The 2026 OnlyBulls Grand Prix of Portland runs today at Portland International Raceway, and Alex Palou arrives as the runaway championship leader and the clear betting favorite at -150. The Chip Ganassi Racing star has already banked five wins this season and starts from the front row after qualifying second.
Still, Felix Rosenqvist stole pole position, and Portland’s braking zones can flip a race in a single lap. Below we break down the starting grid, the full outright board, and our three picks for the 110-lap road-course event. For a deeper look at the market, see our Portland odds preview.
Last Updated: Sunday, August 9, 2026
2026 OnlyBulls Grand Prix of Portland — Time & How to Watch
| Where | Portland International Raceway, Portland, OR |
| When | Sunday, August 9 – 4:00 PM ET |
| TV | FOX |
Pre-Race Report
Felix Rosenqvist grabbed the headline in qualifying. He won pole position with a lap of 58.4828 seconds, edging Palou for the top spot. Palou lines up second, giving the championship leader a front-row launch into the tight chicane at the end of the frontstretch. That Turn 1 complex is Portland’s signature flashpoint, and the driver who leads the field into it on the opening lap holds a real advantage.
The top 10 on the grid reads Rosenqvist, Palou, Will Power, Marcus Ericsson, Rinus VeeKay, Kyffin Simpson, Kyle Kirkwood, Graham Rahal, David Malukas and Dennis Hauger. There are a couple of notable qualifying stories behind the times. Power reached the Firestone Fast Six but spun the rears on the exit of Turn 7 and admitted he lost roughly a tenth, which cost him a better slot. Kirkwood, meanwhile, said his car was capable of much more. He got caught in traffic and never completed a clean lap in the top 12, so he starts seventh despite strong underlying pace.
The wider picture still belongs to Palou. He carries an 83-point lead over David Malukas after his Nashville win, and he sits on 457 points to Malukas’s 374. Kirkwood is third at 370, with Christian Lundgaard fourth and Pato O’Ward fifth. Portland is a road course with several heavy-braking passing zones, so overtaking is possible. The front of the grid is loaded, however, and clean air will matter over 110 laps.
2026 OnlyBulls Grand Prix of Portland — Top Odds to Win
| Name | Odds |
|---|---|
| Alex Palou | -150 |
| Felix Rosenqvist | +600 |
| Will Power | +600 |
| Kyle Kirkwood | +800 |
| David Malukas | +1200 |
| Marcus Ericsson | +1200 |
| Rinus VeeKay | +2000 |
| Scott Dixon | +2000 |
| Pato O’Ward | +2500 |
| Christian Lundgaard | +2800 |
Odds accurate as of Sunday, August 9, 2026 via TheSpread.com. Odds change, get the latest IndyCar Odds – Props
2026 IndyCar OnlyBulls Grand Prix Best Bet
Palou is the pick, and the reasoning is straightforward. He has been the class of the field all year, with five wins and a lead that has only grown. He starts second, right where a front-runner wants to be, and Chip Ganassi Racing has given him consistent road-course speed. He also knows this circuit well and finished on the podium here in 2025. When the fastest driver starts on the front row, the outright case makes itself.
The Pick: Alex Palou to win (-150)
The case against is the price. At -150, Palou carries an implied probability near 60 percent, which leaves little margin in a road race that often turns on one mistake. Rosenqvist sits directly ahead of him on pole and can control the pace into Turn 1. A poor restart, a bad pit sequence, or contact in the Festival Curves would erase the edge quickly. Backing him means trusting both his speed and a clean execution over 110 laps. He has the profile to deliver it, but the reward is thin.
2026 OnlyBulls Grand Prix Prediction: Value Plays
For a longer price, Kyle Kirkwood at +800 is the value play. He sits third in the standings and has been one of the few drivers to challenge Palou consistently this season. His team believed the car had front-running speed in Portland, and his qualifying result understates it. He was tripped up by traffic rather than a lack of pace, which is exactly the kind of gap between grid slot and true speed that creates betting value.
The Pick: Kyle Kirkwood to win (+800)
The risk is the starting position. Kirkwood lines up seventh, and even at a track with passing zones, climbing to the front is no certainty. He will likely need an alternate strategy or an early caution to leapfrog the cars ahead. If the race runs green and clean, the leaders can check out. At +800, though, the payout accounts for that path, and his season-long form makes him a live threat rather than a hopeful longshot.
2026 OnlyBulls Grand Prix Race Day Outlook — Other Picks and Final Thoughts
The board also lists a Honda-versus-Chevrolet manufacturer market, with Honda at -275 and Chevrolet at +200. Palou leads the Honda charge from the front row, and the marque holds several of the strongest starting spots, which explains the short price. The Pick: Honda as winning manufacturer (-275). The counterpoint is real value on the other side. Will Power, who won last year’s Grand Prix of Portland, starts third in a Chevrolet, and Pato O’Ward is always a threat. A single Chevy win flips the market and pays plus money at +200.
Strategy will shape the closing laps. Portland’s long frontstretch and heavy braking zones reward drivers who save fuel and time their stops well, and the opening-lap chicane has bunched the field and triggered chaos in past years. A well-timed caution can compress the running order and hand track position to anyone gambling on an off-sequence stop. That is the scenario that helps a driver like Kirkwood most and pressures the leaders.
To recap the card: Alex Palou to win (-150) as the top pick, Kyle Kirkwood to win (+800) as the value play, and Honda as the winning manufacturer (-275). Palou remains the most likely winner, but the two longer angles give the day some upside if the front row does not run away with it.
OnlyBulls Grand Prix of Portland FAQ
Who is the favorite to win the 2026 Grand Prix of Portland?
Alex Palou is the favorite at -150. The championship leader qualified second, has won five races in 2026, and holds an 83-point lead in the standings entering Portland.
When is the 2026 Grand Prix of Portland?
The race is set for Sunday, August 9, 2026, with the green flag scheduled for 4:00 PM ET at Portland International Raceway.
What channel is the 2026 Grand Prix of Portland on?
The race airs on FOX, with streaming available on FOX One and FOXSports.com.
Who is on pole for the 2026 Grand Prix of Portland?
Felix Rosenqvist won pole position with a lap of 58.4828 seconds, starting ahead of Alex Palou on the front row.
Who won the Grand Prix of Portland last year?
Will Power won the 2025 Grand Prix of Portland. In the same race, Alex Palou clinched his fourth IndyCar Series championship with a podium finish.
How many laps is the 2026 Grand Prix of Portland?
The race is scheduled for 110 laps around the 1.964-mile road course, a distance of roughly 216 miles.