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Sunday’s BitNile.com Grand Prix of Portland at Portland International Raceway showcased the brilliance of Team Penske’s Will Power and Chip Ganassi Racing’s Alex Palou.

It was a race dripping with historical implications on a beautiful 86-degree day.

Power won for the second consecutive year at PIR, and third time overall, as he easily brought home the No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevy — notching a win in an 18th season in his career and assuring that Team Penske wouldn’t go winless during a racing season for the first time since 1999. It was the 45th win in his career, which stretches back to the Champ Car World Series days that included starts at PIR.

“Good win for all the team,” said the Australian Power, 44, who has been rumored to be racing his final season with Team Penske. “Good hard fought win.

“I’ve had a great career with Verizon and Penske, and I’ve really enjoyed winning for the guys and everybody I’ve worked with for a long time.”

No attendance was released for Sunday race day. The front straightaway grandstands had plenty of empty seats. But recreation vehicles filled good spots on turns 4-8, and grandstand K at “Shelton Chicane,” turns 1-3, had few empty seats and pitched tents and partying went on pre-race.

Whether it be food carts and fun activities on the outside of the track, a deejay and cheerleading squad “Dirt Darlings” and fans walking through the pre-race grid inside, enthusiasm abounded. And the city of Portland worked with promoters to ensure fans would have access to cooling tents, misters and even a Blue Star bus for recovery from heat.

True to its mission, IndyCar attracts a lot of people from outside Portland for a weekend of fast fun.

Shaunna McCarthy of Vancouver, Wash. attended her second IndyCar race with Xavier Molina and Molina girls Olivia, 10, and Norah, 7. She wore checkered flag-patterned pants, and racing-themed attire, as the family checked out the pits.

“It’s amazing. The access (to cars, drivers) in the pits is amazing. Everybody is so friendly and chatty. And it’s very kid friendly,” McCarthy said. They all have their favorite drivers, but Olivia likes Pato O’Ward because “he wins and goes fast” (although not on Sunday, unfortunately).

Bellingham, Wash. friends Ken Adelstein and Matt Benoit have attended each race since IndyCar added Portland to the schedule in 2018. As they sat in the shade of their SUV behind grandstand K, they talked about how they “follow it all year long,” Adelstein said, of IndyCar.

They both raced go-karts that maxed out at 50 mph. “I can’t imagine the feeling of G force in the corners (in an IndyCar),” Adelstein said.

Said Benoit: “The sensation of speed is incredible. They’re cool to look at (the cars), and to see the raw speed and downforce.”

Brothers Mark Kieffer of Seattle and Steve Kieffer of Chicago meet at PIR every year for the IndyCar race and, like other fans, made record time putting up their tent in the infield behind grandstand K.

“No better racing in the country,” Mark said. The brothers said IndyCar has cool tracks — ovals, road course, street courses — and the open-wheel machines operate with such precision and speed.

And, perhaps one of the more enthusiastic fans sat atop the shoulders of her father Sunday. Bend’s Kurin Williams said he and Lindsey Folio’s daughter, 3 1/2-year-old Julia, watch all racing on TV, “when she can stay awake,” the dad said.

Williams, who annually attends the Long Beach Grand Prix in California, and daughter (who likes driver Scott Dixon) went to the Laguna Seca race at Monterey, California, recently, and camped. Folio, meanwhile, attended her first race Sunday.

“It’s neat to see all the transporters and cars, and you get to be close up with the drivers,” she said.

Jerry Jensen, VP/GM of Green Savoree Portland, said negotiations are underway on a new contract for a PIR race. He’s very optimistic.

“Overall it was a great weekend. Little on the hot side, and a lot going on with the (Clark County) fair and Bridge Pedal. It seemed like an active crowd. Healthy crowd.”

He said the RV sites were sold out.

The 28-year-old Spaniard Palou secured his fourth IndyCar championship and third in a row by virtue of his third-place finish, and O’Ward’s mechanical issue on lap 22 that forced the only driver still mathematically alive to be out for several laps. From there, it was Palou keeping up his speed; it got hairy when Palou tried to pass second-place Christian Lundgaard with a few laps left, as Palou went off the track between turns 6-7 only to recover and draw multiple, “What a save!” comments from TV announcers.

Palou settled for third behind Power and Lundgaard with his 12th top-5 finish in 15 races, and claimed the championship with a 151-point lead over O’Ward with two races to go (Milwaukee, Nashville). Palou sits at eight wins, and could still tie Mario Andretti (nine wins, 1969) and A.J. Foyt (10 wins, 1964) and Al Unser (10 wins, 1970) atop IndyCar’s all-time single-season wins list.

“I’m so glad we got it,” Palou said. “This year has been even more magical.”

He averted a catastrophe in trying to pass Lundgaard. “Today we wanted to win. We’re here to win. It didn’t work, gave it everything I had, did everything to overtake Lundgaard, but couldn’t do it today,” Palou said. Sitting next to team owner Chip Ganassi, Palou reacted to Ganassi holding up two fingers, meaning Palou could still win and tie for the all-time wins lead. “Hopefully we still get to 10,” Palou said.

It’s the 17th championship for Ganassi, tying him with Roger Penske for the all-time IndyCar lead.

Arrow McLaren’s Lundgaard had the fast qualifying time and had to overcome a starting penalty to finish second.

Meanwhile, IndyCar appears to be happy with the Portland race and Green Savoree Racing Promotions. But dynamics have changed now that Fox Sports now broadcasts every race but owns part of the series and Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Briefly

• Remarkably, there were no entanglements in the Shelton Chicane during the start of the IndyCar race. There were few incidents, although Conor Daly went off track and slammed into a tire wall after a dustup with Christian Rasmussen.
• Coolest IndyCar paint design? Had to be Felix Rosenqvist’s Honda and its Grateful Dead, tie-dyed design.
• Wilsonville’s Josh Pierson, 19, finished 11th in the Indy NXT at PIR on Sunday. He’s fifth in points. Series leader Dennis Hauger led all 35 laps to win the race.
• Race fans have another opportunity to take in the speed and sound of fast cars at the Nascar Xfinity Series’ Pacific Office Automation 147, Aug. 29-30. More: raceportland.com.

No one has been better on the road courses this year than Shane Van Gisbergen.  

The New Zealander continues to show why at Watkins Glen International. The No. 88 Chevrolet won the NASCAR Cup Series Go Bowl at the Glen on Sunday.  

“I’m just a very lucky guy to get to drive for an amazing bunch of people and just execute,” Van Gisbergen said. “The day just went flawlessly and I really enjoyed it.

Van Gisbergen, who started second in the race, has now won four of the five road courses this season. Unlike last year, he was able to hold off Christopher Bell and Chris Buescher handily this time, who won the road course in 2024.  

“I gave that wall about half a meter this time and tried not to push too hard,” Van Gisbergen said. “That was definitely in the back of my mind, but I was not under pressure, so take it easy I guess.”

Van Gisbergen and his team’s strategy was to go for the win, which allowed Buescher to take the first stage, and Ryan Blaney, the pole sitter, to win stage two.  

He led a race-best 38 of 90 laps, including the final 17, to give himself his first trip to victory lane at the Glen.

“The 12 was really fast at the start, and then we sort of split strategies,” Van Gisbergen said. “And at the end of stage three, I didn’t really know how it was going to play out.”  

Next up on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule is the Cook Out 400 at Richmond Raceway next weekend, before the regular season finale at Dayton International Speedway later this month.

Buckle up, Nashville. The Slush Motorsports Festival is back at Nashville Superspeedway on Saturday, September 13th, and it’s bringing serious horsepower to the track! This high-octane celebration of motorsports and custom car culture is set to feature top-tier racing talent alongside one of the region’s most exciting car shows—presented by Elite Customs of Franklin, TN.

“Elite Customs is thrilled to be a proud sponsor of the annual Slush Motorsports event,” said Rich McClellan, owner of Elite Customs. “Attendees are going to love every aspect—from the incredible cars on display to the wheel-to-wheel racing. I’m especially looking forward to judging the car show and seeing the creativity and craftsmanship up close.”
The Slush Motorsports Car Show, powered by Elite Customs, will showcase vehicles across 35+ categories, including imports, domestics, exotics, classics, muscle cars, trucks, Jeeps, motorcycles, and more. All makes and models are welcome, and one standout will take home the coveted Best in Show award. Attendees can view hundreds of stunning custom builds and vote for their favorites.

Car show participants can also take their builds on track with a driver’s pass, allowing access to high-speed driving experiences. Spectators and drivers alike will enjoy a full day of action, including drag and roll racing, autocross, drifting, hot laps, and 2-step competitions.

“Elite Customs is all about quality, precision, and passion,” says Slush Motorsports CEO Philip Thomas. “That’s why they’re the perfect partner to present the car show. Their builds speak for themselves. They truly understand the dedication it takes to create a show-worthy car. Elite Customs shares our passion for the community, craftsmanship, and the culture of motorsports.”

The festival is a playground for car lovers and adrenaline junkies alike. Professional driver appearances include Formula Drift Drivers Connor O’Sully, Hooman Rahimi and Alex Lichliter, all hitting the track. Other attractions include “Big Kid Energy” drift carts, Podium1’s state-of-the-art SIM racing rigs, a car stereo competition and the Cookeville Hobbies RC drift course, where attendees can bring their own RC cars to join the fun.

For event details, schedules, tickets, and more, visit SlushMotorsports.com.

MORE EVENTS

WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. — Shane van Gisbergen’s latest victory in NASCAR’s premier series was as historical as it was emotional.

With his father, Robert, on hand for the first time this year, the Auckland, New Zealand, native set a Cup Series rookie record with his fourth victory, blowing out the competition again at Watkins Glen International.

“It’s just amazing to have him here,” said van Gisbergen, who last saw his father while visiting home over the Christmas break. “It’s been a very tough, tough year for dad, and he hasn’t been able to travel, so to have him here for the next three weeks and share this with him, it’s amazing.”

As amazing as van Gisbergen’s rookie season in the Cup series.

The Trackhouse Racing driver joined 2020 champion Chase Elliott and NASCAR Hall of Famer Jeff Gordon as the only drivers to win four consecutive Cup races on road or street courses.

Unlike his prior wins at Mexico City, Chicago and Sonoma, van Gisbergen was unable to start from the pole position after being edged by Ryan Blaney. After qualifying second, van Gisbergen bided his time and took his first lead on the 25th of the 90-lap race. He then settled into a typically flawless and smooth rhythm on the 2.45-mile road course.

“I’m just a very lucky guy to get to drive for an amazing bunch of people and just execute,” van Gisbergen said. “The day went flawlessly.”

The 36-year-old rookie made his final pit stop with 27 laps remaining and cycled into first place on Lap 74 of a clean race with only three yellow flags. Cruising to a big lead while leading the final 17 laps, van Gisbergen beat Christopher Bell by 11.116 seconds.

“I’m thrilled because we’ve been struggling a little bit,” Bell said. “Just trying to execute the races has been tough for us, so really awesome to have a good day. Frustrated to get our butts kicked by [van Gisbergen]. He’s doing such a really good job.”

With five victories in only 38 career starts in NASCAR’s premier series, van Gisbergen trails only Elliott (seven wins) and Kyle Larson (six) among active drivers on street or road courses. He also is the fastest to five wins in Cup since the legendary Dan Gurney, who won his fifth race in his 13th start in January 1968.

The win validated the decision by Trackhouse to sign van Gisbergen to a multiyear contract extension last week. Tied with Denny Hamlin for the series lead in victories, van Gisbergen holds the No. 2 seed in the playoffs with two races remaining in the regular season.

The first round will be held at three oval tracks, where the inexperienced van Gisbergen, who raced exclusively on road and street courses while winning three championships in the Australia-based Supercars, has an average finish of 26.9 this year.

“It ain’t going to be easy, that’s for sure,” van Gisbergen said of his playoff outlook. “The first round, it’s some very difficult left-handed tracks for me, but I’m getting better at it, and I’m enjoying myself, and it’s a challenge. That’s why we’re here, and we’ll have a proper crack at it.”

Playoff watch

Third-place finisher Chris Buescher improved to 34 points ahead of Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing teammate Ryan Preece in the battle for the final playoff spot.

Buescher outdueled van Gisbergen on the final lap to win at Watkins Glen last year. His team tailored its strategy Sunday toward amassing stage points instead of following the win-oriented strategy used by van Gisbergen.

“Last year, we didn’t have to deal with the points side of things, so we brought a fast race car and made it happen,” Buescher said. “We had a really fast race car again, just definitely took the opportunity to capitalize on some big stage points early.”

Feisty Gibbs

It was another frustrating race for Ty Gibbs, who spun John Hunter Nemechek late in Stage 2 and then complained about the handling and strategy of his No. 54 Toyota. Joe Gibbs Racing competition director Chris Gabehart, who recently began working as a strategist and consultant to Gibbs’ team, radioed the driver to “stay in the game” after the Nemechek wreck and later took issue after Gibbs questioned his team’s strategy.

“I’m sure you’ve got a real good understanding from inside the car,” Gabehart told Gibbs on the radio. “So you can call the strategy if you want, or we can keep rolling.”

Gibbs, the grandson of team owner Joe Gibbs, finished 33rd and remained winless since moving into Cup after winning the 2022 Xfinity Series championship. Teammates Chase Briscoe, Denny Hamlin and Christopher Bell have qualified for the playoffs with victories this season.

Up next

The Cup Series will race Saturday at Richmond Raceway, which will play host to its only NASCAR race weekend this season. The 0.75-mile oval had two annual races on the Cup schedule from 1959-2024.

Buckle up, Nashville. The Slush Motorsports Festival is back at Nashville Superspeedway on Saturday, September 13th, and it’s bringing serious horsepower to the track! This high-octane celebration of motorsports and custom car culture is set to feature top-tier racing talent alongside one of the region’s most exciting car shows—presented by Elite Customs of Franklin, TN.

“Elite Customs is thrilled to be a proud sponsor of the annual Slush Motorsports event,” said Rich McClellan, owner of Elite Customs. “Attendees are going to love every aspect—from the incredible cars on display to the wheel-to-wheel racing. I’m especially looking forward to judging the car show and seeing the creativity and craftsmanship up close.”
The Slush Motorsports Car Show, powered by Elite Customs, will showcase vehicles across 35+ categories, including imports, domestics, exotics, classics, muscle cars, trucks, Jeeps, motorcycles, and more. All makes and models are welcome, and one standout will take home the coveted Best in Show award. Attendees can view hundreds of stunning custom builds and vote for their favorites.

Car show participants can also take their builds on track with a driver’s pass, allowing access to high-speed driving experiences. Spectators and drivers alike will enjoy a full day of action, including drag and roll racing, autocross, drifting, hot laps, and 2-step competitions.

“Elite Customs is all about quality, precision, and passion,” says Slush Motorsports CEO Philip Thomas. “That’s why they’re the perfect partner to present the car show. Their builds speak for themselves. They truly understand the dedication it takes to create a show-worthy car. Elite Customs shares our passion for the community, craftsmanship, and the culture of motorsports.”

The festival is a playground for car lovers and adrenaline junkies alike. Professional driver appearances include Formula Drift Drivers Connor O’Sully, Hooman Rahimi and Alex Lichliter, all hitting the track. Other attractions include “Big Kid Energy” drift carts, Podium1’s state-of-the-art SIM racing rigs, a car stereo competition and the Cookeville Hobbies RC drift course, where attendees can bring their own RC cars to join the fun.

For event details, schedules, tickets, and more, visit SlushMotorsports.com.

MORE EVENTS

Nascar rookie Connor Zilisch has been ruled out of the Cup Series race at Watkins Glen International in New York after breaking his collarbone when he fell off the roof of his car on Saturday.

The 19-year-old won the Mission 200 at the Glen Xfinity Series race and climbed out of his No 88 JR Motorsports Chevrolet to celebrate. He had one foot on the roof and one on the ledge of the window and was posing for photographs when he lost his balance and tumbled to the ground head-first.

He was taken off the track on a backboard and to the hospital via ambulance. Later on Saturday, Zilisch took to social media and said he did not have a head injury as feared.

“Thank you everybody for reaching out today. I’m out of the hospital and getting better already,” he posted to X. “Thankfully, CT scans for my head are clear, I just have a broken collarbone. Thankful for all the medics for quick attention and grateful it wasn’t any worse.”

The win was the sixth of the season for Zilisch. He was due to drive in the Go Bowling at The Glen on Sunday afternoon, but Trackhouse Racing announced that Zilisch’s No 87 Chevrolet had been withdrawn.

Nascar confirmed he was “awake and alert” as he was receiving medical attention.

Zilisch had a busy weekend planned at New York’s Watkins Glen. He finished eighth on Friday in the Truck Series competition and qualified 25th for the Cup Series race.

It is expected Zilisch, a North Carolina native, will move full-time to the Cup Series in 2026.