 | |
 | |
| IndyCar Series | |
|---|---|
| Venue | Portland International Raceway |
| Corporate sponsor | BitNile.com |
| First race | 1984 |
| First ICS race | 2018 |
| Distance | 216.37 mi (348.21 km) |
| Laps | 110 |
| Previous names | Stroh's/G.I. Joe's 200 (1984–1985) Budweiser/G.I. Joe's 200 (1986–1990, 1996) Texaco/Havoline Presents the Budweiser/G.I. Joe's 200 (1991–1995, 1998–1999) Budweiser/G.I. Joe's 200 Presented by Texaco/Havoline (1997) Freightliner/G.I. Joe's 200 Presented by Texaco (2000–2001) G.I. Joe's 200 (2002–2003) Champ Car Grand Prix of Portland (2004) G.I. Joe's Grand Prix of Portland (2005–2006) Mazda Grand Prix of Portland (2007) Grand Prix of Portland (2018-2019, 2021-2022) BitNile.com Grand Prix of Portland (2023-2024) |
| Most wins (driver) | Michael Andretti (3) Al Unser Jr. (3) |
| Most wins (team) | Penske Racing (9) |
| Most wins (manufacturer) | Chassis: Lola (12) Engine: Chevrolet (7) |
The Grand Prix of Portland (known as the BitNile.com Grand Prix of Portland for sponsorship reasons) is a race in the IndyCar Series held at the Portland International Raceway in Portland, Oregon. The race was an annual event from 1984 to 2007, initially as a race in the CART series, and later as part of the Champ Car World Series. After a ten-year hiatus, the race made its return to the IndyCar Series in the 2018 season.[1]
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.
For nearly its entire existence, the title sponsor of the race was sporting goods retailer G.I. Joe's and took place in June, during or around the Portland Rose Festival. Numerous times, the race was held on Father's Day. From 2018-2024, the race was held in September (late August in 2024) on or around Labor Day weekend. Since returning to the calendar, the race has been promoted by Green Savoree Racing Promotions.
- ^ Blue, Molly (October 12, 2017). "IndyCar racing will return to Portland International Raceway on Labor Day weekend 2018". The Oregonian. Advance Publications. Retrieved October 12, 2017.