Portland Speedway was a half-mile race track

Race track

A race track is a purpose-built facility for racing of animals , automobiles, motorcycles or athletes. A race track may also feature grandstands or concourses. Some motorsport tracks are called speedways.A racetrack is a permanent facility or building...

 for auto racing

Auto racing

Auto racing is a motorsport involving the racing of cars for competition. It is one of the world's most watched televised sports.-The beginning of racing:...

 in Portland

Portland, Oregon

Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...

, Oregon

Oregon

Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...

, U.S. It was in existence from 1924 until mid-2000.

The track began as a five-eighths-mile (one km) clay oval in 1924 on the site of a field in north Portland. The track hosted big cars, midget cars, and stock cars before the suspension of racing during World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

.

The track was paved in 1946 as a half-mile oval. NASCAR

NASCAR

The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...

 sanctioning came to Portland after Western Speedways, Inc. leased the track in 1984. Four NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series

Craftsman Truck Series

The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series is a pickup truck racing series owned and operated by the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing...

 races from 1995 to 1998. Mike Skinner and Ron Hornaday, Jr. won at Portland during their championship seasons, 1995 and 1996 respectively. Rich Bickle

Rich Bickle

Richard "Rich" Bickle, Jr. is a journeyman NASCAR driver. Bickle, who has never completed a full season in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, has a long history in short track racing.-Early career:...

 and Stacy Compton

Stacy Compton

Stacy Compton is a NASCAR team owner and former driver. He currently owns Turn One Racing. He is a former co-owner of Bobby Hamilton Racing-Virginia in the Craftsman Truck Series, and is a former racing analyst for ESPN full-time...

 won the final two events there.

The NASCAR Winston West Series ran 36 Portland races between 1971 and 2000 with Hershel McGriff

Hershel McGriff

Hershel McGriff won four races during his brief career in the NASCAR Grand National series, and later in the NASCAR Winston West Series.-Racing career:...

 winning a series high five times. Other notable winners included future NASCAR Winston Cup champion Bobby Allison

Bobby Allison

Robert Arthur Allison is a former NASCAR Winston Cup driver and was named one of NASCAR's 50 greatest drivers. His two sons, Clifford Allison and Davey Allison followed him into racing, and both died within a year of each other....

, 1990 Daytona 500 winner Derrike Cope

Derrike Cope

Derrike Cope is a NASCAR driver. He is best known for his win in the 1990 Daytona 500. He currently drives the #28 Chevrolet for Jay Robinson Racing in the Nationwide Series and the #75 Chevrolet/Dodge for his own team in the Sprint Cup Series.-Early years:Cope was born in San Diego, California...

, and NASCAR drivers Chad Little

Chad Little

Chad Little is a former NASCAR driver. He holds a degree in marketing from Washington State University, and a law degree from Gonzaga University...

 and Ken Schrader

Ken Schrader

Kenneth Schrader is a second-generation race car driver. He currently races on local dirt and asphalt tracks around the country while driving part-time in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and the ARCA Racing Series for his own Ken Schrader Racing. He also runs part time in the NASCAR Camping...

. 1994 Portland winner Rick Carelli

Rick Carelli

Rick Carelli is an American race car driver from Arvada, Colorado. He was nicknamed the "High Plains Drifter". He won multiple times in the #6 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series truck.-Racing career:...

 competed in all four Portland Craftsman Truck Series races, with three top tens and a best finish of third in 1998.

The last race on the pavement surface was on July 30, 2000. The track was converted to a clay surface and hosted the World of Outlaws

World of Outlaws

The World of Outlaws is an American motorsports sanctioning body. The body sanctions two major national touring series. It is best known for sanctioning a national tour of sprint cars. It later purchased a national tour of late model stockcars called the World of Outlaws Late Model Series...

Sprint Cars in 2000 and 2001.