As what’s that ‘Ol Grateful Dead song ‘bout How
it’s been A long Strange trip indeed…
Yesterday’s Bitnile.com Grand Prix of Portland,
try saying that fast five times! At Portland International Raceway (PIR) marked
forty years since ‘lil Al, aka Al Unser Jr. won His maiden IndyCar race in the
Rose City in that year’s inaugural Stroh’s/G.I. Joes 200. Winning Aboard His
Galles Racing’s March 84C Cosworth.
As the venue has had a litany of title sponsors
over the past four decades, most notably for Mwah being the Budweiser/G.I. Joes
200 during my yearly treks to Portland over Fathers Day weekend…
And Instead of trying to rehash the past which
I’ve done previously. As can it already be 15 years since I scribbled about
Portland’s Centennial here upon No Fenders, Yikes! And thus I won’t try
remounting any “Flintstone” tyres here, Hya!
http://www.nofenders.net/2009/06/portlands-centennial.html
Having attended 19 of those initial 24 events, beginning
in 1987 thru 2007. Prior to IndyCar returning after a Gory ten year’s absence
in 2018! Obviously I saw a Heckabunch ‘O racing Thar, including the likes of El
Zorro’, aka Alex Zanardi, Mark Blundell, Max Papis and A.J. Allmendinger All
win their debutante IndyCar races there! Where Also Al Unser Jr. did so with
that ’84 Portland victory.
Having attended my latest IndyCar event in 2022,
when ScottyMac’, aka Scott McLaughlin was untouchable – leading 104 of 110 laps!
When it was blistering Hot and I understand the reason why. But still I was a
little bit sad knowing that my yearly West End Grandstand had been long removed
and turned into RV Camping instead…
Thus I’ll try reminiscing about Portland’s 40
years in a different tack. As it seems tedious to recall every winner to date.
Not to mention what traditionally was the Kershaw knives Pole winner’s award…
Looking back to the final Chump Carz’, Err
Champ Car World Series (CCWS) event held on June 10, 2007. Thars’ a total of
three drivers from that race still on today’s IndyCar grid.
The most “famous” of this trio would be none
other than William Steven Power. Whom presumably hasn’t given ScottyMac’ any
more love taps since Toronto, Eh?
DJ Willy P’ (Age 43) was in His sophomore Champ Car season with Derrick
Walker’s Team Australia that year, driving the team’s No. 5 Aussie Vineyards entry,
finishing fourth. Paired with another future Indianapolis 500 winner known here
upon No Fenders as Symone’ or Pagentry’, aka Simon Pagenaud.
While Power finished a lowly P19 in His Rose
City debut the year before, also for Team Australia, classified as being 13
laps down.
Although only one of Power’s 43 IndyCar wins
has come at Portland in 2019, where He’s scored more than one of His All-time
career leading 70 Poles.
Graham Rahal, now age 35, was an 18 year old teenager
when making His first start at Portland in 2007. Driving for Newman Haas
Racing, the rookie IndyCar driver finished ninth on debut at Portland.
Katherine Legge who celebrated Her 44th
birthday in the Mid-Ohio paddock on Friday’s first practice, complete with
birthday cake! Was making Her second start for Dale Coyne Racing. Finishing
dead last – P17 due to a mechanical failure.
Whilst Thy Leggy Juan’ finished P13 at Portland
for PKV Racing during Her rookie season in Champ Car in 2006.
One other current IndyCar driver participated
in two Portland CART events prior to the ’07 Finale, can Y’all guess who that
was?
Scott Dixon who turned 44 this July, made His
IndyCar debut in 2001 for the local PacWest Racing team. Finishing fourth as a
rookie in Portland. Then the following year driving for Target Chip Ganassi
Racing (CGR) finished seventh, before CGR migrated to the Dark Side, ergo Indy
Racing League for ’03.
Also from my initial perusal of the 2007 Mazda Cham
Car Grand Prix of Portland, where a total of 17 drivers lined up in spec Panoz
DP01 2.65-litre turbocharged Cosworth XFE’s for Champ Car’s first and only
standing start. I reckon there’s a further four Alumni still racing today…
Obviously the most prominent of these would be
none other than le Hamburgular’, SealmeisterB’ or SeaBass, ergo Four-times
Champ Car Champion Sebastien Bourdais, having won a total of 37 IndyCar
victories. Now age 45, Bourdais competes fulltime for Chip Ganassi Racing’s
IMSA GTP factory Cadillac operation.
As Bourdais is responsible for winning half of
Newman Haas Racing’s eight Championship titles. And ironically His win at the
’07 Portland Champ Car race was Newman Haas Racing’s 100th victory.
Neel Jani, age 40 driving for PKV Racing and
finishing 12th at Portland has moved onto a long, successful European Sports
Car career. Having won the 2016 24 Huers du Mans for Porsche. And currently
competes in the FIA World Endurance Championship for Porsche Penske Motorsport
as a Werks’ driver.
Jan Heylen, better known here upon No Fenders
as Jan Van Hagar Heylen, (Age 44) contested the 2006 Grand Prix of Portland for
Dale Coyne Racing and finished P15. The following year He drove for Conquest
Racing and finished 15th again. And now races for Wright Motorsports in IMSA’s
GT Daytona (GTD) category. Having raced for the team for the past ten years.
Having won the 2020 12 Hours of Sebring GTD Class and the prestigious Porsche
Cup.
Ryan “Razzle Dazzle” Dalziel whose now 42yrs
young, drove for the short lived Pacific Coast Motorsports team and finished
P14. Dalziel has gone onto a long successful Sports Car career and currently
competes for ERA Motorsports in IMSA’s LMP2 category.
Meanwhile, reigning IndyCar Champion Alex Palou
has a good chance at tying Mikey a’ and ‘lil Al for most wins at Portland at
three apiece. As Michael Andretti claimed a Hat trick of W’s between 1990-92
for Newman Haas Racing. Who have the most wins for teams currently.
Al Unser Jr. won in 1984 and then 1994-95, the
latter two for Team Penske, including Penske sweeping the podium in ’94 with
EMMO’, aka Emerson Fittipaldi and Paul Tracy joining Unser on the podium. When
Marlboro Team Penske won a staggering 12 of 16 races that season! Unser taking
eight enroute to the Championship, Tracy three and Fittipaldi one.
Naturally Team Penske, most notably in it’s Bad
Habits’ (Marlboro) red & white colours, Chip Ganassi Racing, Dale Coyne
Racing, A.J. foyt enterprises, whom I also saw ‘Ol superTex’ running at the
tail end in His Copenhagen racecar. Not to mention Rocket rick Mears in the
original Yellow Submarine. And lastly Bobby Rahal, whose team then was simply
known as Team Rahal were All present at Portland over the years prior to
Portland being unceremoniously dropped from IndyCar’s calendar for ten years…
Whilst who knows how many teams came ‘n went
during Portland’s heydays between 1984-2007? Like Bobby Rahal winning for
Truesports, Kraco Racing, Doug shierson Racing, etc.
While surprisingly, Portland is one of the very few tracks that Scott Dixon has never previously won at.