The ARCA Menards Series West travels to the Pacific Northwest this week as the circuit makes its exciting return to Portland International Raceway on Saturday, for the second of two road course events on this year’s schedule.
The ARCA West race on Saturday is part of a big weekend of racing at Portland International Raceway – with the Grand Prix of Portland capped off with the NTT IndyCar Series racing on Sunday.
The winding 1.967-mile track – located in northwest Portland, Oregon, near the Columbia River – is one that Bill McAnally would like to add to the long list of venues where his team has visited Victory Lane.
The road course previously hosted the ARCA Series West, which was known as the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West, four times – from 2009 to 2012 – as well as once in 1986.
Bill McAnally Racing came close to winning there, registering five top-five finishes. Three-time series champion Eric Holmes led the way for BMR – finishing second in 2010 and in 2011 and third in 2012. Paulie Harraka had a third-place finish there in 2010 and Moses Smith had a fourth-place finish in 2011.
Jesse Love, the 16-year-old defending series champion, and series rookie Cole Moore will get their shot at putting BMR in Victory Lane at the Portland track on Saturday.
Love, who wheels the No. 16 NAPA AUTO PARTS Toyota Camry, leads the championship standings. In the first series road race this year, at Sonoma Raceway in June, he experienced mechanical trouble and finished 19th. Last season, Love provided BMR its first road course win – with a victory at Utah Motorsports Campus.
Moore, in BMR’s No. 99 NAPA Power Premium Plus Toyota Camry, is second in the overall points and leads in rookie standings. He had a fourth-place finish at Sonoma.
BMR has scored wins at 34 different tracks – including short tracks, intermediate tracks, a road course and a dirt track. BMR’s first victory was at the now-shuttered half-mile oval of Portland Speedway in 1998. McAnally would like to add a 35th track to the list, with a win at Portland International Raceway on Saturday.
BMR will welcome a special group of 100 NAPA guests at the track on Saturday. They will be treated to a VIP experience that includes a pit tour and the opportunity to view the race from suites over the pit lane. Special activation for the event also includes an NGK VIP Guest Crew Member.
BMR PR
