IndyCar Series 2018 16 2018-09-02 2018-09-02 https://r2.thesportsdb.com/images/media/event/thumb/bfpi5a1528460401.jpg https://r2.thesportsdb.com/images/media/event/poster/mjfrby1528452792.jpg The Grand Prix of Portland is an Indy Car Series race held at Portland International Raceway in Portland, Oregon. The race was held every year from 1984 through 2007 first as a CART series race, then as part of Champ Car World Series. After a ten-year absence, the race will return to the IndyCar Series for the 2018 season. Portland is best-remember as being the site of two of the closest finishes on a road course in Indy car racing history. In 1986, Michael Andretti lost fuel pressure on the final turn of the final lap, which allowed his father Mario to catch up and beat him to the finish line by 0.070 seconds. At the time, it was the closest finish of any race in Indy car history. In 1997, in a three-wide finish, Mark Blundell beat second place Gil de Ferran by 0.027 seconds, and beat third place Raul Boesel by 0.055 seconds. For a road course race, it was the all-time closest finish in CART series history, as well as the closest three-car finish in series history. For nearly its entire existence, the title sponsor of the race was G.I. Joe's sporting goods and auto parts store, and the event was held during or around the Portland Rose Festival. Numerous times, the race was held on Father's Day. Beginning in 2018, the race will be held in September on Labor Day weekend, promoted by Green Savoree Racing Promotions. Takuma Sato went to victory lane in Sunday’s Grand Prix of Portland, but Scott Dixon had to feel like a winner. Maybe Alexander Rossi, too. Dixon salvaged what could have been a disastrous points day relative to the Verizon IndyCar Series championship to finish fifth. Rossi had bad luck of a different kind, but managed to scramble back to finish eighth, losing just three points to the four-time series champion. Unofficially after 16 of 17 races this season, Dixon leads Rossi by 29 points. Dixon was among those collected in a first-lap crash in Turn 3, but somehow avoided serious damage to his No. 9 PNC Bank Chip Ganassi Racing Honda. When the dust literally settled from the spin of James Hinchcliffe that led to Marco Andretti’s car flipping over the top of the cars of Hinchcliffe and Ed Jones, Dixon’s car was relatively unscathed. Dusty, but unscathed. From there, Dixon used a fuel-saving strategy and fortunate timing with mid-race cautions to get a little more points breathing room for Sonoma. Meanwhile up front, Sato held off Ryan Hunter-Reay for his third career victory and first since the 2017 Indianapolis 500. Sato is the eighth different driver to win a race this season. 570236