Sonoma Raceway (Previously known as "Infineon Raceway")
29355 Arnold Dr,
Sonoma, CA 95476
Phone: (800) 870-7223
Official Web Site: www.racesonoma.com/
Located just 20 minutes north of the Golden Gate Bridge, and 15 minutes from historic downtown Sonoma, Sonoma Raceway is a very special place. Sitting above the north end of San Francisco Bay, looking northeast to Sonoma and Napa valleys, vistas from the spectator areas are spectacular. Originally called Sears Point Raceway, this facility has undergone a $100 million mega-transformation as it was purchased by Speedway Motorsports, Inc. We discovered a great 8 minute video on You Tube “A History of Infineon (Sonoma) Raceway: 40 Years at the Red Line” find the video at this link and you’ll get a pretty big charge to think that you’ll be driving this spectacular and historic track!
Sonoma Raceway has top notch facilities for drivers and fans, food service on site, gasoline (91, 101 unleaded, 110 leaded), and 300,000 square feet of commercial shop space surrounding the track. You’d be shocked to know how many historic and very special race cars are stored, maintained, restored and race-prepped at Sonoma businesses.
The Driver’s Perspective: Using the track map above, you’ll enter in Gate 1, sign their waiver and drive immediately into the paddock with a soft right turn. There’s plenty of room in the paddock. Our check-in and driver’s meeting will be in the driver’s lounge in the building on the left (where Wine Country Motorsports is located) The room is marked by a sign. Cars will enter the hot pit in the driveway between the NASCAR garages and the winner circle. Beware there is a steep angle as you settle your car on the track surface – and be fully strapped/helmeted in as you enter.
I’ve driven here since 1986, and for the most part, it’s still the technical, demanding track it has always been. When the track was renovated, they changed the angle that cars drive out of the famous turn 11 hairpin, to avoid driving out on the slick/sticky drag strip – so the line through turn one was forever changed – subtly but significantly. Also – to accommodate a more
generous spectator hillside grandstand, the slope on driver’s left as we go through the also famous esses – turns 7a through 8a, was reduced, which allows a better line of site for the driver, and one less place to roll a car. The esses however, were not actually changed – just the visual cues, and exiting the esses in the wrong place still has its substantial liabilities (read: tire wall on driver’s right). For those driving in performance driving programs, Sonoma Raceway is a track to tackle in a very conservative fashion. Don’t even think about driving at 10/10ths as the penalties for minor mistakes can be pretty severe. While the staff and track management is top-notch, a tire wall is a tire wall. In 1986, with no prior knowledge of the track, I was allowed to drive my newly purchased “momentum” race car at then Sears Point. On my third lap, I found myself tucked neatly into the tire wall at the top of turn 2 – another tricky turn, that is at the end of an fast, uphill straight section, and requires perfect touch to turn right, just after scrubbing some speed, finding the throttle smoothly as the car turns right while the hill flattens out, lightening the car’s grip, onto an off camber turn – yikes – pay attention and work on this turn. I can say that in 25 years of driving this course, I’ve yet to get it 100% right. Learn it at a modest pace, improve your speed gradually, leave your red mist in the paddock, and you’ll enjoy and respect Sonoma Raceway just like Dale Earnhardt, Jeff Gordon, Danica Patrick (on her first visit, she was quoted as saying “Turn 3 is just ridiculous!”), and many legendary drivers over the years. (Comments submitted by David Ray)
Housing: Staying in the area offers three good options: The quickest is probably to take Highway 37 straight west over the hill and down into Marin County, where there are several good hotels/motels in the Novato, Petaluma and surrounding area along Highway 101. The least expensive will be the 15 mile drive east on Highway 37, which can back up on weekday mornings and evenings, to the town of Vallejo. Near the Six Flags Discovery Kingdom (an awesome place for the family to spend some time while you’re on track) and off of Highway 80 there are several family-oriented budget motels. Thirdly, of course, there is the Sonoma/Napa Valley area – just go crazy in this special area of the world, full of world-class resorts and/or bed and breakfasts, all between 20-40 minutes from the track. This area is up highway 121, turning left out of the main Sonoma Raceway gate.