Juri Vips who returns to NTT INDYCAR SERIES competition with Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing this weekend for the BitNile.com Portland Grand Prix at Portland International Raceway.
Vips has been with Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing on the pit stand all season and speaking ahead of his return, Vips who will drive the No.75 Honda says:
“It will be great to get back to Portland to race. I haven’t raced all year so it will still be a challenge but it’s good that I have experience on the Portland track. It’s an easier situation than we were in last year because at least this year I don’t have to learn the track. Last year was also my first ever INDYCAR event. I have travelled with the team and gone to all of the events, so I definitely feel more prepared this time around. Everything was pretty much smooth sailing last year but hopefully we can be on pace a bit quicker in the weekend this time. I think we have had a pretty good road course package all year, but the addition of the hybrid was a bit of a curve ball for us this season. We have only done one road course race with it, which was Mid-Ohio, so we have a baseline setup but it’s not the typical weekend where we have had the same cars for years and years like last year. It is only the second road course race with the hybrid so there are still a lot of things to try and a lot of development going on. In that sense, it’s a little bit of a different type of weekend from last year but the team is prepared and I’m looking forward to the challenge.
Graham Rahal in the No.15 Hendrickson Honda took pole for the race here last year and is hoping for a strong race weekend. Speaking ahead of the race this weekend, Rahal said:
I’ve always enjoyed racing at Portland International Raceway and had success there. A couple of years ago we had a chance to win that race, but the yellow flag ultimately killed us after we were in the lead for most of the first part of that race. Obviously, that’s part of the racing but last year we were competitive again and started on pole, which was great. We blew it kind of early with strategy that didn’t go our way which was disappointing, but we hope to pick up where we left off, be fast and turn that (result) around.”
Pietro Fittipaldi in the No.30 Localiza Honda is excited to get back to PIR.
“I really love the Portland racetrack. I raced there in 2018, had a good race and finished ninth. I am really looking forward to going back there after all these years and re-learn the track. I think they have a bit of new asphalt and Turn 1 is a little different from what I raced on. I’m looking forward to finishing our road course season on a high with a top 10 finish and then finishing off the rest of the season after that on two more ovals.”
Christian Lundgaard in the No.45 Hy-Vee Honda is looking forward to the race this weekend, his last road course event for RLL before he moves to Arrow McLaren in 2025.
Portland is one of the tracks where we have had success in the past and have had fast cars. We haven’t been able to turn that into a good result, but I think with Juri coming in as well, it’s an extra opportunity for us as a team to finally execute. We know the car is fast since Graham was on pole last year and I started third in 2022. We didn’t maximize qualifying last year so we didn’t show the potential we had on the 45 Hy-Vee team, but I think it brings a lot of optimism going into race weekend for this year. We know the car is fast at Portland, so we need to get something from it. I’m excited to have a road course in the midst of all these ovals to mix it up a bit. It’s going to be a fun one that I am looking forward to.”