NASCAR at Sonoma Raceway this Weekend

The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Race will be in town this weekend starting Friday, June 26 through Sunday, June 28 at Sonoma Raceway, formerly known as Infineon Raceway, formerly known as Sears Point Raceway. The Toyota/Save Mart 350 will run 64-lap qualifying on Saturday and the 110-lap main event on Sunday.

Race fans will find a multitude of activities to enjoy each of the three days including interviews, Q&A, autograph sessions, practice runs, pre-race concert, airshow and Navy jet flyover. Vallejo native Jeff Gordon is odds on favorite to win, leading a competitive field which includes Kevin Harvick, Kurt Busch, Jimmie Johnson, Tony Stewart, Danica Patrick, last year’s winner Carl Edwards, and Dale Earnhardt Jr. Admission for kids under 12 is free for Friday practice sessions and Saturday qualifying.

Local residents only know this NASCAR weekend for the traffic congestion and gridlock that will come as race fans trek the local two-lane highways 37 and 121, as well as the overflow arteries including ighway 29 and local back country roads. This  one of the worst weekends for a first time tourist visiting the Wine Country. Traffic delays will start Friday afternoon, increasing to moderate congestion on Saturday, and major gridlock on Sunday.

You can get more information about the race and scheduled events at Sonoma Raceway website.