What is OMRRA?

For over three decades, the Oregon Motorcycle Road Racing Association has run safe, exciting, and competitive events for motorcycle road racers and their fans. Racers range from club level to professionals with national and international experience. OMRRA operates at Portland International Raceway, a city park and world class racetrack.

A brief OMRRA history:

OMRRA was incorporated in 1972 as a 501 C(3) nonprofit, non charitable organization. It continues to operate at a professional level, but with a primarily volunteer staff.

The '70s saw the rise of light, powerful, and inexpensive Japanese bikes with questionable handling taking the place of British, Italian, and Spanish machines.

In the late '70s and early '80s the Japanese machines grew in power and weight with 4 cylinder 500s, 550s, and 750s. OMRRA teams with Washingtonian and Canadian clubs to promote a regional "Triple Crown" series. While the Triple Crown would fade with the loss of Canada's Westwood track, the "Sounds Of The Past" (SOTP) would be formed to carry on regional racing for vintage bikes.

In 1980, the eruption of Mt. St. Helens doused the track in volcanic ash, stopping all racing for a part of the season.

In 1986, Suzuki debuted the GSXR 750 in America. The era of liquid cooling and fully faired bikes for the street had begun.

In 1991, Yamaha introduces a new V twin TZ250, a stepping stone from club level to national AMA racing. Honda debuts the 600 F2, an evolution of the Hurricane. The F2 swells the ranks of 600cc racing to capacity.

In 1994, Sidecar racing returns to OMRRA. Now a regular event once or twice a year, the colorful acrobats offer exciting racing and even more exciting "taxi rides" for spectators at lunch.

In 1995 OMRRA starts renting inflated rider protection barriers for the turn 9 impact zone. An already safe track becomes safer.

In 1999 Suzuki introduces the SV650. The bike swells the ranks of middleweight and 650 twins classes, filling a hole the Yamaha FZR400 had left 8 years earlier.

The late '90s and the new millennium see the major manufacturers driving down weight, driving up power, and holding the line on prices for the traditional 600 class and the new breed of lightweight 1000s.

2001 - OMRRA jumps early on the wave of Pocketbikes and starts races at PIR as well as local carting tracks. Eventually, Pocketbike racing spins off to an independent organization. OMRRA maintains the youth contact with an 85cc class on the big track.

2002 - Vintage racing, always a background of fun and friendly club level competition, explodes in the smallbore classes. The inexpensive Honda 160 becomes the ride of choice with spinoffs to other bikes and classes.

In 2007, OMRRA invests in and expands the rider impact protection system in turn 9 and turn 5. A repave and revision of the track the next year reinforces the need for the safety padding.

OMRRA Charter

The Oregon Motorcycle Road Racing Association is a non-profit organization whose primary purpose is to organize Motorcycle Road Races at Portland International Raceway or any other venue that may become available and is feasible in the State of Oregon.

Rules will be promulgated in the interests of safety and fairness. The Association will provide classes that are generally accepted in other racing organizations and sufficiently varied such that no competitor has an unfair advantage with regard to machinery.

The Association recognizes that with the rapid evolution of contemporary technology, rules may have to be modified on a yearly basis to provide fair competition in each class.

The Association will only prosper when the interest of riders, helpers, spectators, and PIR management, on an equal basis, are taken into account. It is thus the duty of the Association to promote spectator attendance in any way possible and also to provide close racing to ensure continued and growing attendance, therefore guaranteeing the allocation of race days by PIR management for the benefit of the Association.