Portland race likely to return
"Everything so far has been very positive," said Nealy, whose Portland-based Global Events Group stages Champ Car World Series and American Le Mans Series races at PIR in June and July.
Discussions will resume Friday, when Nealy meets with Champ Car president Steve Johnson. The series' 2007 schedule is expected to be quite different from previous lineups, with at least two new events, and races at Montreal, Milwaukee and Monterrey, Mexico, reportedly being dropped.
"Quite frankly, we should have something announced relatively soon as far as where we are going from a scheduling standpoint," Johnson said.
"I'd say it looks better for Portland now than it did prior to the Portland race. I think the results were much better."
Portland's presence in Champ Car seemed in jeopardy before the 2005 event, but an increase in attendance for the second year in a row — last year's race day crowd was estimated at 30,000 — bought the city another year.
Last month an estimated crowd of 44,065 watched A.J. Allmendinger win his first Champ Car race. In addition to the race day attendance jump, Nealy said corporate sponsorship of the event was up $100,000.
"I think those were signs to Champ Car that we're going in the right direction," Nealy said.
Portland and Champ Car signed a three-year co-promotion deal in 2004, but there was an out clause that gives Champ Car the opportunity to void the deal if minimum revenue projections aren't met.
The race has not made a profit in at least five years, but Champ Car values the Northwest market and has been reluctant to give up an event that started in Portland in 1984.
Still, Portland's attendance and sponsor support pales in comparison to many of the series' other markets regardless of their size.
"Last weekend in Edmonton we drew 170,000-plus," Johnson said. "The corporate support was great, the hospitality suites sold out.
"It's night and day when you go someplace like that, and we shouldn't have that issue in Portland. We've been at Portland longer than most other places. It should be much easier.
"Personally, I have no negativity toward Portland. I would like to be there. I'm just trying to find a solution, find a way we can be there." More at Portland Oregonian
06/24/06 
According to this Portland Tribune article, Power broker Kevin Kalkhoven, who helped rescue the racing series from bankruptcy court in 2004, says that the Champ Car World Series race at Portland International Raceway has displayed enough “momentum" to be included on the 2007 schedule. His comments:
“As long as the trajectory is in the right direction …
“It’s a track all the drivers love and all teams loving coming to …
“It’s a great track and each year attendance has gone up …
“I’m hopeful we’ll be back — we very much want to come back …
“I won’t like to think Portland is in danger … it’s not what I want."
Champ Car has an out clause in its contract, which has only next year remaining, to dump the PIR race for another venue, if certain standards have not been met. Steve Johnson, the series’ first-year president, says five venues have been considered for next year, including South Korea, which was on the original 15-race schedule this season until the event got canceled. The other venues: Phoenix, Las Vegas, San Antonio and Zhuhai, China. A 16-race schedule is expected for 2007. More….