Portland International Raceway, Motorsport racing track in Portland, Oregon.
Portland International Raceway is a motorsport track in Portland, Oregon, measuring about 1.97 miles (3.17 kilometers) with 12 turns. The longest straight stretches roughly 2300 feet (701 meters) and serves both professional and amateur drivers.
Portland International Raceway occupies the former site of Vanport, Oregon, flooded on May 30, 1948, when a railroad berm broke and Columbia River water destroyed the city, leaving paved streets and concrete foundations. The first races ran on those old streets in 1961 during the Portland Rose Festival, starting the annual Rose Cup. The deteriorating surface and leftover foundations and ponds made racing dangerous, so the track was finally paved in the 1970s. A repaving in 2007–2008 widened turns 4–7 and added Formula One-style curbs.
The Rose Cup, first run in 1961 during the Portland Rose Festival, remains an annual amateur race at the track. The grounds also host Oregon Bicycle Racing Association bicycle races on the circuit and surrounding paths, alongside IndyCar, SCCA and OMRRA motorcycle events. The chicane at the end of the front straight is named the Shelton Chicane after Vanport racing driver Monte Shelton.
The course sits on North Victory Boulevard and is easily reached by car via nearby main roads. Driving experiences and training sessions come with professional instructors and require advance booking.
The track sits on the former streets of Vanport, a city destroyed on May 30, 1948, when a railroad berm broke and Columbia River water flooded it. Only paved streets and concrete foundations remained, and the first races in 1961 ran on those old roads during the Portland Rose Festival. Racers who left the course could hit leftover foundations or fall into ponds.
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