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The Monsters of CART – Part 8: Portland and the Millisecond Photo-Finish

After wrestling the narrow, slippery green limits of Mid-Ohio, our retro-speed caravan heads northwest to the scenic but blisteringly fast Pacific Northwest. Welcome to Portland International Raceway—a track that looks deceptively simple on paper, but has hosted some of the most heart-stopping, split-second finishes in motorsport history.

Tucked away alongside the Columbia River in Oregon, Portland’s 1.967-mile layout is a flat, lightning-fast slipstreaming heaven. With its massive front straight leading into a notorious, chaotic first-turn chicane (the "Shelton Chicane"), Portland was designed to bunch the field up and trigger intense draft battles. In the 90s, with 950-horsepower CART monsters screaming down the straightaway, Portland became the ultimate stage for tactical drag races to the checkered flag.

⏱️ June 22, 1997: The Day Time Stood Still

If you want to understand why the CART era was so legendary, you only need to watch the final lap of the 1997 Budweiser/G.I. Joe's 200 at Portland.

Rain had played havoc with the strategies, leaving a drying track for the final sprint. In the closing laps, a fierce three-way battle erupted between Mark Blundell (PacWest Reynard-Mercedes), Gil de Ferran (Walker Racing Reynard-Honda), and Raul Boesel (Patrick Racing Reynard-Ford).

As they rounded the final corner on the very last lap, all three drivers planted their right feet, unleashed nearly 1,000 turbocharged horses, and entered a desperate, side-by-side slipstream drag race down the front stretch.

They crossed the line in a blurry, roaring pack. The margins were so incredibly small that the human eye couldn't tell who had won. The official timing transponders revealed a historic truth:

🏆 The Iconic Podium Margins:

  • 1st Place: Mark Blundell
  • 2nd Place: Gil de Ferran (separated by just 0.027 seconds)
  • 3rd Place: Raul Boesel (separated by just 0.055 seconds from the lead)

It remains the closest three-way road-course finish in IndyCar history. A spectacular display of bravery, clean racing, and raw horsepower.

⚙️ The Setup Challenge:

Racing at Portland required a delicate compromise. Do you trim out the wings to gain maximum speed on the massive front straight for overtaking? Or do you dial in high downforce to cope with the slippery, sweeping back section? Get it wrong, and you would either be a sitting duck on the straight or lose the rear end into the grass.

🏎️ Collector's Corner: Bring the Millisecond Photo-Finish to Your Desk

Whether you want to display a physical piece of motorsport history on your shelf or feel the intense slipstream battles yourself from your gaming setup, we’ve got you covered:

  • 👉 Classic & Modern IndyCar Diecast Models on Amazon — Find stunning, high-quality replica models from Greenlight Collectibles, including iconic 90s liveries. Perfect for remembering the closest finish in road-course history.
  • 👉 Retro Gaming Consoles & Racing Gear on Amazon — Want to win a drag race by 0.027 seconds? Discover retro handhelds loaded with classic 90s IndyCar games, or jump into racing simulators to experience intense, high-speed drafting battles.

💬 Join the Conversation!

Do you remember watching that historic 1997 Portland finish live, or did you discover it later through classic race archives? Do you have a favorite IndyCar diecast model sitting on your desk right now?

Let's chat in the comments below! Tell us which classic livery is your absolute favorite, and let’s keep the retro spirit alive!

🏁 Series Navigation: Monsters of CART

Explore all 13 legendary circuits from the golden era of 1990s turbocharged CART IndyCar racing:

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