Champ Car in Portland Post 1

This week I will be blogging about the Champ Car World Series in Portland for the Mazda Champ Car Gran Prix of Portland presented by Joe's. Today is Sunday June 3rd, one week away from the race. I'll be posting daily about the events, sites, and sounds of the upcoming week. This is my favorite week all year.

Sunday June 3rd:

Champ Car President Steve Johnson appeared on Sports Business Radio with Brian Berger to discuss the upcoming Portland race. Steve said they hope to continue the increased attendance which has been up 30% so far this season. The facility at P.I.R. is very fan friendly. I would suggest getting a ticket for the Festival Curves since that is where most of the action takes place. This weekends race will be the debut on ABC. KATU-TV 2 will air the race in Portland. Champ Car has a television deal with ABC, CBS, NBC, ESPN and ESPN2. Mr. Johnson announced that they just signed a deal with ESPN. That is good news.

Earlier this week, I had a chance to catch up with Alex Tagliani, of RSPORTS racing. Tag and I go way back to the days when he was with Player's Racing (Forsythe) and I had the chance to interview him then. It seems like every time I speak with him, he is with a different team. Alex is one of the most accessible drivers on the series and if you have spent any time around Champ Car you know that most of the drivers go out of their way to spent time with fans. Tag went in depth about the series and where he thought it was going. We discuss the new Panoz DP01 chasis and Tag explains why he likes it. You can listen to the interview by clicking the link below.

Click For Tag Interview

Back to the race in Portland. The current forecast calls for showers. Last year it was warm, however racing in the rain makes it interesting for everyone. This year brings a "standing start!" The drivers will circle the track and then line up in order while standing still. As soon as the green flag drops, its on ! Should make for a great start to the race. Monday and Tuesday will be down days at the track with just setup going on. Wednesday and Thursday the teams will arrive and set up for the weekend. Thursday is media day, which is always interesting for various reasons. Friday and Saturday bring practice and qualifying. Sunday is race day. I love Sunday at P.I.R. The sounds, the smells, the action. It doesn't get any better.