Portland’s LOSS is Milwaukee’s Gain...

So I know I’m the ONLY ‘Juan who cares ‘bout my Hometrack Portland International Raceway still getting STIFFED by IndyCar... What was that ‘bout Randy “The CandyMann” Bernard wanting to return to tradition? As in you’ve managed to give away Portland’s traditional Father’s Day weekend race date to the venerable Milwaukee Mile instead! And thus I won’t bother lamenting too much more over how it’s NOW been five years this past Sunday since the last major Open Wheel Racing event was held at PIR, which NO! Doesn’t stand for Phoenix Int’l Raceway, albeit I’m not sure which ‘Juan came first; Hya! (HINT: Can you say Valley of the Sun?)

May be IndyCar should stay away from the Northwest After all

Yet, interestingly? Phoenix’s ‘lil Bullring Ovaltrack last held an “INDYCAR” sanctioned race there in 2005, while Portland’s last gasp came with the much maligned ‘N pummeled ’07 Champ Car World Series race, which you’re painfully aware that your Humble Scribe endured all 3-days of, even having stayed thru the warbled tones of mighty Mazda Miata KillerBeez buzzing around the track and providing the backdrop for Robin Miller’s live SPEED channel TV report - which I’m in the middle of recapping right now...

And NO! I don’t wish to see Milwaukee fade away again, after apparently last year’s event was very poorly attended; Hmm? Sounds like the same song that’s been sung to me for years over Portland’s demise - as the headlines screamed last year;

Milwaukee race in doubt?

As I’m hoping that Mikey Andretti and his Sports Marketing Company can breathe new life back into the Old lady with today’s event - and that IndyCar will give him more than one year to succeed...

Yet, if Loudon can come back after a 13-year hiatus, I guess it’s still semi-feasible that Portland could once again host an Indy Car Series race, too? Just please Mr. Bernard – DON’T make us wait another eight years Yuhs Hear!

Portland’s Centennial

AUTHOR’S NOTE

I’ll let Y’all in on a ‘lil secret... When it would RAIN up here at Portland Int’l Raceway’s CART/Champ Car races, which were traditionally held on Father’s Day weekend; guess what? They’d actually run the entire race in the RAIN! As in Portland’s a permanent road course which includes an overtaking zone known as the Festival Curves. Just had to get a chuckle outta Milwaukee’s rain delay - having stole our race weekend - as we’re pretty accustomed to precipitation up here in the Pacific Northwest...