NASCAR National Racing Series Returns to Portland June 3-4 with Local Flair — Sport Oregon Voices

Sport Oregon Voices: Pacific Office Automation 147 at Portland International Raceway marks first Pacific Northwest NASCAR event since 2000

It’s been more than two decades, but a NASCAR national racing series is returning to Portland. And this time around, it has a decidedly Portland feel.

The Pacific Office Automation 147, a NASCAR Xfinity Series event, will be held at Portland International Raceway (PIR) June 3-4. Race activities get going at PIR on Friday, June 3, with a morning practice session for the NASCAR Xfinity Series field, followed later in the day by a “happy hour” qualifying session from 5:05 p.m. to 6 p.m. On Saturday, the activities begin with morning orientation, practice and qualifying for the ARCA Menards Series West field. The highlight NASCAR Xfinity Series race will begin at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, with the ARCA Menards Series West race slated for 4:30 p.m.

Two-day and single-day reserved grandstand and general admission to the Pacific Office Automation 147, which will be televised on FS1, are available for purchase by visiting nascarportland.com. Children 12 and under are admitted free. For overnight visitors to the area, Travel Portland has organized a variety of local hotel accommodations and packages at special rates, with additional information available at nascarportland.com under the “Travel Options” dropdown.

The race, which is expected to generate an estimated $15 million in economic impact for the area, marks the debut for the NASCAR Xfinity Series in Portland. Fittingly, the event features a number of local partnerships and special events to help make it even more special for area race fans.

For starters, race organizers partnered with Pacific Office Automation on the title sponsorship of the much-anticipated NASCAR Xfinity Series event. With its headquarters in Beaverton, Pacific Office Automation is the largest private dealership of office equipment and technology solutions in the nation and has a long history of partnering with and supporting local sports teams and community events.

“We couldn’t ask for a better title partner than Pacific Office Automation,” said Kevin Savoree, the co-owner of Green Savoree Racing Promotions along with his longtime business partner, Kim Green. “To us, they are the perfect kind of partner, and it’s just such a great way to really help launch the inaugural NASCAR Xfinity Series race and the return of NASCAR in Portland.”

To add to the local flavor, Savoree and his team are excited by a natural community tie-in with this year’s Portland Rose Festival, which marks its return after a two-year pause for the pandemic. 

The Pacific Office Automation 147 will serve as a highlight event of the Portland Rose Festival’s Rose City Reunion. As part of this uniquely Portland collaboration, the Rose Festival Court will make a special appearance at PIR on Saturday, June 4, during pre-race ceremonies for the NASCAR Xfinity Series race. Further, ticket purchasers to the race will receive free admission to the Rose Festival CityFair, which will feature a wide variety of exhibits, entertainment options, food and rides at Governor Tom McCall Waterfront Park in downtown Portland.

As an added bonus, Friday’s activities at PIR will include an autograph session with NASCAR Xfinity Series drivers, from 3-4 p.m., with additional fan-friendly activities to be announced soon. Friday’s autograph session will be the first held by the series for fans in over two years.

For NASCAR, the addition of Portland to the NASCAR Xfinity Series schedule fulfills a longtime goal of increasing its footprint in an underserved corner of the country. Viewed as an untapped market for years, the race represents the first appearance for a NASCAR national series event in the Pacific Northwest since 2000, when the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series visited both Portland International Raceway and Evergreen Speedway in Monroe, Wash.

In terms of the actual on-track race preparations for the Pacific Office Automation 147, Savoree says NASCAR is thrilled for its return to Portland, and that PIR is primed and ready.

“Hats off to the team at Portland International Raceway and everything they’ve done to put us in a position to have an exciting event,” he said. “We’ve worked hard to get the track ready to the NASCAR standard.”

Among the top drivers to watch at the Pacific Office Automation 147, A.J. Allmendinger returns to Portland International Raceway, where he won the Grand Prix of Portland in 2006 for his first career Champ Car victory. Allmendinger, who won the Pit Boss 250 earlier this season, is the NASCAR Xfinity Series points leader through 11 races (as of May 18). Another driver to watch for in Portland is Ty Gibbs, a two-time winner this season who ranks third in the standings. Gibbs, the grandson of former NFL coach and current NASCAR team owner Joe Gibbs, was the 2021 ARCA Menards Series champion. In total, race organizers indicate fans can expect at least 36 cars in this year’s Pacific Office Automation 147 field.

As for the drivers, Savoree has no doubt that all of them will be hungry and ready to put on a great show on the “racy” track that is PIR.

“The drivers are there to win a car race,” he said. “Trust me, they’ll be going at it, tooth and toenail.”

If You’re Going
For tickets, schedules and updates for the Pacific Office Automation 147, visit nascarportland.com.