By: Spencer Neff
August 7, 2025

This weekend, the NTT INDYCAR SERIES begins a three-race stretch in four weeks to finish the season.

On Sunday, the series visits the final permanent road course of 2025, the 1.964-mile, 12-turn Portland International Raceway in Portland, Oregon. The BITNILE.com Grand Prix of Portland is the 31st race at this track and the 15th of 17 in the 2025 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season.

Following a stretch of 24 races from 1984-2007, INDYCAR returned to the Pacific Northwest in 2018.

Before this weekend’s on-track schedule begins, here’s a look at the major stories to watch across the series.

Headlines

In the seris’ latst race, Alex Palou continued his dominant season by winning at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, his eighth victory of 2025.

Palou now heads to a track where he’s won twice in four seasons (2021 and 2023).

The Chip Ganassi Racing driver also holds a 121-point lead in the standings over Arrow McLaren’s Pato O’Ward.

If Palou’s lead is 108 or greater following Sunday’s race, he will clinch his third consecutive INDYCAR championship and fourth in five years.

Palou can accomplish that with a Top 2 finish and a bonus point for leading a lap and/or winning the pole. He also won the pole for the 2021 race.

After winning this race in 2024, Will Power and Team Penske have gone winless this year. Power, who is still unsigned for 2026 and beyond.

Team Penske also remains winless, which they have not done through a full season since 1999.

BITNILE.COM Grand Prix of Portland Fast Facts   Spotter Guide Pit Assignments

Race weekend: Friday, Aug. 8-Sunday, Aug. 10 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 presented by askROI 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: A maximum of 50 activations total or 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 350 kilojoules (kj) per lap Firestone tire allotment: NTT INDYCAR SERIES: Five sets primary, five 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 WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca event may be used during pre-qualifying practice sessions on Friday and Saturday. X: @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 2024 race winners:NTT INDYCAR SERIES Will Power (No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet) INDY NXT by Firestone Jacob Abel (No. 51 Abel Motorsports) 2024 NTT P1 Award winner: Santino Ferrucci (No. 14 Phoenix Investors Chevrolet), 58.2046 seconds, 121.475 mph 2024 INDY NXT by Firestone pole winner: Louis Foster (No. 26 Andretti Global), 1 minute, 2.1396 seconds, 113.783 mph Qualifying records: NTT INDYCAR SERIESWill Power, 57.2143 seconds, 123.577 mph, Sept. 1, 2018 (Set in Round 1 of knockout qualifying)INDY NXT by FirestoneLouis Foster, 1 minute, 2.1396 seconds, 113.783 mph, Aug. 24, 2024 FOX Sports telecasts: NTT INDYCAR SERIES: Practice 1, 5:30 p.m. ET Friday, FS2 (live); Practice 2, noon ET Saturday, FS1 (live); Qualifying, 2:30 p.m. ET Saturday, FS1 (live); Final practice, 7:30 p.m. ET Saturday, FS1 (live); BITNILE.com Grand Prix of Portland presented by askROI, 3 p.m. ET Sunday, FOX (live). Will Buxton is the play-by-play announcer for FOX’s coverage of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, alongside analysts Townsend Bell and James Hinchcliffe. Georgia Henneberry, Kevin Lee and Jack Harvey are the pit reporters. |  INDY NXT by Firestone: Practice 1, 4 p.m. ET Friday, FS1 (live); Practice 2, 4:30 p.m. ET Saturday, FS1; Qualifying, 8:30 p.m. ET Saturday, FS2 (live); Race, 1 p.m. ET Sunday, FS1 (live). Kevin Lee is the play-by-play announcer for FOX Sports’ coverage of INDY NXT by Firestone alongside analyst Jack Harvey. Georgia Henneberry is the pit reporter. INDYCAR Radio Network broadcasts: Mark Jaynes is the anchor alongside driver analyst Davey Hamilton. Michael Young and Nick Yeoman are the turn announcers. Jake Query, Ryan Myrehn and DJ Clark are the pit reporters. The BITNILE.com Grand Prix of Portland presented by askROI race (2:30 p.m. ET Sunday) can be heard live on network affiliates nationwide. The NTT INDYCAR SERIES race, INDY NXT by Firestone race (12:55 p.m. ET Sunday), NTT P1 Award Qualifying (2:30 p.m. ET Saturday) and all NTT INDYCAR SERIES practices also air live on SiriusXM 218, www.indycar.com/leaderboard and the INDYCAR App powered by NTT DATA. At-track schedule (all times local): Friday, Aug. 8 1:05-1:50 p.m. – INDY NXT by Firestone practice 1, FS1 (live) 2:35-3:55 p.m. – NTT INDYCAR SERIES practice 1, FS2 (live) Saturday, Aug. 9 9-10 a.m. – NTT INDYCAR SERIES practice 2 (45 minutes green flag or 1 hour total), FS1 (live) 11:35 a.m. – BITNILE.com Grand Prix of Portland presented by askROI NTT P1 Award qualifying (three rounds of knockout qualifying), FS1 (live) 1:30-2:15 p.m. – INDY NXT by Firestone practice 2, FS1 (live) 4:32-4:57 p.m. – NTT INDYCAR SERIES final practice, FS1 (live) 5:30 p.m. – INDY NXT by Firestone qualifying (two groups/12 minutes each), FS2 (live) Sunday, Aug. 10 10:01 a.m. – INDY NXT by Firestone Grand Prix of Portland “Drivers, start your engines” 10:06 a.m. – INDY NXT by Firestone Grand Prix of Portland (35 laps / 68.74 miles / 55 minutes), FS1 (live) Noon – FOX on air 12:15 p.m. – BITNILE.com Grand Prix of Portland presented by askROI “Drivers, start your engines” 12:22 p.m. – BITNILE.com Grand Prix of Portland presented by askROI (110 laps/216.04 miles), FOX (live) Header Image By Joe Skibinski/INDYCAR, Fast Facts By INDYCAR