Reflections on the Mazda Grand Prix of Portland, Oregon (7/22-27/08)

It sounds like a hive of angry bees, but if you ever get stung by the car racing bug, chances are slim that you’ll entirely recover. Those were my thoughts earlier today while I sat watching the Formula 1 race cars whiz past at the Mazda Grand Prix of Portland. I was seated comfortably enough at an umbrella table next to the Oregon Brewer’s Festival satellite tent, sipping a plastic cup of Mac ‘n Jacks, and it seemed a most enjoyable way to spend an afternoon. My only regrets were that I was unable to get close enough for any good photos—and that I wasn’t out there on the track myself.

My husband Sam and I had decided to drive down for the day as soon as we saw the ad on page 31 of issue 2 of Forever MX-5 magazine (it was the first one we got—an oversight quickly remedied by an E-mail to Carzines). “All Hail the Gods of Thunder” it said, and since it’s just a two-and-a-half hour drive to Portland, we decided we had to attend—in our Miata MX-5, of course!

The Portland International Raceway is a large racing venue located a short distance off I-5 Southbound (take Exit 306B and you’re practically there), and it’s very easy to find. One feature I found especially handy is the pedestrian overpass to the infield, and there are large bleacher-type grandstands located at various spots around the track. Also convenient is the spectator parking and access to the Car Corral and competition race cars. You can get a nice close-up look and maybe even chat with one of the crew, an owner, or driver. One thing that soon became apparent though, is that it is impossible to get any good photos of the race cars in action, because you cannot get close enough to the track—unless you have a high-powered telephoto lens for your camera. My Nikon Coolpix 4300’s built-in lens was obviously not up to the job.

We arrived and parked in the shade under some trees right next to the Car Corral and walked over to take a look at all the glorious Miatas parked there. Mt. Hood Miata Club was out in force, and though we didn’t count how many were there, they were all gorgeous cars. Also noticeably in attendance was Forever MX-5 magazine. We were fortunate to meet David Russell, Activities Director of the Mt. Hood Miata Club, who showed us around and told us about all the cars. We also got an opportunity to talk briefly to Scott Fisher, Lifestyle Editor of Forever MX-5 magazine. The first car we saw in the Corral was The Survivor, a project car from Issue 2 (see pp. 54-67). Gosh, I had read all about this car, and it was as though I’d run into an old friend and a celebrity at the same time. I’d know that car anywhere! We saw Scott’s 1996 Brilliant Black Miata (a brother to my own, being also a 1996 Brilliant Black MX-5), there was a metallic red one with flames stenciled onto the hood, a sapphire-blue one that we were told had been rescued for $250 and restored. There were cars with various configurations of roll bars, and of course all different types of wheels, etc. What can I say? It was an excellent showing of the Club’s supporters, and I never fail to be amazed at how much we Miata folks adore our cars. We were even invited to join the Car Corral while we were there, though we declined, preferring to park in the shade for the day, since we were not part of their club nor there with our own.

As I mentioned earlier, the Oregon Brewer’s Festival had a satellite tent at the race. The Star Mazda Championship, presented by Goodyear, was there. Several Playboy bunnies were signing autographed pictures, since Playboy is the sponsor of the Mazda MX-5 Cup. Another feature was the Volkswagen TDI Cup, and there was Formula Drift competition sponsored by Circuit City. And as if this was not enough to interest you, there was Motocross, a Motathlon (sorry, I still don’t know what that is), Great American Stock Car racing, Drag racing, a Beaches Cruise-In, Time Attack, and live music at some point in time. Wow! We were sorry we had only come down for the day—and we would have stayed longer, but we had to get home for our dog.

The only thing marring the experience came from the fact that Mazda had to save the Grand Prix of Portland in literally the 12th hour. When Champ Car Racing pulled out, for whatever their reasons, everyone assumed that the Grand Prix would have to fold, because it was too late to find a sponsor. Well, Mazda stepped up to the plate and did their best, but unfortunately, the volunteer support base that is the heart of any such event was already gone. There was no printed program, but thanks to Mt. Hood Miata Club and the Oregon Chapter of the SCCA, we were able to find people around to direct us. There was also an issue of the Oregon SCCA magazine available with a program in it and an explanation of what the races were all about. We frankly were amazed that there were not more people in attendance—but the cars were certainly there! The Spec Miata field was 40 cars, and who knows how many lined up for Time Attack? It was scheduled from 5 to 10 pm. Sam and I have already decided we have to participate next year.

After doing autocross once and attending two major race events this year, I have to say I’m excited by the racing avenues open to us in the Northwest, whatever the interest. Whether you want to stick in your toe or go whole hog, there is a place for you, if you want to be part of it. If you don’t have a car or don’t want to drive, you can volunteer—we all need to do that, regardless. If you want to try racing your daily driver a few weekends a year, autocross is there for you. If you want more than that, there are driving schools and track days. If that’s not enough, you can get a license to do Time Attack or even put together a Spec Miata racer. Whatever your time, interest, or income level, you can do it. Come join us, won’t you? We were bitten by the bug!