Jam-packed two days of racing features ARCA Menards Series West race today and includes concerts from country music stars Sam Hunt and Brothers Osborne
PORTLAND, Ore. (June 2, 2023) - Gates are now open for the second annual NASCAR Xfinity Series Pacific Office Automation 147 at Portland International Raceway (PIR). This year's race weekend will again feature stock car racing from ARCA Menards Series West and the NASCAR Xfinity Series, plus exciting new event features join the schedule - live concerts from Grammy-nominated country music stars Sam Hunt and Brothers Osborne.
Today fans can enjoy a jam-packed schedule both on and off the track including NASCAR Youth Series quarter midget and Spec Miata racing, an ARCA Menards Series West driver autograph session and other fan activities in the Speed Zone on the southside of the front straightaway. The green flag drops on Friday's feature race at 5:03 p.m. PT as ARCA Menards Series West drivers battle for 57 laps on the 1.97-mile, 12-turn track. After the checkered flag, festival goers can head to the infield to see Brothers Osborne and opening act Kendell Marvel perform.
Tomorrow (June 3) the NASCAR Xfinity Series takes to the circuit for the 147.75-mile feature race with the green flag waving at 1:46 p.m. PT. Following the celebration in victory lane, the Sam Hunt concert featuring opener Drew Green caps off Saturday's festivities.
Saturday's race will bring a number of interesting story lines to the permanent road course. Drivers at the top of the NASCAR Xfinity Series standings like first-place John Hunter Nemechek (477 points) and second-place Austin Hill (467) will continue to jockey for championship position. Other competitors are eager for a second chance at PIR, like Sam Mayer who finished last in the wet and wild 2022 Pacific Office Automation 147.
"Portland has varied characteristics to its racetrack, purely because of what the front stretch looks like with that first corner,” said Mayer, driver of the No. 1 Chevrolet Camaro for JR Motorsports. “Obviously, I got the short end of the stick last year, but we had a lot of speed in the wet weather conditions. So, maybe if it's dry this year, it'll be a little different for us. I'm looking forward to redemption either way."
After qualifying fourth, Mayer crashed out of the race after completing only 12 laps in 2022. Despite a tough day in Portland, the now 20-year old finished seventh in the points standings in his first full NASCAR Xfinity Series. He enters the weekend at 11th in points for 2023.
The weekend will also feature two young local drivers making their ARCA Menards Series West debuts today. Caleb Shrader from Tigard, Ore. and Eric Johnson Jr. from La Center, Wash. will both pilot entries for Bill McAnally Racing on Friday.
"Racing locally in my hometown, just across the river in Washington, the support I feel from all the locals has been outstanding," Johnson Jr. said. "I'm really hoping to put our best foot forward and make a good impression. I couldn't be more excited."
Tickets are available in advance or at the Pacific Office Automation 147 gates. All race tickets provide access to the daily post-racing live concerts positioned behind Grandstand K in the infield. Children 12 and under receive free general admission when accompanied by a ticketed adult. All ticket options and pricing are posted online at NASCARPortland.com.
About Pacific Office Automation 147:
Portland International Raceway (PIR) is the home of the Pacific Office Automation 147. PIR is a 1.97-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. The inaugural Pacific Office Automation 147 in 2022 featured the NASCAR Xfinity Series and was won by A.J. Allmendinger 16 years after the veteran driver’s first career win in a professional series in the 2006 Champ Car race at PIR. The race marked the first visit to the Pacific Northwest by a NASCAR national racing series since 2000. The Pacific Office Automation 147 is owned and operated by Green Savoree Portland, LLC, which also promotes NTT INDYCAR SERIES’ Grand Prix of Portland event at PIR (Sept. 1-3, 2023) and whose affiliate owns and operates the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series’ O’Reilly Auto Parts 150 at Mid-Ohio (July 7-8, 2023).
For more information, visit NASCARPortland.com, ‘like’ its Facebook page @PortlandGP or follow updates on Twitter @Race_Portland and Instagram at @Race_Portland using #NASCARPortland.
