IndyCar News: BITNILE.COM Grand Prix of Portland Preview
Alex Palou has the opportunity to clinch the NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship at Portland International Raceway (PIR) for the second time in three years and reach a number of other significant milestones during this weekend’s BITNILE.COM Grand Prix of Portland presented by askROI (Aug. 8-10). The three-time INDYCAR champion (2021, 2023, 2024) and current points leader aims to duplicate his 2023 Portland performance when he cemented that season’s title with a win at the 1.964-mile, 12-turn road course.
When the 27-car INDYCAR field takes the green flag at PIR on Sunday, Aug. 10 at 12:22 p.m. PT, Palou will also attempt to become the third ever three-time Portland winner, matching racing legends Al Unser Jr. and Michael Andretti. The star Chip Ganassi Racing driver currently holds a 121-point lead over Pato O’Ward. If Palou leads O’Ward by at least 108 points following Sunday’s 110-lap race, he’ll clinch the 2025 NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship, his fourth championship in the last five seasons, and become the fourth driver to win at least three consecutive INDYCAR championships, joining Dario Franchitti, Sebastien Bourdais and Ted Horn.
“Every time I’ve been (to Portland International Raceway), I’ve just felt really comfortable,” said Palou. “I’ve felt like the car has been responding the way I needed and also the way it flows. It just really matches my style, I guess. It’s really narrow, and although it’s a road course, it just bites you like a street course.
“It’s one of those tracks that you need to drive it 99 percent. You cannot drive it 100 percent all the time because otherwise you go off pretty easily,” he explained.
The 28-year-old Spaniard has been dominant in 2025, tallying eight wins, including winning the 2025 Indianapolis 500, and scoring 590 points. He is also pursuing the INDYCAR record for wins in a season of 10 held by A.J. Foyt (1964) and Al Unser (1970). O’Ward (469 points), the only remaining contender for the 2025 championship, will strive to challenge Palou on Sunday. The Arrow McLaren driver has twice been close to reaching the podium in Portland, finishing fourth in 2022 and 2023 at PIR.
Many additional accomplished INDYCAR drivers will also look to thwart Palou’s championship push on Sunday, including another two-time Portland winner Will Power (2019, 2024). Power will help jump start the race weekend festivities by appearing at the BITNILE.COM Grand Prix of Portland presented by askROI Kickoff Party tomorrow, Aug. 7, at Kenton Station Restaurant & Pub (8303 N. Denver Ave., Portland, OR 97217). The party will run from 4:30-6:30 p.m. PT, and Power’s appearance will be for the first 30 minutes along with fellow INDYCAR drivers Jacob Abel and Rinus VeeKay. Portland-native and INDY NXT by Firestone driver Josh Pierson and others will also attend at select times, and fans can check out the INDYCAR show car which will be displayed outside the restaurant.
Drivers from the four open-wheel development series that feed into the NTT INDYCAR SERIES will also be battling for championships at PIR this weekend. With three races left, INDY NXT by Firestone points leader Dennis Hauger looks to build on his 42-point championship lead. Additionally, champions will be crowned and scholarship funds awarded as all three USF Pro Championship Presented by Continental Tire (USF Pro 2000, USF2000 and USF Juniors) conclude their seasons with multiple races across the weekend.
Ticket prices start as low as $25 for Single Day General Admission and $65 for Single Day Grandstand seats. Three-day tickets remain available for purchase and offer the best fan value. General Admission for the entire weekend is just $75, and a 3-Day Grandstand reserved seat starts at $85 which includes gate admission. Children 12 and under receive free general admission to the event.
The BITNILE.COM Grand Prix of Portland presented by askROI will be followed by the Pacific Office Automation 147 featuring the NASCAR Xfinity Series on August 29-30 at PIR. The two major racing events happening in August create a ‘Speed Month’ at the motorsports facility positioned just south of the Columbia River along Interstate 5 in North Portland.
For all ticket pricing and additional festival information for both events, visit raceportland.com. Stay up to speed on these premier Portland events on social media all year long by following #PortlandGP and #NASCARPortland or by signing up for the E-Club on the website.
FAST FACTS
Race weekend: Friday, Aug. 8-Sunday, Aug. 10
Track: Portland International Raceway, a 12-turn, 1.964-mile road course in Portland, Oregon
Race distance: NTT INDYCAR SERIES: BITNILE.com Grand Prix of Portland presented by askROI 110 laps / 216.04 miles | INDY NXT by Firestone: INDY NXT by Firestone Grand Prix of Portland 35 laps / 68.74 miles / 55 minutes
Entry List
|
CAR |
DRIVER |
HOMETOWN |
CAR NAME |
TEAM |
ENGINE |
|
|
1 |
2 |
Josef Newgarden |
Nashville, Tennessee |
Astemo Team Penske |
Team Penske |
Chevrolet |
|
2 |
3 |
Scott McLaughlin |
Christchurch, New Zealand |
Odyssey Battery Team Penske |
Team Penske |
Chevrolet |
|
3 |
4 |
David Malukas |
Chicago, Illinois |
Gallagher Insurance |
A.J. Foyt Enterprises |
Chevrolet |
|
4 |
5 |
Pato O’Ward |
Monterrey, Mexico |
Arrow McLaren |
Arrow McLaren |
Chevrolet |
|
5 |
6 |
Nolan Siegel |
Palo Alto, California |
Arrow McLaren |
Arrow McLaren |
Chevrolet |
|
6 |
7 |
Christian Lundgaard |
Hedensted, Denmark |
Arrow McLaren |
Arrow McLaren |
Chevrolet |
|
7 |
8 |
Kyffin Simpson |
Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands |
Ridgeline Chip Ganassi Racing |
Chip Ganassi Racing |
Honda |
|
8 |
9 |
Scott Dixon |
Auckland, New Zealand |
PNC Bank Chip Ganassi Racing |
Chip Ganassi Racing |
Honda |
|
9 |
10 |
Alex Palou |
Barcelona, Spain |
DHL Chip Ganassi Racing |
Chip Ganassi Racing |
Honda |
|
10 |
12 |
Will Power |
Toowoomba, Australia |
Verizon Team Penske |
Team Penske |
Chevrolet |
|
11 |
14 |
Santino Ferrucci |
Woodbury, Connecticut |
AJ FOYT RACING / SEXTON PROPERTIES |
A.J. Foyt Enterprises |
Chevrolet |
|
12 |
15 |
Graham Rahal |
New Albany, Ohio |
Hendrickson International |
Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing |
Honda |
|
13 |
18 |
Rinus VeeKay |
Hoofddorp, Netherlands |
askROI |
Dale Coyne Racing |
Honda |
|
14 |
20 |
Alexander Rossi |
Nevada City, California |
ECR Java House |
Ed Carpenter Racing |
Chevrolet |
|
15 |
21 |
Christian Rasmussen |
Copenhagen, Denmark |
Liquid Science |
Ed Carpenter Racing |
Chevrolet |
|
16 |
26 |
Colton Herta |
Valencia, California |
Gainbridge |
Andretti Global w/ Curb-Agajanian |
Honda |
|
17 |
27 |
Kyle Kirkwood |
Jupiter, Florida |
JM Bullion |
Andretti Global |
Honda |
|
18 |
28 |
Marcus Ericsson |
Kumla, Sweden |
Delaware Life |
Andretti Global |
Honda |
|
19 |
30 |
Devlin DeFrancesco |
Toronto, Canada |
Dogecoin |
Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing |
Honda |
|
20 |
45 |
Louis Foster (R) |
Odiham, England |
Droplight |
Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing |
Honda |
|
21 |
51 |
Jacob Abel (R) |
Louisville, Kentucky |
Abel Construction |
Dale Coyne Racing |
Honda |
|
22 |
60 |
Felix Rosenqvist |
Värnamo, Sweden |
SiriusXM |
Meyer Shank Racing w/ Curb-Agajanian |
Honda |
|
23 |
66 |
Marcus Armstrong |
Christchurch, New Zealand |
SiriusXM/Root Insurance |
Meyer Shank Racing w/ Curb-Agajanian |
Honda |
|
24 |
76 |
Conor Daly |
Noblesville, Indiana |
Juncos Hollinger Racing |
Juncos Hollinger Racing |
Chevrolet |
|
25 |
77 |
Sting Ray Robb |
Payette, Idaho |
Juncos Hollinger Racing |
Juncos Hollinger Racing |
Chevrolet |
|
26 |
83 |
Robert Shwartzman (R) |
Tel Aviv, Israel |
PREMA Racing |
PREMA Racing |
Chevrolet |
|
27 |
90 |
Callum Ilott |
Cambridge, England |
PREMA Racing |
PREMA Racing |
Chevrolet |
Push to Pass parameters: NTT INDYCAR SERIES: 200 seconds of total time with a maximum time of 20 seconds per activation. | INDY NXT by Firestone: A maximum of 50 activations total or 150 seconds of total time with a maximum time of 15 seconds per activation.
Hybrid energy deployment parameters: NTT INDYCAR SERIES: Unlimited activation with a maximum deployment of 350 kilojoules (kj) per lap
Firestone tire allotment: NTT INDYCAR SERIES: Five sets primary, five sets alternate to be used during the event weekend. Teams must use one set of primary and one new set of alternate tires unless wet conditions are declared. One additional set is available for the weekend’s first session to teams fielding a rookie driver. | INDY NXT by Firestone: Three new sets to be used during the event weekend. Two carryover sets from the WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca event may be used during pre-qualifying practice sessions on Friday and Saturday.
X: @Race_Portland, @IndyCar, #PortlandGP, #INDYCAR
Instagram: @Race_Portland, @IndyCar, #PortlandGP, #INDYCAR
Threads: @IndyCar, #PortlandGP, #INDYCAR
Facebook: @PortlandGP, @INDYCAR, #INDYCAR
TikTok: @INDYCAR, #INDYCAR
YouTube: @INDYCAR
Event website: www.raceportland.com
INDYCAR website: www.IndyCar.com
2024 race winners:
NTT INDYCAR SERIES
Will Power (No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet)
INDY NXT by Firestone
Jacob Abel (No. 51 Abel Motorsports)
2024 NTT P1 Award winner: Santino Ferrucci (No. 14 Phoenix Investors Chevrolet), 58.2046 seconds, 121.475 mph
2024 INDY NXT by Firestone pole winner: Louis Foster (No. 26 Andretti Global), 1 minute, 2.1396 seconds, 113.783 mph
Qualifying records:
NTT INDYCAR SERIES
Will Power, 57.2143 seconds, 123.577 mph, Sept. 1, 2018 (Set in Round 1 of knockout qualifying)
INDY NXT by Firestone
Louis Foster, 1 minute, 2.1396 seconds, 113.783 mph, Aug. 24, 2024
FOX Sports telecasts: NTT INDYCAR SERIES: Practice 1, 5:30 p.m. ET Friday, FS2 (live); Practice 2, noon ET Saturday, FS1 (live); Qualifying, 2:30 p.m. ET Saturday, FS1 (live); Final practice, 7:30 p.m. ET Saturday, FS1 (live); BITNILE.com Grand Prix of Portland presented by askROI, 3 p.m. ET Sunday, FOX (live). Will Buxton is the play-by-play announcer for FOX’s coverage of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, alongside analysts Townsend Bell and James Hinchcliffe. Georgia Henneberry, Kevin Lee and Jack Harvey are the pit reporters. | INDY NXT by Firestone: Practice 1, 4 p.m. ET Friday, FS1 (live); Practice 2, 4:30 p.m. ET Saturday, FS1; Qualifying, 8:30 p.m. ET Saturday, FS2 (live); Race, 1 p.m. ET Sunday, FS1 (live). Kevin Lee is the play-by-play announcer for FOX Sports’ coverage of INDY NXT by Firestone alongside analyst Jack Harvey. Georgia Henneberry is the pit reporter.
INDYCAR Radio Network broadcasts: Mark Jaynes is the anchor alongside driver analyst Davey Hamilton. Michael Young and Nick Yeoman are the turn announcers. Jake Query, Ryan Myrehn and DJ Clark are the pit reporters. The BITNILE.com Grand Prix of Portland presented by askROI race (2:30 p.m. ET Sunday) can be heard live on network affiliates nationwide. The NTT INDYCAR SERIES race, INDY NXT by Firestone race (12:55 p.m. ET Sunday), NTT P1 Award Qualifying (2:30 p.m. ET Saturday) and all NTT INDYCAR SERIES practices also air live on SiriusXM 218, www.indycar.com/leaderboard and the INDYCAR App powered by NTT DATA.
At-track schedule (all times local):
Friday, Aug. 8
1:05-1:50 p.m. – INDY NXT by Firestone practice 1, FS1 (live)
2:35-3:55 p.m. – NTT INDYCAR SERIES practice 1, FS2 (live)
Saturday, Aug. 9
9-10 a.m. – NTT INDYCAR SERIES practice 2 (45 minutes green flag or 1 hour total), FS1 (live)
11:35 a.m. – BITNILE.com Grand Prix of Portland presented by askROI NTT P1 Award qualifying (three rounds of knockout qualifying), FS1 (live)
1:30-2:15 p.m. – INDY NXT by Firestone practice 2, FS1 (live)
4:32-4:57 p.m. – NTT INDYCAR SERIES final practice, FS1 (live)
5:30 p.m. – INDY NXT by Firestone qualifying (two groups/12 minutes each), FS2 (live)
Sunday, Aug. 10
10:01 a.m. – INDY NXT by Firestone Grand Prix of Portland “Drivers, start your engines”
10:06 a.m. – INDY NXT by Firestone Grand Prix of Portland (35 laps / 68.74 miles / 55 minutes), FS1 (live)
Noon – FOX on air
12:15 p.m. – BITNILE.com Grand Prix of Portland presented by askROI “Drivers, start your engines”
12:22 p.m. – BITNILE.com Grand Prix of Portland presented by askROI (110 laps/216.04 miles), FOX (live)
NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship facts:
- Alex Palou leads the NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship with three races to go for the third time in his INDYCAR SERIES career. Palou also led with three races to go in both 2023 and 2024 when he won the series title. Palou has led the point standings since the start of the season.
- There are two drivers still mathematically eligible for the 2025 NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship: Alex Palou and Pato O’Ward. If O’Ward trails Palou by 108 points or more following Sunday’s race, Palou will clinch the series title. Palou leads by 121 points entering this event.
- Since the first INDYCAR SERIES race at Portland International Raceway, the winning driver has won the INDYCAR SERIES championship in the same season 12 times: Bobby Rahal (1987), Danny Sullivan (1988), Emerson Fittipaldi (1989), Michael Andretti (1991), Al Unser Jr. (1994), Alex Zanardi (1998), Gil de Ferran (2000), Cristiano da Matta (2002), Sebastien Bourdais (2004, 2007) and Alex Palou (2021, 2023).
- Honda is on the verge of wrapping up the NTT INDYCAR SERIES Manufacturers Championship after winning 12 of the first 14 events. Honda needs to maintain its 224-point advantage this weekend to clinch its seventh manufacturers’ title and first since 2021.
Point differential: The 121 points separating Alex Palou and Pato O’Ward are the largest margin with three races remaining since 2008. During that span, the average lead with three races remaining is 39.1 points.
Key championship point statistic: Since 2008, the driver who has led the championship with three races to go has won the championship 11 times – Scott Dixon in 2008, 2018 and 2020, Dario Franchitti in 2011, Will Power in 2014 and 2022, Simon Pagenaud in 2016, Josef Newgarden in 2017 and 2019 and Alex Palou in 2023 and 2024.
| CHAMPIONSHIP WITH 3 TO GO (2008-2025) | |||||
| YEAR | LEADER | SECOND | LEAD | CHAMPION | |
| 2008 | Scott Dixon | Helio Castroneves | 78 | Scott Dixon | |
| 2009 | Ryan Briscoe | Dario Franchitti | 4 | Dario Franchitti | |
| 2010 | Will Power | Dario Franchitti | 23 | Dario Franchitti | |
| 2011 | Dario Franchitti | Will Power | 26 | Dario Franchitti | |
| 2012 | Will Power | Ryan Hunter-Reay | 5 | Ryan Hunter-Reay | |
| 2013 | Helio Castroneves | Scott Dixon | 49 | Scott Dixon | |
| 2014 | Will Power | Helio Castroneves | 4 | Will Power | |
| 2015 | Juan Pablo Montoya | Graham Rahal | 42 | Scott Dixon (-48) | |
| 2016 | Simon Pagenaud | Will Power | 27 | Simon Pagenaud | |
| 2017 | Josef Newgarden | Scott Dixon | 18 | Josef Newgarden | |
| 2018 | Scott Dixon | Alexander Rossi | 29 | Scott Dixon | |
| 2019 | Josef Newgarden | Alexander Rossi | 35 | Josef Newgarden | |
| 2020 | Scott Dixon | Josef Newgarden | 72 | Scott Dixon | |
| 2021 | Pato O’Ward | Alex Palou | 10 | Alex Palou | |
| 2022 | Will Power | Scott Dixon | 6 | Will Power | |
| 2023 | Alex Palou | Scott Dixon | 101 | Alex Palou | |
| 2024 | Alex Palou | Will Power | 54 | Alex Palou | |
| 2025 | Alex Palou | Pato O’Ward | 121 | ??? | |
Race notes:
- The BITNILE.COM Grand Prix of Portland presented by askROI will be the 31st INDYCAR SERIES race at Portland International Raceway and the seventh since the NTT INDYCAR SERIES returned in 2018. Al Unser Jr. won the first INDYCAR SERIES race at Portland in 1984, while Will Power won last season. Alex Palou, Scott McLaughlin and Will Power are the only former winners entered in this year’s race.
| ACTIVE RACE WINNER | WINS | SEASONS |
| Alex Palou | 2 | 2021, 2023 |
| Will Power | 2 | 2019, 2024 |
| Scott McLaughlin | 1 | 2022 |
- Eight INDYCAR SERIES drivers have won at Portland International Raceway from the pole – Danny Sullivan (1988), Al Unser Jr. (1994), Alex Zanardi (1996), Max Papis (2001), Cristiano da Matta (2002), Sebastien Bourdais (2004), Alex Palou (2021) and Scott McLaughlin (2022).
| ACTIVE POLE WINNER | POLES | SEASONS |
| Santino Ferrucci | 1 | 2024 |
| Graham Rahal | 1 | 2023 |
| Scott McLaughlin | 1 | 2022 |
| Alex Palou | 1 | 2021 |
| Colton Herta | 1 | 2019 |
| Will Power | 1 | 2018 |
- Team Penske has won eight times at Portland International Raceway, tied with Newman/Haas Racing for most at the track. Penske’s winning INDYCAR SERIES drivers are Danny Sullivan (1988), Emerson Fittipaldi (1993), Al Unser Jr. (1994, 1995), Gil de Ferran (2000), Will Power (2019, 2025) and Scott McLaughlin (2022). Chip Ganassi Racing has four wins at Portland with Alex Zanardi in 1996 and 1998 and Alex Palou in 2021 and 2023.
- Twenty-four drivers entered in the event have competed in past INDYCAR SERIES races at Portland International Raceway. Scott Dixon and Will Power each have eight starts, most among the entered drivers. Fourteen entered drivers have led laps at the track (Power 169, Scott McLaughlin 109, Alex Palou 101, Graham Rahal 59, Colton Herta 40, Alexander Rossi 32, Dixon 30, Pato O’Ward 28, Josef Newgarden 9, Felix Rosenqvist 6, David Malukas 2, Marcus Armstrong 1, Marcus Ericsson 1 and Christian Lundgaard 1).
- Six drivers have won INDY NXT by Firestone races at Portland before moving up to the NTT INDYCAR SERIES. Pato O’Ward won both races at Portland in 2018 on his way to the INDY NXT by Firestone championship. Rinus VeeKay won one of the doubleheader races in 2019, and Kyle Kirkwood and David Malukas split the doubleheader races in 2021. NTT INDYCAR SERIES rookies Louis Foster and Jacob Abel won in 2023 and 2024, respectively … Graham Rahal scored the first win of his professional racing career at Portland, winning the Star Mazda (now USF Pro 2000 championship) race in 2005.
- Milestones: Scott Dixon will attempt to make his 354th consecutive start, extending his INDYCAR SERIES record streak…Graham Rahal will attempt to make his 254th consecutive start, the third-longest streak in INDYCAR SERIES history…Josef Newgarden will attempt to make his 217th consecutive start, the sixth-longest streak in INDYCAR SERIES history…Dixon passed Mario Andretti for the INDYCAR SERIES record for starts with his 408th start May 25 at Indianapolis and will extend his record to 417 with a start Sunday…Dixon’s win July 6 at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course – his 59th INDYCAR SERIES win – extended two ongoing INDYCAR SERIES records he holds: seasons with a win (23) and consecutive seasons with a win (21). Dixon’s second-place finish July 13 at Iowa Speedway extended two additional ongoing INDYCAR SERIES records he holds: podium finishes (145) and top-five finishes (215).
INDY NXT by Firestone notes:
- The season-long INDY NXT by Firestone title fight between Andretti Global’s Dennis Hauger and Lochie Hughes saw a new contender enter the fray as HMD Motorsports’ Caio Collet swept the INDY NXT by Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey doubleheader July 26-27 at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Sega. Hauger, who has a season-best five wins, leads Collet by 42 points headed into the final road course race of the season at Portland. Hughes, Myles Rowe and Portland native Josh Pierson are just behind, looking to make it a five-man sprint to the finish. The ultra-competitive 2025 season has seen four winners in 11 races and nine different drivers finish on the podium.
- The INDY NXT by Firestone Grand Prix of Portland will be the series’ 24th race at Portland International Raceway. Previous Indy NXT by Firestone winners at Portland include Paul Tracy, Andre Ribeiro, Greg Moore, Pato O’Ward, Rinus VeeKay, David Malukas, Kyle Kirkwood, Louis Foster and Jacob Abel.
Dennis Hauger could clinch the INDY NXT by Firestone Dallara Rookie of the Year Award if he can gain 19 points on Lochie Hughes in this weekend’s event. The award is given to the top-finishing rookie in the point standings.