June 1969 Portland Rose Cup Races at Portland International Raceway, age 6. My older brother (he's 19 years older than I am!) drove us there in his BMW 2800 purchased to replace the Barracuda he'd rolled during the winter ice storm. High wing Formula A (aka Formula 5000), Formula Ford, Formula Vee, C & D Sedan Minis, H Production bugeye Sprites, Lola T-70s, Porsche 906, and A Production big block Corvettes made the most impression on me, to the point that the second car I bought was a '68 Mini instead of something practical like a Subaru Wagon.
In those days, there were very few bleachers at PIR and most everyone paid to sit on the east levee rather than pay more to sit at the west end or in the bleachers or buy a paddock pass. The experience of sitting on the levee was always one of either being sunburned while gazing into the setting sun or being drowned in a late spring rainstorm.
I'm fortunate to have seen PIR evolve over the decades. The circuit was redone in 1970 from the flooded out town streets that had been known as Vanport in 1948 to what y'all are used to seeing today in a few sims, with the number of bleachers gradually being increased through the '70s. The PIR rebuild used elements from Oregon International Raceway (1964-65). Chicane wasn't added until CART came to town and then it was expanded into the festival curves in the '90s.
In those days, there were very few bleachers at PIR and most everyone paid to sit on the east levee rather than pay more to sit at the west end or in the bleachers or buy a paddock pass. The experience of sitting on the levee was always one of either being sunburned while gazing into the setting sun or being drowned in a late spring rainstorm.
I'm fortunate to have seen PIR evolve over the decades. The circuit was redone in 1970 from the flooded out town streets that had been known as Vanport in 1948 to what y'all are used to seeing today in a few sims, with the number of bleachers gradually being increased through the '70s. The PIR rebuild used elements from Oregon International Raceway (1964-65). Chicane wasn't added until CART came to town and then it was expanded into the festival curves in the '90s.