Oregon Department of Transportation partners with upcoming INDYCAR event at Portland International Raceway
The Transportation Safety Office (TSO) of the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) is partnering with the upcoming NTT INDYCAR SERIES event at Portland International Raceway (PIR), the BITNILE.COM Grand Prix of Portland presented by askROI, Aug. 8-10.
The event will mark the 31st professional open-wheel race at PIR featuring the cars and stars that compete in the Indianapolis 500 each May. Ten total races from five different open-wheel racing series will pack the weekend schedule, and TSO’s Distracted Driving Program will be highlighted all three days. The program’s safety messaging will be featured prominently across the PIR venue, including on-site branding and digital reminders to help everyone get home safely.
“The Transportation Safety Office is so happy to be able to have this incredible partnership opportunity with the NTT INDYCAR SERIES race at Portland International Raceway,” states Billie-Jo Nickens, Program Analyst for ODOT/DMV’s Distracted Driving Program. “We’re able to have such a unique reach across the event, reminding people that distracted driving is not only dangerous, but also against the law. We’re grateful to the organizers for helping TSO in our efforts to change cultural norms around distracted driving as part of our overall plan to improve driver behavior and save lives in Oregon.”
From running local PSAs, to billboards and geofencing, ODOT’s Transportation Safety Office touches the lives of Oregonians on the go. One of the most important safety measures for the 2025 program is bringing more awareness and education to the issues of distracted driving (i.e., using your phone or other electronic devices while driving). Distracted driving is a dangerous behavior for drivers, passengers, and non-occupants alike. Distraction is a specific type of inattention that occurs when drivers divert their attention from the driving task to focus on some other activity instead (per NHTSA).
“We are very proud to partner with ODOT and support the Transportation Safety Office’s important message for all drivers to ‘Park Your Phone’ while on the road,” said Jerry Jensen, general manager of Green Savoree Portland, LLC, which owns and operates this INDYCAR event at PIR. “It takes the INDYCAR drivers’ complete concentration and attention to safely navigate Portland International Raceway for 110 laps in the BITNILE.COM Grand Prix of Portland presented by askROI. We ask that our race fans do the same when commuting to and from PIR next weekend as well as anytime they are behind the wheel.”
As an official event partner, TSO will provide on-site fan engagement opportunities. The program is also supported by digital and social media messages, video signage on the racetrack, ticketing logos, event map branding and more throughout the venue.
The BITNILE.COM Grand Prix of Portland presented by askROI will be followed by the Pacific Office Automation 147 featuring the NASCAR Xfinity Series on August 29-30 at PIR. The two major racing events happening in August create a 'Speed Month' at the motorsports facility positioned just south of the Columbia River along Interstate 5 in North Portland.
Single Day and multi-day tickets to both events are still available. All ticket pricing and options are posted online at RacePortland.com. Stay up to speed on these premier Portland events on social media all year long by following #PortlandGP and #NASCARPortland or by signing up for the E-Club on the website.
About ODOT/TSO:
ODOT provides a safe and reliable multimodal transportation system that connects people and helps Oregon’s communities and economy thrive. For more information, visit: www.oregon.gov/ODOT/Safety/Pages/Distracted.aspx or follow us on Facebook, X and YouTube.
About BITNILE.COM Grand Prix of Portland presented by askROI:
Portland International Raceway (PIR) is the home of the BITNILE.COM Grand Prix of Portland presented by askROI. PIR is a 1.964-mile, 12-turn permanent road course owned by the City of Portland and operated under Portland Parks & Recreation. Opened in 1960 to host sports car and drag racing, the 268-acre property hosts over 550 events annually including automotive and motorcycle road racing, motocross, cruise-ins and other special events including the Rose Cup Races. PIR has been the site of many memorable INDYCAR races. Al Unser Jr. won the inaugural Portland race in 1984, and the NTT INDYCAR SERIES returned in 2018 after an 11-year absence with 2017 and 2020 Indianapolis 500 winner Takuma Sato taking the checkered flag. The Father’s Day race of 1986 featured Mario Andretti passing his son Michael on the last lap and winning by 0.070 of a second. The closest three-way road racing finish in INDYCAR SERIES history took place at PIR in 1997 when the top three were covered by just 0.055 of a second. In 2023, Alex Palou clinched the 2023 NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship with a win in Portland. The BITNILE.COM Grand Prix of Portland presented by askROI is owned and operated by Green Savoree Portland, LLC, which also promotes NASCAR Xfinity Series’ Pacific Office Automation 147 event at PIR (Aug. 29-30, 2025) and whose affiliates own and operate three additional INDYCAR SERIES races: Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg presented by RP Funding (Feb. 28 - March 2, 2025), The Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio Presented by the All-New 2026 Passport (July 4-6, 2025) and Ontario Honda Dealers Indy Toronto (July 18-20, 2025).
“The Transportation Safety Office is so happy to be able to have this incredible partnership opportunity with the NTT INDYCAR SERIES race at Portland International Raceway,” states Billie-Jo Nickens, Program Analyst for ODOT/DMV’s Distracted Driving Program. “We’re able to have such a unique reach across the event, reminding people that distracted driving is not only dangerous, but also against the law. We’re grateful to the organizers for helping TSO in our efforts to change cultural norms around distracted driving as part of our overall plan to improve driver behavior and save lives in Oregon.”
From running local PSAs, to billboards and geofencing, ODOT’s Transportation Safety Office touches the lives of Oregonians on the go. One of the most important safety measures for the 2025 program is bringing more awareness and education to the issues of distracted driving (i.e., using your phone or other electronic devices while driving). Distracted driving is a dangerous behavior for drivers, passengers, and non-occupants alike. Distraction is a specific type of inattention that occurs when drivers divert their attention from the driving task to focus on some other activity instead (per NHTSA).
“We are very proud to partner with ODOT and support the Transportation Safety Office’s important message for all drivers to ‘Park Your Phone’ while on the road,” said Jerry Jensen, general manager of Green Savoree Portland, LLC, which owns and operates this INDYCAR event at PIR. “It takes the INDYCAR drivers’ complete concentration and attention to safely navigate Portland International Raceway for 110 laps in the BITNILE.COM Grand Prix of Portland presented by askROI. We ask that our race fans do the same when commuting to and from PIR next weekend as well as anytime they are behind the wheel.”
As an official event partner, TSO will provide on-site fan engagement opportunities. The program is also supported by digital and social media messages, video signage on the racetrack, ticketing logos, event map branding and more throughout the venue.
The BITNILE.COM Grand Prix of Portland presented by askROI will be followed by the Pacific Office Automation 147 featuring the NASCAR Xfinity Series on August 29-30 at PIR. The two major racing events happening in August create a 'Speed Month' at the motorsports facility positioned just south of the Columbia River along Interstate 5 in North Portland.
Single Day and multi-day tickets to both events are still available. All ticket pricing and options are posted online at RacePortland.com. Stay up to speed on these premier Portland events on social media all year long by following #PortlandGP and #NASCARPortland or by signing up for the E-Club on the website.
About ODOT/TSO:
ODOT provides a safe and reliable multimodal transportation system that connects people and helps Oregon’s communities and economy thrive. For more information, visit: www.oregon.gov/ODOT/Safety/Pages/Distracted.aspx or follow us on Facebook, X and YouTube.
About BITNILE.COM Grand Prix of Portland presented by askROI:
Portland International Raceway (PIR) is the home of the BITNILE.COM Grand Prix of Portland presented by askROI. PIR is a 1.964-mile, 12-turn permanent road course owned by the City of Portland and operated under Portland Parks & Recreation. Opened in 1960 to host sports car and drag racing, the 268-acre property hosts over 550 events annually including automotive and motorcycle road racing, motocross, cruise-ins and other special events including the Rose Cup Races. PIR has been the site of many memorable INDYCAR races. Al Unser Jr. won the inaugural Portland race in 1984, and the NTT INDYCAR SERIES returned in 2018 after an 11-year absence with 2017 and 2020 Indianapolis 500 winner Takuma Sato taking the checkered flag. The Father’s Day race of 1986 featured Mario Andretti passing his son Michael on the last lap and winning by 0.070 of a second. The closest three-way road racing finish in INDYCAR SERIES history took place at PIR in 1997 when the top three were covered by just 0.055 of a second. In 2023, Alex Palou clinched the 2023 NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship with a win in Portland. The BITNILE.COM Grand Prix of Portland presented by askROI is owned and operated by Green Savoree Portland, LLC, which also promotes NASCAR Xfinity Series’ Pacific Office Automation 147 event at PIR (Aug. 29-30, 2025) and whose affiliates own and operate three additional INDYCAR SERIES races: Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg presented by RP Funding (Feb. 28 - March 2, 2025), The Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio Presented by the All-New 2026 Passport (July 4-6, 2025) and Ontario Honda Dealers Indy Toronto (July 18-20, 2025).
For more information, visit RacePortland.com, ‘like’ its Facebook page @PortlandGP or follow updates on X @Race_Portland and Instagram @Race_Portland using #PortlandGP.
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