Portland, Formula E Town? | Portland Monthly
The pinnacle of performance, sustainability and efficiency. Electric entertainment at 200 mph. Familiar names line the pits and paddocks—Jaguar, Porsche, Penske, Maserati—yet, as the taglines suggest, there’s nary a combustible engine among the race cars on the track. For those not yet indoctrinated, Formula E is an
international series of electric car races. It began a decade ago as a tech-forward, environmentally conscious alternative to events like Formula 1 and the Indianapolis 500. Yes, it’s still a continent-hopping series that burns plenty of fossil fuels to ship vehicles around the globe—including to Oregon, where Portland International Raceway will play host on June 29 and 30. But from the sounds to the smells, a Formula E event is not your average day at the track.
The summer weekend will be the second time the North Portland racetrack has hosted an E-Prix. Last year’s Formula E World Championship series included races in 11 cities, from Hyderabad to Mexico City to Cape Town to Berlin. Portland was the only US stop, and the first-ever Formula E event in the Northwest. We chatted with last year’s crowd at PIR to find out more about the Portland Formula E fan base. —Sam Stites
JR Anderson / Portland
“I was excited when Formula E announced they’d come to Portland. I work in the industry: I put on consumer education and outreach events to educate people about EVs and charging, so this is a big passion of mine. I’ve been to a few Formula 1 races, and I took my kids here to a Formula 2 Grand Prix race, and it was a completely different experience, you know? Earplugs, smelly fumes, not as much fun going on. This is much better with kids. I try to look for races that have people of color. Formula E has a ways to go in that way, but I enjoy the technology.”
Eddie Burgess / Portland
“I’m here with my son and my wife and our baby daughter. I work in clean energy and actually do some work on electric vehicles. I heard the race was coming to town, and I thought it would be fun to check it out. I don’t really follow the sport; this is my first time coming to a race like this, so I’m learning about the different teams. I’m just interested in the electric vehicle side of things, and it’s neat to see how they’re pushing the envelope of these technologies. My son is really into cars and trucks, like most 3-year-olds are.”
Corinne Daldorph / Portland
“I’ve been at a race in New York for Formula E years ago, and I went to the London one last year [when I lived there]. I love Formula 1. I don’t necessarily follow Formula E like I follow F1, but I love racing. It’s great to see how they’re performing and how they’re evolving with electric motorsports, and to see the difference between F1 and FE is interesting. On her choice of headwear: I’m Swedish, and it’s midsummer, so with that comes white clothes and flower crowns.”
Olympic skier Lindsey Vonn took a turn on the track with the Jaguar team.
Ollie Ship / London
“I’ve never been to Portland before. It’s a fantastic city. I’m a fan of Formula 1 and Formula E, though I feel like while I’m in the States I should get into IndyCar. Everyone here seems to be really excited. I think maybe in England, we’re a little bit less enthusiastic about things. There’s an energy here. After the race, we’re going to hit up some breweries. I love craft beer, and I hear Portland is famous for that.”
The top finishers were Nick Cassidy (from New Zealand), Jake Dennis (United Kingdom), and Antonio Felix de Costa (Portugal). Dennis went on to be the 2022–23 Formula E World Champion.
Andrew & Angie Fauntleroy / Portland
Andrew: “This is our first race. Are we Formula E fans? We are now! It’s pretty exciting. This is a big deal. Somebody put a lot of money into this, and they’ve done a really good job. It’s a good way to get a strong push toward the electric future. The sooner we all get comfortable with it and understand it and embrace it, the better. Portland is a great place to plant the seeds. We don’t have any electrics yet. We have a collection of gas cars.”
