PIR sweats off its diverse uses once again

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The extreme heat of late summer did not stop the cyclocross course at Portland International Raceway from springing into action Monday night, showcasing the significant social value the facility has built up across generations.

In advance of the six-race Cross Crusade season that begins Sept. 19, PIR is playing host to three Monday events, the second of which was this week when the temperature gauge floated around 90 degrees for the first race at 5 p.m.

Cyclocross has returned to its pre-Covid 19 level only to about as much as 40 percent in terms of overall riders, according to series organizer Kevin Blair. The series attracted more than 1,400 riders in the mid-2010s and was around 800 when the health scare caused the series to pause.

Blair said Monday that as many as 400 riders have participated in events in the past two years, but that the continued economic struggles of Oregonians seem to definitely play a role in keeping race numbers down.

"People are riding bikes, that's not a problem, they just aren't racing like they were," Blair said. "That's Covid, but it's the economy, too."

Few riders doesn't mean fewer events at PIR. Cyclocross is one of a constant flow of racing platforms that includes bikes on the track, autos on the track, the dirt bike course inside the track and plenty of events that use the track as a large swap meet environment.

And, there's the Winter Lights.

Cross Crusade has pitched itself as the largest cyclocross tour in the past, and the state has twice held the national finals - once in Bend, and once at PIR.

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CROSS CRUSADE FALL SERIES

Sept. 19 at Cascade Locks

Sept. 20 at Cascade Locks

Oct. 11 at Portland International Raceway

Oct. 18 at Heron Lakes, Portland International Raceway

Oct. 31 at McMenamin's Edgefield

Nov. 1 at McMenamin's Edgefield

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