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An 'Ol Justin Wilson RuSport "Hero" Card
collected Trackside in Portland's Paddock during the 2006 Champ Car weekend. (the
Tomaso Collection)
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Is He still Droning on 'bout Portland? And what's
the Bloody point?
Yeah, I know Karma's only what you make of
it, Righto Jeffie? Since one of my favourite IndyCar Bloggers, Jeff Iannucci of
One Lap Down Fame has recently scribbled 'bout Karma's somewhat of our Own
Making.
AnyHoo, I find it somewhat Karmic, or
actually more symbiotic that I've just realized that I'm scribbling 'bout
Portland's Days 'O Yesteryear, as it makes its IndyCar comeback 11yrs after its
last race. Whilst thou No Fenders Blog is in the final days of its eleventh
year of existence, Just Sayin'
And since I kept my typical No Fenders long-form
prose going, and simply running outta room, here's the final Bits 'N bobs of
other persons who'll be at Portland with past connections to the Racetrack.
As I'll be interested to see if the late
Justin B-I-G UNIT' Wilson's current track lap record of 57.597 seconds from
2005, when driving for RuSport is beaten this year? Especially since I thought
Graham Rahal said earlier that the track's been modified.
Former Drivers...
Although I've got ZERO Clue if
"Professor B," aka Jon Beekhuis
will be On-hand patrolling Pitlane for NBCSN? But there will be at least two
former Drivers in the Commentary Booth who've raced at Portland previously.
As both are former Indy Lights Champions,
while one's also a Champ Car; Err Championship Auto Racing Teams Champion, as
can Yuhs guess who's who?
Ok, one's got a zillion past Nicknames, like
Mr. Chrome Horn, The Thrill from the West Hill, Sugar Ray Tracy, PT' or Sand
Dune Tracy, as take your pick!
But now PT' simply goes by Paul Tracy, who
never won an IndyCar race at Portland, but drove their multiple times for
Penske, Newman Haas and Forsythe.
Tracy won the final American Racing Series
(ARS) Championship for Landford Racing in 1990 before the series became Indy
Lights. Then won the final CART Championship in '03 for Forsythe Championship
Racing.
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| Paul Tracy - Las Vegas Grand Prix, 2007. (Source: spokeo.com) |
And I can still somehow recall (Townsend)
T-Bell poundin' thru the final corner's complex on the Back
"Straight" aboard that Dayglo' Orange #20 Visteon sponsored Patrick
Racing Reynard 02i Toyota chassis. Presumably because how bright 'N eye
catching that racecar was. As Townsend won the 2001 Indy Lights title for Doricott
Racing.
While Jon Beekhuis raced
at Portland en route to the 1988 ARS title, forerunner of the original 1991
Firestone Indy Lights series. Along with also being behind the wheel of CART
IndyCar machinery for Bettenhausen, P.I.G. Walker and A.J. Foyt between 1989-91.
But it appears that he never raced one of the Big Cars at Portland.
And although this never ending story's about
current and former IndyCar Drivers who've raced at Portland. I'd be remiss if
not mentioning 'Ol R', Indy Cars Curmudgeon, aka Robin Miller, who reported
yearly from Portland during its CART and Champ Car Days...
And then going Age before Beauty; Hya! 'Ol superTex, nee Anthony Joseph Foyt, Jr. ran multiple times at Portland, since I even remember a long lost picture I snapped of his Copenhagen car on the track's from the West End Bleachers.
And how could I forget good 'Ol "booby
Ruble," aka Bobby Rahal who not only raced at Portland during his CART
Driving career, but won what I'm fairly certain was my inaugural Portland
International Raceway outing in 1987. Then later saw "Mad Max" Papis win
for him as a Team Owner in '01.
Michael Andretti is tied with his rival 'lil
Al, aka Al Unser, Jr. for most wins at Portland with three apiece. With the
storied Newman Haas Racing team Mikey drove for having the most victories at
PIR, with a total of eight.
Whilst "Top Jimmy{ (Vasser) raced many
times at Portland for multiple teams, including watching his TCGR team-mate El
Zorro', aka Alex Zanardi win twice in the Rose City for the man he called
Cheep! (Chip Ganassi)
Team Owners
By my very unscientific rythMaTickin',
there's a total of seven Owners who've competed at Portland International
Raceway during the CART-CCWS era between 1984 to 2007.
Since I'm counting Vasser and Dale Coyne separately,
especially since Coyne had his own team for decades, while I've got NO Clue if
he ever raced Thar?
While who can forget those iconic rosso
Target Chip Ganassi Racing cars? Which I've already mentioned won twice during
the mid-1990's. As Chip may actually have been involved in three victories at
the track, since he was co-owner of Patrick Racing when EMMO' (Emerson
Fittipaldi) won in 1989.
Have already noted A.J. Foyt, Michael
Andretti and Bobby Rahal's involvement above, while obviously el Capitano', nee
Roger Penske's team was one of the favourites to beat, having won three times consecutively
between 1993-95 at Portland with those iconic red and white Marlboro cars.
Yeah, I've already
included the link to an 'Ol No Fenders Portland tome before, but in case Yuhs
missed it in part Doce, you can check it
out below...