NTT INDYCAR SERIES
PREVIEW: RD. 16 – GRAND PRIX OF PORTLAND (USA)
With just two races remaining on the 2019 NTT IndyCar Series calendar, the fight for the title is intensifying by the day. The same goes for the Rookie of the Year chase featuring the series’ newcomers – and which has Felix Rosenqvist playing a leading role as suspense thickens.
Heading into the penultimate round of the season, staged this weekend at Portland International Raceway, long-time leader Rosenqvist now holds second place in the rookie standings. America’s Santino Ferrucci snatched the initiative thanks to fourth place overall last weekend at Gateway, where Rosenqvist finished 11th to currently trail Ferrucci by just two points.
Meanwhile back in third, another American driver in the form of Colton Herta remains firmly in contention another 42 points down on Rosenqvist.
With September’s season-finale at Laguna Seca awarding double points, and the total still available this year amassing to more than 150, it is a wide-open affair that cannot be sealed before the California concluder – but a strong result this weekend in Portland could help swing that crucial momentum one way or the other.
“One of my main goals this year has always been to win the rookie championship,” says Felix Rosenqvist. “With two races to go, this is when you can start sensing it. It’s close at the top, especially between myself and Santino, and if we could snatch back the advantage this weekend and open up a slight lead ahead of the finale, that would be ideal. The pressure is there, as always, but I’ve been in similar situations before and I’ve actually learned to enjoy it. I’ll go about this weekend just like any other – that’s usually the way to go.”
Following two successive oval events, IndyCar returns to a road course venue this weekend in Portland, Oregon. The 1.9-mile Portland International Raceway is a virtually completely flat circuit, featuring a famed opening sequence of corners known as the Festival Curves; the main overtaking spot, but also a notorious bottleneck passage at the start.
Last time out on a road course, at Mid-Ohio at the end of July, Rosenqvist scored his maiden IndyCar podium with second place after battling Chip Ganassi Racing team-mate Scott Dixon hard for the win.
READ: Felix Rosenqvist seals first IndyCar podium in intra-team thriller
“I like the fact that we’ve got two road course events to wrap up this season,” Felix Rosenqvist continues. “We’ve had some serious pace at the road courses this year and the team had a 1-2 last month at Mid-Ohio, so I’m confident for both Portland and Laguna Seca. I’ve never driven at Portland before, but it seems to be a cool place. It’s a short lap, only about a minute, so I think traffic could be a factor early on in the race. Hopefully it will suit us well and we can go for another strong result.”
The Grand Prix of Portland takes place on Sunday and runs for 105 laps. On-track action begins with practice on Friday, while qualifying takes place on Saturday.
GUIDE: IndyCar – rules and information
LIVE TIMING: racecontrol.indycar.com
PORTLAND INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY
Type: Road Course
Length: 1.94 miles / 3.130 km
Race distance: 105 laps
Location: Portland, OR, USA
2018 winner: T.Sato
Lap record (Q): 57.214s
Set by: W.Power (2018)
TIME TABLE
NTT IndyCar Series | Portland
All times local (US Pacific)
Friday 30 August
Free Practice 1: 10.50-11.35 am
Free Practice 2: 2.40-3.25 pm
Saturday 31 August
Free Practice 3: 11.00-11.45 am
Qualifying: 3.00-4.15 pm
Sunday 1 September
Race (105 laps): 12.35-2.45 pm
STANDINGS – OVERALL
(TOP FIVE)
NTT IndyCar Series | After 15/17 races
1: Josef Newgarden (USA), 563 p.
2: Simon Pagenaud (FRA), 525 p.
3: Alexander Rossi (USA), 517 p.
4: Scott Dixon (NZL), 493 p.
5: Will Power (AUS), 416 p.
—
10: Felix Rosenqvist (SWE), 324 p.
View complete standings
STANDINGS – ROOKIES
(TOP FIVE)
NTT IndyCar Series | After 15/17 races
1: Santino Ferrucci (USA), 326 p.
2: Felix Rosenqvist (SWE), 324 p.
3: Colton Herta (USA), 282 p.
4: Marcus Ericsson (SWE), 252 p.
5: Patricio O’Ward (MEX), 115 p.
View complete standings