Only pro track in NW getting repaved

PIR Repave Is On!

The long-anticipated repaving of PIR has been given the green flag by the City of Portland. A contractor has been secured and the money has been approved both by the Parks Department and by the Portland City Council.

"This is the culmination of a lot of hard work by a lot of people, but the results will be well worth the effort," said PIR manager Mark Wigginton. "The old surface is pretty well worn out."

The repaving will eliminate many bumpy sections of the track, and offer the opportunity to realign and widen a few key areas around the course.

"We're moving Turn 6 about 50 feet to the west, shortening the 5-6 transition, but lengthening the 7-8 area, and we're widening Turn 7 in the process," Wigginton said. "That will create a new passing area in the braking zone before Turn 7."

The repave begins on September 17, and will be completed sometime in October. The first cars on the new pavement will be the Holiday Lights visitors this fall, and racing is scheduled to resume in the Spring. This delay is absolutely necessary to allow the new surface to cure and solidify before the stresses of racing are reintroduced.

The new racing surface is expected to last 15 to 20 years before repaving again becomes an issue.

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