INDYCAR RACE REPORT: OnlyBulls Grand Prix of Portland
Race Results
| OnlyBulls Grand Prix of Portland |
| Will Power | P3 |
| Kyle Kirkwood | P5 |
| Marcus Ericsson | P6 |
Race Notes
- After an exciting start to the day that saw Andretti INDY NXT drivers Lochie Hughes and Max Taylor score a double podium with second- and third-place finishes, the Andretti INDYCAR team took to Portland International Raceway for the second-to-last road course race of the season.
- Following an impressive qualifying session yesterday that saw all three cars start in the top seven, the Andretti INDYCAR team took the checkered flag today with all three entries inside the top six. Will Power led the charge for the team in third place, marking his 111th career INDYCAR podium result. Kyle Kirkwood and Marcus Ericsson followed close behind in fifth and sixth place, respectively.
- The OnlyBulls Grand Prix of Portland saw one caution period, totaling two laps.
- The NTT INDYCAR SERIES continues its busy stretch of racing as the drivers take to the Streets of Markham for the first time next Sunday, August 16.
Will Power
No. 26 TWG AI Honda
P3
| Started | P3 |
| Standings | P11 (256 points) |
- Defending race winner Will Power took on his 10th start at Portland International Raceway this afternoon, starting third alongside teammate Marcus Ericsson on the second row.
- Despite losing one spot on the opening lap, Power remained in the top four before working his way back into his third-place starting position by Lap 25.
- The Australian continued to run near the front of the field through the opening round of pit stops, eventually moving the No. 26 into second just past the halfway point.
- Power took over the lead once again late in the race before making his final stop on Lap 88 and switching to alternate tires for the first time. The stop came one lap later than planned after Power missed the initial call to pit.
- Today’s result marks Power’s third podium of the season and fifth podium at Portland International Raceway.
“It was a very good day for the team. I don’t think we quite had the pace of the top two guys, but it was probably a 10th [of a second] or two off. The reds were really good, and I think I would have had a reasonable shot at the win. I unfortunately missed the call to pit, and we lost a lot on our next lap, but I’m happy with today’s result.”
Kyle Kirkwood
No. 27 Sam’s Club Honda
P5
| Started | P7 |
| Standings | P2 (400 points) |
- Starting today’s race on alternate tires, Kyle Kirkwood lined up on the fourth row for his fifth start at the Pacific Northwest circuit.
- Kirkwood gained one position in the opening laps and kept the Sam’s Club Honda inside the top six through his first stint.
- Following his first stop, Kirkwood continued to run inside the top 10 and moved the Sam’s Club Honda as high as fourth near the halfway point.
- The Florida driver continued to stay in the top 10 throughout the second half of the race before moving the Sam’s Club Honda back into the top five with just over 20 laps to go.
- Kirkwood crossed the line fifth to earn his best career finish at Portland International Raceway and ninth top-five finish of the season.
“I’ll take that; I’m happy with fifth. Compared to last year, where we finished 20th here, and that was on merit. No issues, nothing. And today we had issues, right? We had a tire going down, and we had to pit earlier than we wanted to. We had a couple little hiccups in pit lane, and we still salvaged fifth place, which is up two positions from where we started. So, I’m happy with that.”
Marcus Ericsson
No. 28 Delaware Life Honda
P6
| Started | P4 |
| Standings | P8 (321 points) |
- Making his best career start at Portland International Raceway this afternoon, Marcus Ericsson rolled off the grid fourth for today’s 110-lap race. Once the green flag waved, Ericsson quickly worked his way up to second by Lap 5 and went on to capture the fastest lap of the race at 117.240 mph.
- Ericsson held onto second through the opening stint before making his first stop of the day.
- The Swede continued to run inside the top 10 and briefly returned to the top five as the race approached the halfway point.
- After losing a few positions while battling the No. 77, Ericsson settled into sixth and held the position through the checkered flag to earn his third consecutive top-10 finish at Portland International Raceway.
“It was a very solid weekend for the whole Andretti Global team. We had a good qualifying with three cars in the top seven, and then a good race with three cars in the top six. We had a really strong start at the race, overtaking our way to P2 and attacking for the lead. On the first pit sequence, we had to pit a little bit early, and I knew it was crucial to get by some of the backmarkers. That’s why I was quite aggressive on the No. 77 car, but didn’t get around him. So, I had to go straight through the chicane, and I lost a couple of spots because of that, which was disappointing, but I knew it was very crucial for our race to get by him. At that point, I had to settle for sixth. I think we had more space than that, but it’s just really hard to overtake here. So, I guess it’s a good day when you’re slightly disappointed with a sixth-place finish. Overall, a very strong day for the team.
Ron Ruzewski
INDYCAR Team Principal
“It was a good day overall. Unfortunately, we didn’t get all three cars on the podium, but we at least got one of them up there. It was a tough race with all the long green stints, but we showed that we made some huge progress from last year. We were a solid team today with second-, fifth- and sixth-place finishes. So, I’m happy with that. As we start this long stretch here, we’ll use this as a momentum builder and see what we can do.
