How dire conditions forced NASCAR to remove Portland from the 2026 schedule

The 2026 NASCAR schedule, released on August 20, confirmed that Portland International Raceway will not return. New reports have revealed why NASCAR may have made the call.

The Xfinity Series’ Pacific Office Automation 147, held this past weekend, turned out to be the final NASCAR event at the Oregon track. Portland was the only stop in the Pacific Northwest, a region NASCAR has long been accused of neglecting. Now, reports suggest that the decision had less to do with geography and more to do with the state of the facility.

According to reporting from The Chronicle, BRK Racing owner Randy Knighton revealed that Portland’s track conditions were a major problem. He said the circuit was “in dire need of upgrades,” pointing to the lack of basic technology like electronic and internet connections on pit road.

A report from Daily Downforce backed this up, stating that “there are no electronic or internet connections on pit row for the teams to hook up their pit boxes.”

Without such infrastructure, teams were forced to rely on their own generators and mobile hotspots just to track car telemetry or watch broadcasts. In NASCAR, such gaps are unacceptable.

This matches what fans and spotters had already voiced on social media. Some said the venue had been outdated for years and pointed out that even finding decent views from the grandstands was difficult.

All in all, it can be understood that Portland simply wasn’t equipped to meet NASCAR’s needs. NASCAR’s exit from the track after only four seasons leaves the Pacific Northwest without a National Series race.

With Portland off the map, questions are growing about whether NASCAR will return to the Northwest. NASCAR Executive Vice President and Chief Venue and Racing Innovation Officer Ben Kennedy said during an August 20 media availability,

“We’ve had a few conversations with them. Nothing has come to fruition quite yet, but would love to have an opportunity to have a Cup Series event up there in the future.” The Chronicle (via Owen Sexton report, cited in DailyDownforce)

That statement leaves the door open for a future Cup Series race in the region, although there is no timeline for the same. For now, the sport has shifted its resources elsewhere, with Portland joining other removed venues like the Chicago Street Course and Mexico City’s Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez.

The Xfinity Series event ended with 19-year-old Connor Zilisch taking the win. Zilisch, driving for JR Motorsports, won his sixth race in the past seven and set the record for most wins by a rookie in series history.

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Bob Pockrass weighs in on the NASCAR schedule and playoff format

Veteran journalist Bob Pockrass recently addressed comparisons between NASCAR and IndyCar, particularly the idea of adopting a shorter schedule. When asked by a fan on social media whether covering IndyCar had changed his view of NASCAR’s playoffs, Pockrass was direct.

“Not at all,” he responded.

He explained that he supports the current playoff system with elimination rounds, which he believes adds excitement and structure. Pockrass added that while he is not a fan of deciding the championship with just one race, he prefers the postseason-style competition.

"If NASCAR was a 17-race season with 27 cars at most races, I’d probably think different. I am not biggest fan of one race to determine the NASCAR champion but I like having postseason-style format. I like stages, too, in NASCAR.”

The journalist’s comments stated the point that NASCAR’s format is based on its scale. The playoffs, eliminations, and stage racing are designed to ensure that fans stay invested from start to finish.