‘It’s going to be great for Portland to be open for business’: Grand Prix of Portland returns to PIR this weekend — Sport Oregon Voices

Sport Oregon Voices: Tens of thousands of motorsports enthusiasts to take in three days of events at Portland International Raceway starting Friday.

This weekend, Portland will host its largest sporting event in some two years when the Grand Prix of Portland takes place at Portland International Raceway.

With a venue capacity of roughly 50,000 for this weekend’s races at PIR, one can imagine the amount of work that goes into putting on such a large-scale event. But veteran race promoter Kevin Savoree has been joined by thousands of others this week to make the festivities even more memorable and impactful, especially after the pandemic forced the cancellation of last year’s scheduled event in Portland.

Adding to the tens of thousands of spectators expected to attend the three-day event in North Portland, Savoree estimates approximately 3,000 support staff will be in town leading up to the event. For a week, PIR will essentially be a city within a city, and the influx will no doubt provide a substantial economic boost to the Portland area in the form of lodging, food and retail services. The traveling contingent includes a wide variety of event-related professionals, including drivers and their teams, sponsors, engine and tire manufacturing representatives, the TV production crew, truck drivers, marketing and media personnel, and even some personal chefs, to name a few.

“It’s going to be great for Portland to be open for business this weekend,” said Savoree, who conservatively estimates the overall economic impact of similar events to be in the $15-$20 million range.

The weekend features four different racing series, including the marquee NTT INDYCAR SERIES race on Sunday. Friday’s slate features USAC .25 Midgets races, and Indy Lights and ARCA Menards Series West test sessions, practice and qualifying. NTT INDYCAR SERIES practice and qualifying takes place on Saturday, a day that also includes the first Indy Lights race at 1:55 p.m. and the ARCA Menards Series West Race at 4:30 p.m. Sunday features the second Indy Lights race at 10:30 a.m., followed by the NTT INDYCAR Series Grand Prix of Portland at 12:42 p.m.

Savoree, co-owner of Green Savoree Racing Promotions along with his longtime business partner, Kim Green, says ticket sales have been very encouraging leading up to this year’s Grand Prix of Portland.

“Our numbers are tracking ahead of our numbers from 2019, so that tells me the fans in Portland and fans in the Northwest are excited to come see the Grand Prix of Portland,” he said. “I think that’s for a lot of reasons. I think everyone has had their fill of being cooped up and they know the Grand Prix is going to present a safe environment. They know they will have a great time, and that starts with a massive outdoor facility with plenty of room to move around and social distance.”

Advance tickets for the Grand Prix of Portland are available online at portlandgp.com, with prices starting at just $20 for single-day general admission. Kids age 12 and under receive free general admission each day.

As the only event of its kind in the Pacific Northwest, the Grand Prix of Portland relaunched in 2018, with this year’s race being the 27th professional open-wheel race event at PIR since 1984, including CART, Champ and INDYCAR-sanctioned events. The Portland race, in particular, is attractive to organizers and enthusiasts for a number of reasons, not the least of which is the prodigious size and ready-made grandstands at PIR, a city-owned Portland Parks & Recreation venue. Savoree praises PIR, the city and Portland Parks & Recreation for their longtime partnership in producing successful INDYCAR races while making Portland a destination for the sport in the Pacific Northwest.

Portland is the first of a three-race swing through the West Coast to finish the season, with the final two events of the 16-race circuit including the Grand Prix of Monterey at Laguna Seca and the Grand Prix of Long Beach. For drivers and teams, the PIR road course is appreciated for its pace, its technical layout and the passing opportunities it presents. These features aren’t lost on this year’s field, especially with just three races remaining in the season as they jockey for the eventual title and $2.5 million prize.

“Race drivers like to go fast,” said Savoree. “For a road course, Portland is one of the fastest, and they love that aspect of it. It just provides for great racing, and that’s what fans come to see.”

The longtime success of the Portland race not only speaks to its popularity in the Northwest, but it reflects the positive momentum of the sport itself. Savoree points to the stewardship of Roger Penske, who purchased the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and NTT INDYCAR SERIES in January 2020, as a key factor. Television ratings have continued to impress as well, with recent races in St. Petersburg, Fla., and Mid-Ohio ranking as the two top-rated, non-Indy 500 INDYCAR events in NBC’s history. He also says another important indicator of the sport’s continued growth can be seen with car count, which has increased steadily over the last two years. Portland is expected to feature a full pit road, including 27 or 28 cars this year.

It’s understandable, then, that Savoree, who promotes four races as part of the NTT INDYCAR season, is bullish on the ultimate success of this year’s Grand Prix of Portland, all while taking the proper health and safety precautions.

“We all know by now what to do, how to do it right, and we are going to provide a great, safe environment for fans to come out and enjoy an incredible 2021 Grand Prix of Portland.”

If You’re Going
Ticket prices start as low as $20 for single-day general admission and $70 for single-day grandstand seats. Three-day tickets remain available for purchase and offer the best value. General admission for the entire weekend is $65, and three-day grandstand reserved seats start at $85, which includes gate admission. For more information or to purchase tickets online, click here.

If You Can’t Make It
Live race coverage of the Grand Prix of Portland begins at 12 noon PT on NBC, including locally on KGW. All on-track practice and qualifying sessions for the NTT INDYCAR SERIES will be streamed live on Peacock Premium. Indy Lights races will be featured live on Peacock Premium, while ARCA Menards Series West race coverage will be available via TrackPass on NBC Sports Gold and be available on a tape-delayed basis on NBCSN.