Drivers Brace for Portland’s Turn 1 and a Season-Saving Finish
As the NTT IndyCar Series charges into its final three races, Portland International Raceway stands as a crucible where survival demands precision. The 12-turn, 1.964-mile road course, hosting the BitNile.com Grand Prix of Portland this Sunday for its 31st IndyCar event since 1984, is infamous for its chaotic Turn 1 — a tight chicane that has derailed races and dreams.
With 110 laps and 216.04 miles ahead under a warming forecast — 80 degrees Friday, 83 Saturday, 93 Sunday — drivers Jacob Abel, Callum Ilott, Conor Daly and Graham Rahal are gearing up, their pre-race comments revealing a shared mission: conquer the opening lap, overcome a season of setbacks and seize momentum for the season’s close.
Turn 1 at Portland is a high-stakes gamble. Its narrow entry, often a five-abreast bottleneck, sparks chaos, as seen in Abel’s multi-car crash earlier this season. “Start as high up as you can,” said Abel, the No. 51 Abel Construction Dale Coyne Racing Honda driver and 2024 Indy NXT winner at Portland. “Then you just hope everything happens behind you.”
Ilott, in the No. 90 Prema Racing Chevrolet, learned painfully in 2023, colliding with Romain Grosjean. “I was like, he’d be a good reference,” Ilott recalled. “He and I both ended up smacking into a few people … It’s a bit of a lottery.”
Daly, driving the No. 76 Juncos Hollinger Racing Chevrolet, remains optimistic despite last year’s Portland incident caused by Pietro Fittipaldi. “This is the road course we’ve been looking forward to all year,” he said, citing familiarity.
Rahal, in the No. 15 Hendrickson International Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda, brings a Firestone Fast Six pedigree, though a 2024 grid penalty dropped him to 12th. “I think we should be good,” he said.
Sunday’s potential 93-degree heat will test tire choices — five sets each of primary and alternate Firestones, one of each required unless wet — while push-to-pass (200 seconds total, 20 seconds per activation) and hybrid energy (350 kilojoules per lap) add strategic depth. Ilott noted Turn 1’s delicate balance: “You can take it easy and get caught out. You can go aggressive and get caught out.”
Beyond the chicane, these drivers battle a season of bad luck. Abel, outside the top 20 in points, lamented “bad luck at the worst times,” eyeing a top 10. Ilott’s recent top-10 finishes signal Prema’s progress, with hopes to “unlock a bit more in qualifying.” Daly’s revamped Juncos squad has led laps but sits 17th after crashes. Rahal, 19th, admitted early struggles: “We blew it early in the year.” A summer break offered relief from “the craziest schedule” Daly ever faced. “It’s been nice to catch our breath,” Abel said. Rahal sees Portland, Milwaukee and Nashville as a team litmus test.
Under clear skies, the Grand Prix of Portland, live on FOX at 3 p.m. ET Sunday, begins with Practice 1 Friday at 2:35 p.m. local time. As Abel, Ilott, Daly and Rahal face rising heat and Turn 1’s traps, their goal is clear: survive the gauntlet and rewrite their 2025 story.
