Portland International Raceway (PIR) is a motorsport facility located in Portland, Oregon, United States. It is part of the Delta Park complex on the former site of Vanport, just south of the Columbia River. It lies west of the Delta Park/Vanport light rail station and less than a mile west of Interstate 5.

The track

The track hosts the IndyCar Series, ICSCC and SCCA and OMRRA road racing, the ARCA Menards Series West, and SCCA autocross events. Additionally, the PIR grounds are host to OBRA (Oregon Bicycle Racing Association) bicycling races on the track and the surrounding grounds. The facility includes a dragstrip and a motocross track.

The road course is almost perfectly flat and runs clockwise. Two track configurations are possible. The modern Grand Prix circuit includes a hard chicane at the end of the front straight, referred to as the "Shelton Chicane" in honor of Vanport racing legend Monte Shelton, and involves 12 turns at a length of . Without the chicane, the track has nine turns and a lap length of . Portland is classified as an FIA Grade Two circuit.

PIR boasts a Winners' List starring some of the most accomplished open-wheel drivers of all time including Mario Andretti (1985–1986), Emerson Fittipaldi (1989), Michael Andretti (1990–1992), Bobby Rahal (1987), Sébastien Bourdais (2004, 2007), Will Power (2019, 2024–2025), and Álex Palou (2021, 2023).

The City of Portland is working to establish the track as carbon neutral. In 2023, an investigation revealed the use of leaded gasoline at the track, which may pose significant health risks for spectators and residents near the track. This occurs primarily during drag races, as unleaded fuel (often alcohol based) is used in major weekends.

History

PIR is built on the former location of Vanport, Oregon, which was destroyed on Memorial Day, May 30, 1948, when a railroad berm broke and water from the Columbia River flooded the city. After the flood, all that remained were the paved streets and concrete foundations of destroyed buildings.

The first races took place on these old city streets in 1961 during the Portland Rose Festival. Since then, the Rose Cup has become an annual event. Racing at "West Delta Park", as PIR was known back then, was quite dangerous. Racers leaving the track unexpectedly could collide with leftover concrete foundations or fall into ponds.

Under the threat of losing the Rose Cup races, since many of the sanctioning racing bodies would no longer sanction races due to the deteriorating roads and dangerous obstacles, the track was finally paved in the 1970s.

In 1975, Portland International hosted the Trans-Am Series, the premier series of the Sports Car Club of America, which was won by John Greenwood, driving a Chevrolet Corvette. Greenwood would go on to win the 1975 Trans-Am Series Championship.

Beginning in 1984, Portland International began hosting the cars and stars of the PPG Indycar World Series, with Al Unser Jr. taking his first win, driving a Cosworth powered March.

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.

In 1999 and 2000, the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series ran a race at Portland International Raceway. The race was added after the demise of the ½-mile Portland Speedway that hosted races early in the series. The 1999 running saw the first (and as of 2021, the only) time there were more than one African-Americans competing in the same NASCAR top-three division race, with Bill Lester and Bobby Norfleet on the grid.

At the end of 2007 and the beginning of 2008, PIR went through a track renovation. The track was repaved with new asphalt and some minor changes were made to the track layout. Turns 4-7 were widened. The fence on the inside of turn 6 was moved to provide a better sightline through the corner. Turn 7 was sharpened to slow down racers prior to entering the back straight. Formula One-style curbs were also installed on the track. The track reopened on February 23, 2008, with a ribbon cutting ceremony.

In September 2018, the Grand Prix of Portland returned after an 11-year hiatus, now an IndyCar Series race. The qualifying record is 0:57.3467, set by Will Power during the 2018 Grand Prix of Portland. Will Power (2019, 2024) and Álex Palou (2021, 2023) have each won twice since the race returned to the calendar.

On September 29, 2021, it was announced that the NASCAR Xfinity Series would race there in the regular season.

On December 8, 2022, it was announced that Formula E would race at PIR with a slightly modified layout in the 2022–23 season instead of Brooklyn Street Circuit. Nick Cassidy won the inaugural Portland ePrix in June 2023, and António Félix da Costa won both races in June 2024.

Events

Current

April: International Conference of Sports Car Clubs Rose City Opener May: SCCA Super Tour June: International Conference of Sports Car Clubs Dash for Kids August: IndyCar Series Grand Prix of Portland, ARCA Menards Series West Portland 112, Indy NXT, USF Pro 2000 Championship, USF2000 Championship September: International Conference of Sports Car Clubs Chicane Challenge, Formula Car Challenge, International Conference of Sports Car Clubs Festival of Endurance

Former

AMA Superbike Championship (1983–1984) American Le Mans Series Portland Grand Prix (1999–2001, 2004–2006) Atlantic Championship Series (1984–1988, 2002–2007) Barber Pro Series (1987–1991, 1999, 2002–2003) Champ Car World Series Grand Prix of Portland (1984–2007) Ferrari Challenge North America (2006) FIA Formula E World Championship Portland ePrix (2023–2024) IMSA GT Championship Portland Grand Prix (1978–1994) IMSA GT3 Cup Challenge (2005) Pirelli World Challenge Rose Cup Races (2001, 2004–2005, 2018–2019) Mazda MX-5 Cup (2004–2008, 2018–2019) NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Grainger Industrial Supply 225K (1999–2000) NASCAR Northwest Series (1995–1998, 2000–2001) NASCAR Xfinity Series Pacific Office Automation 147 (2022–2025) North American Touring Car Championship (1995–1997) Stadium Super Trucks (2019) Trans-Am Series (1972, 1975–1987, 1990–1995, 2001, 2004–2005, 2009) Trans-Am West Coast Championship (2017–2019, 2021–2025) USF Juniors (2024–2025)

Lap records The unofficial outright all-time lap record set during a race weekend is 0:55.760 seconds, set by Wayne Taylor on the old circuit layout, in an Intrepid RM-1-Chevrolet, during qualifying for the 1991 G.I. Joe's/Camel Grand Prix Presented by Nissan. As of August 2026, the fastest official race lap records at Portland International Raceway are listed as:

CategoryTimeDriverVehicleEvent Grand Prix Circuit (2008–present): IndyCar 0:58.7403 Carlos Muñoz Dallara IR-18 2018 Grand Prix of Portland Indy NXT 1:02.8861 Nolan Siegel Dallara IL-15 2023 Portland Indy NXT round Indy Pro 2000 1:07.1597 Rinus VeeKay Tatuus PM-18 2018 Pro Mazda Grand Prix of Portland GT3 1:10.791 Miguel Molina Ferrari 488 GT3 2018 Portland SprintX GT Championship round USF2000 1:11.1947 Thomas Schrage Tatuus USF-22 2025 USF2000 Grand Prix of Portland TA1 1:13.574 Greg Pickett Ford Mustang Trans-Am 2019 Portland Trans-Am West Coast round Barber Pro 1:14.122 Leonardo Maia Reynard 98E 2003 Portland Barber Pro round NASCAR Xfinity 1:14.552 Connor Zilisch Chevrolet Camaro SS 2025 Pacific Office Automation 147 TA2 1:14.702 Brody Goble Ford Mustang Trans-Am 2025 Portland Trans-Am West Coast round USF Juniors 1:15.0871 Ariel Elkin Tatuus JR-23 2024 Continental Tire Grand Prix of Portland ARCA Menards 1:17.367 Sam Corry Toyota Camry 2026 Portland 112 GT4 1:17.660 Christian Szymczak Mercedes-AMG GT4 2019 Portland GT4 America round TCR Touring Car 1:18.770 Michael James Lewis Hyundai i30 N TCR 2018 Portland Pirelli World Challenge round Mazda MX-5 Cup 1:25.3537 Michael Carter Mazda MX-5 (ND) 2019 Portland Mazda MX-5 Cup round Grand Prix Circuit without Chicane (2008–present): ARCA Menards 1:11.570 William Sawalich Toyota Camry 2025 Portland 112 Formula E Circuit (2023–2024): Formula E 1:10.650 Robin Frijns Jaguar I-Type 6 2024 Portland ePrix Grand Prix Circuit (1992–2007): Champ Car 0:59.259 Will Power Lola B02/00 2006 Grand Prix of Portland CART 1:00.801 Bruno Junqueira Lola B02/00 2002 G.I. Joe's 200 IMSA GTP 1:02.067 P. J. Jones Eagle MkIII 1992 G.I. Joe's/Camel Grand Prix Presented by Nissan LMP1 1:04.271 Andy Wallace MG-Lola EX257 2005 Portland Grand Prix LMP2 1:04.488 Lucas Luhr Porsche RS Spyder 2006 Portland Grand Prix LMP900 1:04.909 Emanuele Pirro Audi R8 2000 Rose City Grand Prix LMP 1:05.451 J.J. Lehto BMW V12 LMR 1999 Rose City Grand Prix Formula Atlantic 1:05.680 Joe D´Agostino Swift 016.a 2006 Portland Formula Atlantic round Indy Lights 1:06.572 Greg Moore Lola T93/20 1995 Portland Indy Lights round GT1 (GTS) 1:08.595 Oliver Gavin Chevrolet Corvette C6.R 2005 Portland Grand Prix LMP675 1:09.394 Didier de Radigues Reynard 01Q 2001 Grand Prix of Portland WSC 1:09.595 Fermin Velez Ferrari 333 SP 1994 Grand Prix of Portland IMSA GTP Lights 1:10.849 Parker Johnstone Spice SE91P 1992 G.I. Joe's/Camel Grand Prix Presented by Nissan IMSA GTS 1:11.475 Darin Brassfield Oldsmobile Cutlass 1993 G.I. Joe's/Camel Grand Prix GT2 (GTS) 1:12.219 Olivier Beretta Dodge Viper GTS-R 1999 Rose City Grand Prix GT2 1:12.931 Jaime Melo Ferrari F430 GTC 2006 Portland Grand Prix Trans-Am 1:13.992 Scott Pruett Chevrolet Camaro 1994 Portland Trans-Am round GT 1:14.392 Boris Said BMW M3 GTR 2001 Grand Prix of Portland IMSA GTO 1:14.613 Brian DeVries Oldsmobile Cutlass 1993 G.I. Joe's/Camel Grand Prix IMSA GTU 1:17.355 John Fergus Dodge Daytona 1992 G.I. Joe's Camel Gran Prix Presented by Nissan Super Touring 1:20.227 Randy Pobst Honda Accord 1996 Portland NATCC round Grand Prix Circuit (1984–1991): IMSA GTP 0:57.626 Wayne Taylor Intrepid RM-1 1991 G.I. Joe's/Camel Grand Prix CART 1:00.058 Michael Andretti Lola T91/00 1991 Budweiser/G.I.Joe's 200 IMSA GTO 1:02.772 Dorsey Schroeder Ford Mustang 1991 G.I. Joe's/Camel Grand Prix IMSA GTP Lights 1:03.495 Ruggero Melgrati Spice SE89P 1991 G.I. Joe's/Camel Grand Prix IMSA AAC 1:07.996 Tommy Riggins Oldsmobile Cutlass 1991 G.I. Joe's/Camel Grand Prix IMSA GTU 1:08.872 John Fergus Dodge Daytona 1991 G.I. Joe's/Camel Grand Prix Trans-Am 1:11.090 Greg Pickett Mercury Capri 1984 Portland 200 Grand Prix Circuit (1971–1983): IMSA GTP 1:04.860 John Fitzpatrick Porsche 935 K4 1982 G.I. Joe's/Toyota Grand Prix IMSA GTX 1:06.140 John Paul Jr. Lola T600 1981 G.I. Joe's/Camel Grand Prix TO 1:08.170 John Paul Porsche 935 JLP-1 1979 Portland Trans-Am round IMSA GTO 1:10.540 Don Devendorf Nissan 280ZX Turbo 1982 G.I. Joe's/Toyota Grand Prix Group 4 1:11.920 Dave Cowart BMW M1 1981 G.I. Joe's/Camel Grand Prix IMSA GTU 1:13.780 Bob Bergstrom Porsche 924 Carrera GTR 1983 G.I. Joe's Grand Prix TU 1:21.330 Lee Midgley Alfa Romeo GTV 1972 Portland Trans-Am round

Lead contamination