifth place.

Armstrong and Palou’s teammate Kyffin Simpson made his way to 16th after starting last due to an engine change penalty, improving 12 spots to finish as the best among the field’s rookie drivers. Simpson was the final driver scored on the lead lap in the 28-car field.

After starting on pole for the first time in his career, A.J. Foyt Racing’s Santino Ferrucci would finish 8th.

Race Recap

Power was able to draft up to and pass Ferrucci into Turn 1 on the opening lap for the early lead.

Further back, Scott Dixon and Kyle Kirkwood made contact in Turn 6 before Dixon fell back. The Chip Ganassi Racing driver would collide with Pietro Fittipaldi, sending him into the Turn 8 retaining wall for a hard impact with the inside wall.

A frustrated Dixon climbed from his race car with his championship hopes further dampened.

After the restart on Lap 6, Power held the lead with Palou making his way to second around Ferrucci. On Lap 24, Fittipaldi’s day took another wrong turn. The Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing driver made contact with Conor Daly in Turn 1, sending the Juncos Hollinger Racing driver spinning.

Fittipaldi was again given a drive-through penalty from Race Control for the avoidable contact.

Power would pit from the lead on Lap 33, with Palou doing the same the next lap. The undercut worked as planned for Power, allowing him back to the lead when Palou exited the pit lane.

Kirkwood received a penalty for blocking after battling with Toby Sowery of Dale Coyne Racing with Rick Ware Racing and was forced to yield two positions.

On Lap 57 and 58, Power and Palou would again pit in succession, with Power again maintaining the advantage.

Soon after, what started as a promising day from sixth on the grid turned south for Romain Grosjean. After spinning on the entrance into Turn 1, Grosjean made contact with Ed Carpenter Racing’s Christian Rasmussen and would spin again. The Juncos Hollinger Racing driver would be given a drive-through penalty for unsafe conduct.

During the final round of pit stops, Colton Herta’s engine stalled, virtually ending the chances of him stepping on the podium. Herta would be penalized after he used the hybrid system to restart his car. As a result, he was ordered to give up a position on-track by Race Control.

From there, Power sped off to the victory.

Dixon’s crash would prove to be the lone caution of the afternoon, slowing the race for just four laps. The No. 9 Chip Ganassi Racing entry would be the lone car not running at the finish.

The average speed of the race was 112.161 mph with eight lead changes between five drivers.

Up Next

Next weekend brings the much-anticipated return to the Milwaukee Mile in West Allis, Wisconsin. For the first time since 1982, the mile-long oval will host multiple races in the same season. It will also be the first INDYCAR doubleheader weekend at the venue.

First practice of the weekend is set for 3:35 p.m.-6:00 p.m. ET on Friday, August 30. Qualifying will be at 2:15 p.m. ET on Saturday, August 31, with each lap setting the field for the race (Lap 1 for Race 1 and Lap 2 for Race 2).

The first Hy-vee Milwaukee Mile 250 is set for 6:00 p.m. ET, with the second race at 2:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, September 1. The second race will be broadcast live on USA Network, with all sessions available on Peacock. Stay with IndyCar1909.com for the latest on the NTT INDYCAR SERIES.

Header Image By Joe Skibinski/INDYCAR