In 1971, most of the track was repaved. The Force Ave. area and circus turns of the track were reconfigured (increasing the track length to 1.9 miles). This layout remains as the basic road course used today. The 1971 revamping also included increasing the shut down area of the dragstrip to allow for quarter mile drag racing. In addition, the staging lanes/pre grid area and the return road along the drag strip were paved. Construction began on April 27th, 1971 and the first major race (The Rose Festival Drags) was held on June 5 & 6. Followed by the Rose Cup Races on June 12 & 13, 1971.
Photo courtesy City of Portland archives (file #7200-01b57)
Looking east, this 1971 photo shows the repaving of Cottonwood St. (aka the dragstrip/front straight).
Photo courtesy City of Portland archives (file #7200-01b57)
From a burn-in box area view, this 1971 photo shows the now completed repaving. Note the three flagpoles on the right (which are still in use today) and the complete lack of grandstands.
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Copyright © 2002 Greg Rollin. All photos and copyrighted information used with permission. While I have gone to much effort to ensure the accuracy of the information posted here, the possibility for error exists. In my research, I sometimes found conflicting information even from credible sources. Should you see anything you believe to be in error, please e-mail ME