Portland International Raceway - PIR w/ Chicane
Portland International Raceway - PIR w/ Chicane Notes:
The Portland International Raceway (PIR) is a motorsport complex located in the northern part of the City of Roses' metropolitan area, on a terrain lot that used to be a city, Vanport, designed for temporary wartime workers. When the city flooded in 1948, people went away, and the paved streets were left alone, capturing the attention of racers who took the streets immediately. The PIR complex includes an off-road field, a motocross track, and of course, the main raceway of 1.97 mi, almost entirely flat, an average lap time of 1:26.827, and an 82 mph speed average.
Portland's mild climate, with warm summers and high humidity during the rest of the year, makes it an ideal place to have racing competitions from spring to fall, hosting IndyCar, NASCAR, SCCA races, among others. Up to 85K spectators can watch their favorite motorsport in PIR, and with easy access from the city, a full-house is quite a possibility in every event. The circuit consists of 12 turns when using the chicane or nine turns when not. It also has several long straight segments where drivers tend to push their gas pedals to the end, making the final stretch runs very exciting to see.
See our Portland International Track Guide for more info on how to get the most out of this track.
w/ Chicane Notes:
Portland International Raceway's configuration with Chicane delivers 3.166 kilometers through 12 turns including the Festival Curves chicane section added to the front straight, representing the modern Grand Prix layout used since 1984 modifications created tighter direction changes slowing CART racer speeds on this nearly-flat clockwise circuit. Located in Portland, Oregon, within Delta Park adjacent to Columbia River, this FIA Grade Two layout emphasizes the Shelton Chicane (named after Vanport racing legend Monte Shelton) as the critical technical section interrupting the 1.915-mile oval-influenced front straight that defines PIR's character. The 1992 chicane reconfiguration tightened Festival Curves into concrete-paved hairpin eliminating first-lap pileups, while 2005 modifications widened the second chicane turn for faster flow, creating the current 12-turn technical challenge contrasting the simpler 9-turn no-chicane variant used for events prioritizing sustained speed over technical precision.
The Chicane configuration's character derives from Festival Curves' strategic impact on racing dynamics and driver approach. The tight concrete chicane transforms PIR's long front straight from sustained acceleration into brake-turn-throttle test before Turn 1's approach, creating primary overtaking opportunity where slipstream advantage meets heavy braking zone. The nearly-flat terrain across former WWII-era Vanport displacement camp site creates minimal elevation change compared to hillside circuits, rewarding aerodynamic efficiency and mechanical grip over elevation-change weight transfer skills. Oregon's Pacific Northwest climate produces frequent rain affecting chicane grip levels where concrete paving creates different traction than surrounding asphalt, while summer sessions see moderate temperatures compared to desert tracks. PIR's location within Portland city limits 8 kilometers from downtown makes it North America's most urban-accessible road racing venue, hosting SCCA, club racing, drift events, and professional series. The Chicane configuration particularly demonstrates how single corner addition fundamentally transforms circuit character—Festival Curves converted PIR from high-speed oval-derivative into technical road course where chicane mastery separates lap times across Portland's premier motorsport venue operating since 1961 on reclaimed Vanport flood plain.
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