RACE REPORT: BITNILE.COM Grand Prix of Portland
Race Notes
- After an exciting start to the day that saw Andretti INDY NXT driver Dennis Hauger clinch both the race win and INDY NXT by Firestone Rookie of the Year title, the Andretti INDYCAR team took to Portland International Raceway for their final road course race of the season.
- Following a tough qualifying session yesterday for the team, Colton Herta was Andretti’s highest finisher this afternoon in 10th place, marking the 64th top-10 finish of his career. The BITNILE.COM Grand Prix of Portland saw three caution periods, totaling 11 laps.
- The Andretti INDYCAR team now shifts its focus to oval racing for the final two events of the season, with a short break before heading to The Milwaukee Mile to race on Sunday, August 24.
Race Results
Colton Herta
No. 26 Gainbridge Honda
P10
| Started | P13 |
| Standings | 8 (333 points) |
- As the only Andretti INDYCAR driver to start on primary tires, Colton Herta took today’s start as the second-highest qualifier for the team in 13th.
- Despite losing positions in the opening laps of the race, Herta climbed to 14th before making his first pit stop under yellow on Lap 16.
- In a race filled with multiple yellows that shuffled the Gainbridge Honda across the leaderboard, the California native stayed focused on his three-stop strategy, breaking into the top 11 with 23 laps to go.
- As the closing laps of the race approached, Herta navigated the No. 26 Gainbridge Honda up one position to take the checkered in 10th.
- Today’s result marks Herta’s fifth top-10 finish at Portland International Raceway.
“Pretty quiet day from us and the Gainbridge Honda. We couldn’t really move forward, so it’s unfortunate to start mid-pack and finish in tenth. I think we came here with hopes of something better, but we’ll just move on to the next one.”
Kyle Kirkwood
No. 27 JM Bullion Honda
P20
| Started | P19 |
| Standings | 5 (387 points) |
- Making his fourth start at Portland International Raceway this afternoon, Kyle Kirkwood rolled off the grid 19th for today’s 110-lap race. Once the green flag waved, Kirkwood gained three positions before the first yellow on Lap 2.
- Despite facing two separate blocking incidents with the No. 30, Kirkwood stayed focused on moving his way up the field, eventually breaking into the top five by Lap 48 and making his second stop of the day on the following lap.
- Kirkwood attempted to work his way up the field after his second stop, but after his final stop for black tires, the No. 27 JM Bullion Honda struggled for pace and was unable to gain positions. He ultimately finished the day in 20th.
“I was having a really good race by the middle portion of it. I picked off a lot of positions, but we got into a stint where we were running on the blacks and just saw a huge loss of pace. It kind of ruined our day halfway through the race. Up until then, I was very happy and satisfied with how we were moving forward, and I thought we were going to end up in a pretty good position. But as the race progressed, things just got worse. So, back to the drawing board. I’ll be happy to get back to a short oval for the last two races of the year.”
Marcus Ericsson
No. 28 Delaware Life Honda
P22
| Started | P10 |
| Standings | 20 (208 points) |
- Leading the Andretti INDYCAR team to the green, Marcus Ericsson started today’s race, making his fifth Portland race start.
- With multiple yellows in the opening laps, the Swede was up one position to ninth by Lap 11.
- As the course went yellow again, Ericsson pitted on Lap 16, but an equipment issue during the pit stop dropped the No. 28 to the back field.
- Although he tried to remain in the fight, Ericsson was unable to recover from the setback, taking the checkered in 22nd.
“It was a tough day. The start was okay. I made some overtakes and was moving forward, but we had an equipment issue on the first stop. From there, it was a fight to get back into the race. We struggled with the balance, and the car was really hard to drive. Once we lost positions, it was a struggle for the rest of the race. We’ll regroup and focus on what we need to improve on for road courses for next season.”
Rob Edwards
Chief Operating Officer
“Not the day that we wanted or expected. We clearly have to do better. The team executed what we had with the 26. We had to make a strategy call on Lap 14, and didn’t have the pace on that first stint, so we got passed by a few people. But we fought our way back. The 26 guys did great in the pits, I’m proud of that. The No. 27 had to run blacks at the end and struggled for pace, which just set them back. Additionally, the 28 had an equipment issue on their first stop, and that hurt them a lot. All in all, when you don’t qualify well and you’re struggling, it clearly ends up not being a great day.”
