Portland International Raceway hosts the penultimate race of the 2022 NTT IndyCar Series this weekend, and the fight for the championship couldn’t be any closer or more intense.
With the top four in the title race separated by just 17 points and everything still to play for, it’s going to get real in the Portland Grand Prix. Get set for 110 laps and 216.04 miles of full-on drama and excitement at a track that’s always ready to throw in a sucker punch or bring on a moment of collective madness (below).
Taking you inside the action, 14 drivers will be carrying in-car cameras, and you can live-stream every one of them with the INDYCAR Mobile App Powered by NTT DATA. It’s free to download for fans worldwide, so if you’re not already onboard, take your viewing experience to a whole new level HERE.
You choose who you ride along with, and you can switch drivers at any time. Can current points leader and 2019 Portland Grand Prix winner Will Power make a season-defining statement? Will serial champ Scott Dixon steal the show and the title momentum? Or how about a couple of guys outside of the championship fight, Colton Herta or Alexander Rossi, bringing it home? Hitch a ride and find out.
These are the drivers who’ll be running live-streaming in-car cameras at what’s set to be an Oregon thriller. Pick your best seat in the house and enjoy the show…
WILL POWER, No. 12 Team Penske Chevrolet
Best Portland finish: Win (2019)
Yes, Power leads the NTT IndyCar Series standings, but it’s by a miniscule margin — only three points ahead of teammate Josef Newgarden and 14 over Scott Dixon. This isn’t a driver who can be in cruise and collect mode this weekend… The Penske driver won at Portland in 2019 (below), and topped the times at last week’s nine-car test at the track. He’s our favorite for a victory on Sunday, and he should make for a spectacular ride along.
SCOTT DIXON, No. 9 Chip Ganassi Racing Honda
Best Portland finish: 3rd (2021)
The six-time NTT IndyCar Series champ has been here before — 14 points out of the top spot, two races to go, clutch time. For Dixon, this is his comfort zone, and with two wins in the last six races and a permanent residency in the top 10 since his Indy 500 heartbreak, you can almost sense what’s coming next. Sure, points leader Power and second-placed Newgarden have similar momentum right now, too, but Dixon knows exactly what he needs to do, and it starts with a big result in Portland. Climb onboard and prepare to enjoy a masterclass.
COLTON HERTA, No. 26 Andretti Autosport w/ Curb-Agajanian Honda
Best Portland finish: 4th (2019)
With his championship hopes long gone, Herta’s modus operandi in the final two races of the season is going for wins. He posted second-fastest time in last week’s Portland test and heads into the race weekend satisfied with the package the No. 26 team is bringing. Expect him to be a major factor, and an exciting chauffer.
ALEXANDER ROSSI, No. 27 Andretti Autosport Honda
Best Portland finish: 2nd (2021)
Third at Portland in 2019; second on the NTT IndyCar Series’ return last year (below). If the trend continues, we have our 2022 winner in Alexander Rossi. And that’s certainly not beyond the realms of possibility. Rossi has been a serious contender on road courses for much of the season, and ended a three-year victory drought with his IMS win at the end of July. With just two races to go before he leaves for Arrow McLaren SP, he’s looking for a final big result and Portland could well be the place.
HELIO CASTRONEVES, No. 06 Meyer Shank Racing Honda
Best Portland finish: 23rd (2021)
Castroneves was involved in last year’s opening-lap melee, finishing 19 laps down in 23rd, but will be hoping for a strong run this time around to put a disappointing 2022 season with Meyer Shank Racing back on track. The Brazilian veteran raced at Portland back in his late ’90s/early noughties CART days, taking a couple of seventh-place finishes. Something similar on Sunday would be a positive.
CONOR DALY, No. 20 Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet
Best Portland finish: 16th (2021)
Momentum’s stalled in recent races for the popular Hoosier, with no top-10 finishes since the Indy 500, and Portland might not be the obvious track to end the drought. But Daly’s road-course qualifying form is often impressive, so how about he starts in the top 12, avoids any early chaos and — bingo — sneaks in a top-six finish? That would be awesome to ride along with.
GRAHAM RAHAL, No. 15 Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda
Best Portland finish: 10th (2021)
Last year, 36 laps in the lead (below) ended with a frustrating 10th-place finish for Rahal as pit-stop cycles churned up the order. This time around, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing is beginning to build momentum after a slow start to the season, with Graham grabbing four top-10 finishes in the last six races. If he qualifies in the top half of the field, anything’s possible on Sunday. Definitely worth hitching a ride with.
PATO O’WARD, No. 5 Arrow McLaren SP Chevrolet
Best Portland finish: 14th (2021)
AMSP’s Mexican ace has fallen out of championship contention in recent races, so add him to the list of drivers who can go all out for a Portland win with nothing much to lose. O’Ward led 28 laps here last year, before losing out in the pit-stop sequences and rolling home 14th, but that will just add to his desire to get the job done this time. We guarantee he’ll be spectacular on Sunday, so why not hitch a ride?
SCOTT McLAUGHLIN, No. 3 Team Penske Chevrolet
Best Portland finish: 9th (2021)
The Team Penske sophomore’s form over the summer has been nothing short of spectacular, with a win and three other podiums in his last seven starts. A 54-point deficit to teammate and points leader Will Power says his title chances are slim at best, but never say never, and a win this weekend for the Kiwi will certainly make things interesting. Definitely worth hitching a ride.
FELIX ROSENQVIST, No. 7 Arrow McLaren SP Chevrolet
Best Portland finish: 2nd (2019)
Will Rosenqvist be in AMSP’s IndyCar lineup next year, or will McLaren place him in all-electric Formula E? That’s out of his hands, but perhaps another strong showing by the revitalized Swede will make it an even tougher call to make? He finished second in Portland in his rookie IndyCar season with Ganassi and heads there this weekend on a strong run of form. Put him in the mix for a podium, and perhaps something more if things get a little crazy among the title contenders.
ROMAIN GROSJEAN, No. 28 Andretti Autosport Honda
Best Portland finish: 22nd (2021)
It’s been an awkward few weeks for the French sophomore (below), with the recent road- and street-course races promising a lot more than they actually delivered. His switch to Andretti Autosport hasn’t really delivered a defining moment yet, but a second start in Portland might just change that. Sure, he was solid, rather than spectacular, in the recent test at the track, but if he starts the weekend hooked up, he could be a great choice to ride along with on race day.
JACK HARVEY, No. 45 Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda
Best Portland finish: 4th (2021)
Dang, Jack. After finally getting his first top 10 of the season amid the chaos of Nashville, the RLL driver brushed the wall at WWTR and recorded another finish at the wrong end of the results sheet. But look out for another uptick in Portland, a track where he finished fourth with Meyer Shank Racing last season.
CHRISTIAN LUNDGAARD, No. 30 Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda
Best Portland finish: Rookie
New tracks don’t seem to faze RLL’s impressive Dane, which is a good thing when the Rookie of the Year battle has come down to a crazy-tight fight with David Malukas. Lundgaard has an 11-point lead and a distinct edge on Malukas when it comes to road-course momentum, but bigger picture, he could also be a contender for a strong overall result, too. Top five? Why not? And worth hitching a ride with, too.
JIMMIE JOHNSON, No. 48 Chip Ganassi Racing Honda
Best Portland finish: 20th (2021)
Like all of the road courses on the NTT IndyCar Series schedule, Johnson (below) will be looking to make another step forward as he continues on his open-wheel learning curve. Keep out of trouble, and a top-15 finish for the seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champ could be a real possibility — and a fun drive to ride shotgun with.
The 2022 Grand Prix of Portland goes green at 3:30pm ET on Sunday, Sept. 4. All 14 in-car race cameras will be available for live-streaming on the INDYCAR Mobile App. And for the double-screen experience, watch live race coverage on NBC or Peacock, starting 6:00pm ET.
Make sure you sign up for the INDYCAR Mobile App Powered by NTT DATA, the official mobile app of the NTT IndyCar Series. In addition to live in-car race cameras, it features live timing and scoring, live driver and pit crew radio transmissions, live points updates, and INDYCAR Radio Network audio streaming during all track activity.
Add in exclusive content, video highlights, spotter guides, easy access for playing the INDYCAR Fantasy Challenge Driven by Firestone, plus loads more great features, and it’s your essential deep dive into the NTT IndyCar Series.
It’s free to download and access, so don’t miss out — CLICK HERE to get started.
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