History and Introduction

Portland International Raceway (PIR) and its neighbors, the Expo Center, Delta Park, and Heron Lakes golf course, are the legacy of the city of Vanport. Because they were born from Vanport’s tragic demise, each of these facilities bears a responsibility to enrich the life of our community. For the past half-century, PIR has incrementally addressed that responsibility by both entertaining and accommodating families from an expanding hinterland in Oregon and Washington, and by investing in the welfare of area neighborhoods.

However, the scope and value of its services, accommodation and community investments have varied over time due to vacillations in budgets, management priorities, and income. As a consequence, PIR has periodically found itself reacting to challenges and opportunities rather than anticipating, shaping, and strategically securing the possibilities they provide.

The Friends of Portland International Raceway, an Oregon 501(c)3 corporation, assists the facility and the City of Portland to meet PIR’s responsibility to enrich its region and North Portland’s neighborhoods. Led by a board with representatives of those who use or visit the track, and who live and work in the adjacent community, the Friends will solicit and apply the resources and counsel of those who have a vested interest in the track and its relationship to those it affects and serves.

Mission Statement

The Friends of PIR are jointly committed to:

1. Preserving and enhancing PIR as a resource for those who use it as both participants and spectators
2. Sustaining and expanding PIR’s civic contribution as an institution in North Portland
3. Providing guidance and support for the ongoing management of PIR in a manner that assures its ongoing value as a venue for motorsports and other diverse forms of recreation and entertainment

These three goals will shape the initiatives of the Friends of PIR.

Activities and Objectives

The Friends of PIR plan the following activities in support of our mission:

1. Preserving and enhancing PIR as a resource for those who use it as both participants and spectators:

   • Acknowledge and support PIR’s responsibility to complement the aggregate value of the West Delta area as a world-class complex of sports, recreation, and exposition facilities
   • Preserve, enhance, and highlight the economic benefits that accrue to North Portland and the larger community through activities at PIR
   • Attract and serve diverse local, amateur, and club activities as well as international and professional events
   • Sustain PIR as a racing facility that provides the highest quality instruction and events for runners, bicyclists, motorcycles, and automobiles
     
2. Sustaining and expanding PIR’s civic contribution as an institution in North Portland:
   • Reinforce and highlight PIR’s economic contribution to nearby neighborhoods
   • Help prioritize and fund critical North Portland neighborhood improvements
   • Effectively participate in and support neighborhood programs and projects that solicit contributions by public and private organizations
   • Fund and oversee educational programs in area schools. For example, by contributing to science and technology curricula, providing work-study and internship opportunities in the automotive and racing industries
   • Nurture an economic relationship between events at PIR and the economic aspirations of businesses in nearby neighborhoods
   • Develop local employment programs for major events
   • Expand the number and utility of neighborhood-oriented events at PIR
   • Assist events such as Champ Car, ALMS, Portland Historics, Rose Cup, and the Columbia River Classic to create a meaningful connection between the national/international role of the facility and nearby neighborhoods
     
3. Providing guidance and support for the ongoing management of PIR in a manner that assures its ongoing value as a venue for motorsports and other diverse forms of recreation and entertainment:
   • Assist in the identification, promotion, and funding of necessary capital improvements
   • Assist in the promotion and management of major events that advance the reputation and contribution of PIR to the region and the markets it serves and attracts
   • Provide a resource for the management of PIR that reinforces its ability to expand the public value of a critical and beneficial community institution
   • Promote PIR as a venue for presentation and development of alternative energy and transportation developments such as biofuels and electric and human-powered vehicles 

Conclusion

PIR is a facility dedicated to racing in every conceivable form. Its potential value to the welfare of its community is substantial in both economic, civic, and human terms. For this reason, it is appropriate for supporters to come together in shared purpose to preserve and enhance our common interest in our most unique city park.

The stewardship of PIR’s evolution is a responsibility to be assumed with care and consistency. The Friends of PIR propose to share and reinforce that stewardship through community action and communication.