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USA - UNITED STATES
PORTLAND INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY
Description At the end of Second Worls War Portland Jaycees, a local newspaper, proposed to build a street circuit at Vanport, a town abandoned after a flood in 1948. The land was sold in 1960 to City of Portland by Army Corps and in June 1961 the circuit hosted it first race, Rose Cup. In the following years it was used for kart, motorbike and Dragster races, the latter of course on the long start/finish straight.
First international race, a Trans Am race, was held in 1972. In 1978 it hosted its first IMSA race and in 1984 its first Cart (now Champ Car) race, since then always on schedule.

As rarely happens in USA, now the owner of thre track is still the city of Portland, that operate through an Entreprise Found.

The trak has 12 bends, many of them are in quick succession and driver consider them as a single long bend. In 1980s a chican was added approx at 2/3 of the main straight. In 1992 this chicane was changed into Festival Loop, a chicane much slower and narrower than the old one. The latter recently has been repaved in concrete, so drivers has many problems there.

Champ Car encreases its requirements and this area has a low receptivity and for this reason the circuit could lose the race. For this reasonin April 2007 somebody proposed to build a new circuit near Portland. Nevertheless Mayor of Portland told that in this moment no funds are available for build a new circuit, so the only possibility would be to move the race on a new street circuit to be built at Portland

Portland International Raceway shuldn’t be confused with Portland Speedway
Location Vanport, Portland
OR - Oregon - Western States
Location Vanport, Southern suburb of Portland
Latitude - Longitude + 45°35'48"     -122°41'42"
45.596667     -122.695
UTM Coordinates X = 523787.862  -  Y = 5049281.253  -  Zone 10T
Aerial photo / Map (*)  Google Maps  -    Bing Maps  -    Flash Earth  -   Aerial photo / Map (*) Microsoft Research Maps  -   Aerial photo / Map (*) MapQuest
Altitude AMSL 2 m - 7 ft
Inauguration 1961
Closing  
Designer  
Sources and links (Translation) (**)
(1) English (United States) (page 156)Author: Peter Higham, Bruce Jones - Published by: Andre Deutsch - year: 1999 - ISBN: 0-233-99619-2
Description
(2) English ForumForum --> North America --> USA: Western States --> ORE - Portland International Raceway [ENG]
(3) English (United States) www.portlandraceway.com/images/stories/movies/Map7.jpgMappa
(4) English www.racingcircuits.netMotor Racing Circuits Database
(5) English www.silhouet.com/motorsport/tracks/portland.htmlThe GEL Motorsport - Tracks Around The World
(6) English (United States) www.autoracing1.com/rumors.aspChamp Car race will be modev on a street track? [Publishing date: April 13th 2007]
(7) English (United States) www.portlandraceway.comOfficial website

(*) NOTE: a complete and detailed view of the circuit can be found (if available) on Street View by Google Maps and/or Bird's Eye and 3D views by Bing Maps for Enterprise (former Microsoft Virtual Earth): both can be reached using their own link in Aerial photo / Map cell.

(**) For on-line not-English speaking sources, click on each small flag and you open the corresponding Google Translator page with automatic translation.

Portland International Raceway
Description Chicane was added in 1980s
Years 1961÷1991
Direction Clockwise   Clockwise
Progetto Proposal NO
No longer operational YES
Car Circuit YES
Motorbike circuit YES
Type Permanent
Inauguration 1961
Closing 1991
Last update of this page August 7th 2002
Info last update  
Designer  
Distinctive points  
length 3093  m 10148  ft 1.922  mi With chicane (1)
length 3082  m 10111  ft 1.915  mi Without chicane (7)

with Festival loop
With chicane
Description From 1992 to 1996 official (wrong) length was 3138 m - 1.950 mi. In 1997, after a remeasuring, new official length was published, 3165 m - 1.967 mi, even if the track was unchanged
Years 1992÷2007
Direction Clockwise   Clockwise
Progetto Proposal NO
No longer operational YES
Car Circuit YES
Motorbike circuit  
Type Permanent
Inauguration 1992
Closing 2007
Last update of this page January 9th 2010
Info last update  
Designer  
Distinctive points  
length 3138  m 10296  ft 1.95  mi Official track length until 1996 (in 1997 measuring system was changed) (7)
length 3165  m 10385  ft 1.967  mi Official track length from 1997, when measuring system was modified (track unchanged) (7)

with Festival loop
With chicane
Description For 2008 Portland International Raceway was given an update. Turn 6 was moved inwards slightly, not more than the track width, and widened. Turn 7 was turned into a hairpin. There’s a patch of asfalt on the inside of turn 7 which may be available as a temporary chicane. It could be an unfinished acces road though. All information above provided by google earth only.
Years 2008÷...
Direction Clockwise   Clockwise
Progetto Proposal NO
No longer operational  
Car Circuit YES
Motorbike circuit  
Type Permanent
Inauguration 2008
Closing  
Last update of this page January 9th 2010
Info last update  
Designer  
Distinctive points  

Portland International Raceway without Festival Loop

Portland International Raceway without Festival Loop


Portland International Raceway with Festival Loop

Portland International Raceway with Festival Loop


Latitude - Longitude: + 45°35'48", -122°41'42"
If the aerial photo is not visible, you have to zoom out by clicking (maybe more then once) button ’-’ in top left corner

Updates
Date Track layout Years Description by Map by Thanks to Note
January 9th 2010 with Festival loop 2008÷... Quintin03   Quintin03 Update Description
April 25th 2007     Lorenzo Tommasi     Update Description
June 29th 2006     Lorenzo Tommasi Lorenzo Tommasi   Update Description with map
August 7th 2002     Guido de Carli     New Description
Not all eventual updates issued in last years are already visible in this list

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