Racing History Roars to Life This Week

Five legendary California race-car drivers will be part of a seminar discussing the birth of the popularity of sports-car racing in California and the United States during the third annual Sonoma Historic Motorsports Festival at Sonoma Raceway, June 2-3.

The seminar will follow the event’s theme, “Moments in Time: a Celebration of the History of Motorsports,” and will feature Grand Marshal Bill Pollack, winner of the main event at the 1952 Golden Gate Park Road Races in San Francisco; Don Dickey and Mick Marston, who competed at Golden Gate Park in the ‘50s; Dick Guldstrand, renowned Corvette driver and engineer; and British driver Peter Giddings, who moved to California following a successful European racing career.

Other racing legends, such as Don Blumenfeld of San Mateo, Bruce Marhenke of Alamo and Alan Selby of Santa Rosa, who competed in the Golden Gate Park Road Races in the ‘50s, will be introduced during the seminar by Gary Horstkorta, co-author of the book, “Golden Gate Remembered,” published in 2007.

Following the seminar, Pollack will be available at the trackside bookstore to sign his newly reprinted book, “Red Wheels and White Sidewalls: Confessions of an Allard Racer,” originally published in 2004.

Open to event ticket holders and participants, the free seminar will begin at 10 a.m., on Saturday, June 2, in the Driver’s Lounge, located in Infineon Raceway’s paddock area. Event ticket information may be found at here or by phone at 800-870-RACE (7223).

The weekend’s festivities will also include the Historic Race Car Festival in the Sonoma Plaza Saturday evening benefiting Speedway Children’s Charities.

Additional information may be found at www.sonomahistoric.com. Companies interested in supporting special events during the Sonoma Historic Motorsports Festival should contact General Racing Ltd. at 805-686-9292.

Ticket information may be found here or by phone at 800-870-RACE (7223).