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My Very Favourite picture I've taken from Portland's
CART Glory Days. As still Don't know how I managed to capture Scott Pruett's
Truesports racecar in the frame! (the Tomaso Collection)
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As it's Funny thinking I've been Bustin' Out thou
No Fenders Superlative on Ye Intrawoods' almost as long as the Indy Cars Kicked
Portland Kerbside...
Originally I had ZERO intention of attending
Indy Cars return to the Pacific Northwest, since I'd long thrown in the towel
upon them ever coming back. Hence wasn't very excited over Portland saving Indy
Cars "Bacon" by picking up the ever revolving Labour Day weekend
racing slot.
Alas, in a slightly different nod to
Portland's return, by my very unscientific research, unofficially I believe
Thars' a total of Nine; Number 9, number Nein? current IndyCar Drivers
contesting this year's return to the Rose City. With eight of them being IndyCar
race winners. While six are Series Champions, and four have won the Indy 500.
#9: Scott Dixon
Chip Ganassi Racing
Engine: Honda
In 1999, a "Bashful" Kiwi' came
Stateside to enter the Dayton Indy Lights Championship for 'lil Stevie
Johnson's, aka Stefan Johansson Motorsports Indy Lights team. The following
year, Dixon moved to PacWest Racing, where he crushed the opposition en route
to the series title, winning six of the twelve rounds! With one of his fiercest
Indy Lights competitors being Townsend Bell.
For 2001 Dixon graduated to PacWest Racing's Championship
Auto Racing Teams (CART) Squad alongside "B-I-G MO," or as Bob named
him "googly eyes," aka Mauricio Gugelmin. As Scott would record the
first of his Uber' impressive 43 IndyCar victories on his Oval track Debut at Nazareth
Speedway, only his third start overall! becoming then the youngest ever CART
race winner at the precocious age of 20yrs, 9mos and 14-days..
Dixon would also become the Championship Auto
Racing Teams rookie Of the Year (ROY) in what was his one and only IndyCar
start at Portland International Raceway that year. As PacWest Racing shuttered its
operations the following season, while Toyota introduced Dixon to Chip Ganassi,
who was contesting the rival Indy Racing league. (IRL)
As we All know, Scott's gone onto become the
Indy Cars third All-time Career winner, having just eclipsed Mikey A' (Andretti)
upon winning at Texas, and trails only the legendary A.J. Foyt (67) and Mario
Andretti. (52)
As Dixon's won the IndyCar Championship four
times to Date: 2003, 2008, 2013 & 2015,
along with the 2008 Indianapolis 500.
#12: will Power
Team Penske
Engine: Chevrolet
Will Power made his Champ Car debut
appropriately at home, in the 2005 Surfers Paradise Champ Car World Series (CCWS)
race for Derrick Walker's Team Australia Aussie Vineyards team, as its third
entry, before replacing the long forgotten Marcus Marshall at the season finale
in Mexico alongside TAG', nee Alex Tagliani.
As Marshall was Fired following the Oz' race
for "serious' Breach of Contract, making way for Power to sign a
multi-year contract to drive for Team Australia.
In his first full season campaign the
following year, Power would go onto become the '06 CCWS Rookie Of the Year.
(ROY) Having made two IndyCar starts at Portland, both for Team Oz',
(Australia) where he was one of the few drivers capable of beating le
Hamburgular' (Sebastian Bourdais) for victories.
Whilst ironically, since I got All 17
"John Hancock's" on offer, well sorta while making my way thru All of
the Autograph "Congo" lines that June 2006 race, DJ WillyP', nee Will
Power must have been one of the countless unknown Drivers to Mwah; but I
digress...
Power joined KV Racing Technology in '08
during the IndyCar Reunification, and has never looked back after taking a
Flyer with Team Penske originally as Helio Castroneves Stand-in during HULIO's
Tax Evasion trial the following season. And has finally Broken his Indy 500
"Duck" this year, along with having claimed the 2014 IndyCar
Championship.
And while Dixon garners much of the Spotlight,
Power's now third Overall for IndyCar Career Poles with 52, as of Iowa. And
trails only A.J Foyt by One digit, (53) and Mario Andretti with 67 Overall.
Then Power tied 'Ol SuperTex's Career Poles
"marker" upon scoring his 53rd Pole position to date at the Pocono
500 this season, and will become the Sports Number 2 All-time Career IndyCar
Pole positions upon scoring his next P1 Award...
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| Assorted Portland IndyCar ticket stubs saved from My yearly Father's Day weekend outings. (the Tomaso Collection) |
#14: Tony Kanaan
A.J. Foyt Enterprises
Engine: Chevrolet
Tony Kanaan made his first start at Portland
in 1996 from Pole position for Steve Horne's Tasman Motorsports Indy Lights
concern, where his team-mate was fellow Countryman Helio Castroneves. Kanaan
led three laps before ultimately finishing P5.
Kanaan won the '97 Indy Lights title by four
points ahead of Castroneves, before graduating to Tasman's CART B-I-G CARZ'
effort for '98, making the first of his five IndyCar starts at Portland, while
driving for Tasman, Forsythe Championship Racing and Mo Nunn Racing. As Kanaan
made his Indy 500 debut for the latter in '02.
TK' Follow your Schnoz! Kanaan then jumped to
the "Dark Side," a la the IRL for '03 and Mikey Andretti's Andretti
Green Racing concern. Going on to claim the 2004 Indy Racing League
Championship, and finally the Indy 500 in 2013 for KV Racing Technology!
Afterwards, TK' drove for Cheeps' team, then
Target chip Ganassi Racing before switching to A.J. Foyt Enterprises this year,
in what presumably will be his Swan Song in Indy Cars, as the Brazilian Fan
Favourite turns 44 on December 31st.
As Scott Dixon has
already mockingly lamented that the only way he'll ever catch TK for most
consecutive races contested is for Kanaan
to retire!
#15: Graham Rahal
Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing
Engine: Honda
As a 16yr old teenager, Graham raced in the
2005 Star Mazda Championship and won at Portland's American Le Mans Series
(ALMS) event, in the support race, along with finishing fourth Overall in the
season standings.
Next, he moved up to the Champ Car Atlantic
series in '06, having a "Breakout Year" finishing runner-up to some
"Frenchie" named Pagenaud by 16 points after scoring five wins vs.
Simon Pagenaud's single W'.
As the younger Rahal, who I'd neither taken
to calling Grahamcracker' or GRAMINATOR' yet then, began that year's Portland
Atlantics event from Pole before finishing a lowly P27! As I can only ARSE-Sume
Thar' must have been some contact involved, Eh?
But I'd actually see the young Rahal in
action twice that year, when he started in a "One-off" outing from
Pole in the Liberty Challenge Indy Pro Series support race for that year's USGP
at Mother Speedway.
As Graham would eventually be passed by Alex
"Pink" Lloyd for the win, and finish as runner-up.
Yet it should have been obvious that Graham
was being groomed for an IndyCar career, as I found it slightly odd that he was
part of that year's Portland Champ Car Drivers Autograph session.
Graham graduated to Champ Car in '07 with the
vaunted Newman Haas Lanigan Racing team alongside SeaBass', nee Sebastian
Bourdais, as a Rookie, making his only B-I-G CARZ' outing at Portland that
year.
In '08, Graham scored his maiden IndyCar
victory in a chaotic event at ST Pete. Where Rahal, then only 19yrs, 93-days
old, surpassed Scotty the "Iceman 2.0" Dixon for youngest ever
winner. Although Dixon's record had actually been previously usurped by Marco
Andretti's 2006 IRL victory at Sonoma.
VIDEO: The Kid's Hot Tonight - song
After Newman Haas, Graham's driven for his
father Bobby's outfit twice, with a stint at the "Cheepster's" (Chip
Ganassi) sandwiched in-between. along with a few outings for Sarah Fisher Racing
and Dreyer & Reinbold Racing. Having actually driven for four teams during
the 2010 season.
As Graham who's now 29 years old, and an 11
year IndyCar veteran. Has made a permanent home at Rahal Letterman Lanigan
Racing, having just inked a 5yr contract extension, where he's scored the
majority of his six IndyCar wins to date.