Tag: Portland

If You See Something, Share Something

A public space for art in a neighborhood yard

While there are multiple homes in the neighborhood that post poetry, this one has a glass enclosure for anyone in the neighborhood to place something to share. On this day of record-breaking heat in early September, someone had placed a lost hat on top. Or perhaps a deliberately discarded hat, given the record-breaking heat.

The Master At Work

Our cat Templeton appears to be working on my laptop

All three of our current cats are spot stealers but nobody can hold a candle to Templeton, master of the art. On this night he was recuperating from surgery so I was in the guest room with him and when I stepped out for a moment, not long enough to bother putting his cone back on, I came back to find him sitting at my laptop.

Helmet On

Alex Zanari in the Mo Nunn Racing pits watches the timing and scoring results with his helmet still on

Alex Zanardi in the Mo Nunn Racing pits watches the timing and scoring results with his helmet still on during Friday practice for the 2001 CART race at Portland International Raceway. Alex was one of my favorite drivers ever and had returned to CART after a brief stint in Formula One, so I was eager to get a photograph of him. He struggled to find speed with his new team and would qualify last and finish last in the race when contact took him out early. A few months later a savage crash would take both legs and nearly his life. In the last handful of years he’s won gold and silver medals in handcycling at the past two Summer Paralympics games, but I was most happy to see that his enthusiasm and optimism were still going strong, as it was those qualities that made me a fan more than his extensive success on the track.

Mario & Michael Andretti

Mario and Michael Andretti watch the timing and scoring results during Friday practice for the 2001 CART race at Portland International Raceway

Mario and Michael Andretti watch the timing and scoring results during Friday practice for the 2001 CART race at Portland International Raceway. Although both father and son had been quick at Portland in the past (each was a multiple race winner here), as you can probably guess from their expressions, Michael was having trouble finding speed on this day. Saturday wouldn’t go much better as he qualified 16th, but in the race he’d improve to finish 8th. Regardless I loved seeing them and spent quite a bit of time at the Team Motorola pits hoping for a chance at a picture.

Paul Tracy

Paul Tracy waits in the pits while his crew makes adjustments to his car during Saturday practice at the 2002 CART race at Portland International Raceway

Paul Tracy waits in the pits while his crew makes adjustments to his car during Saturday practice at the 2002 CART race at Portland International Raceway. The race on Sunday ended early for Paul, he drove past with what looked like suspension damage, but he had plenty of success at other races and now is a commentator for NBC Sports Network’s IndyCar races.

Townsend Bell

The steering wheel in the Indycar of Townsend Bell of Patrick Racing at the 2002 CART race at Portland International Raceway

At the 2002 CART race at Portland, familiar with his success in the Indy Lights feeder series, I wanted a picture of young Townsend Bell, driving that year for Patrick Racing. I came across him giving an interview in the pits and got a picture of him, but was pleased to also get a picture of his steering wheel with the orange body of his car sweeping out past his name. I quit watching racing not long after for a variety of reasons but started watching again when Formula One returned to regular cable on the NBC Sports Network. They also cover some of the IndyCar races and I was pleased to see Townsend again, now providing color commentary for those races, as well as still racing in sports cars (winning at LeMans last year!) and in the Indy 500.

Townsend Bell of Patrick Racing gives an interview at the 2002 CART race at Portland International Raceway