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Sonoma Raceway hosts free IndyCar sneak-peek

6 teams testing Wednesday; ticket packages now available

Motorsports fans anticipating Sonoma Raceway’s 2013 Big O Tires racing season – featuring six major-event weekends, highlighted by the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series and the IndyCar GoPro Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma weekend – they will be getting an IndyCar sneak-peek.

Sonoma Raceway is hosting a free-of-charge preview of six IZOD IndyCar Series race teams, weather permitting, participating in a test session from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., this Wednesday, Feb. 27, on the Valley’s famed scenic course.

The six IndyCar race teams confirmed for the one-day test include KV Racing Technology and drivers Tony Kanaan – who won the inaugural IndyCar race in Sonoma in 2005 and was the 2004 series champion – and Simona De Silvestro; Panther Dreyer & Reinbold Racing (Oriol Servia); Dragon Racing (Sebastien Bourdais and Sebastian Saavedra); Schmidt Peterson Motorsports (Simon Pagenaud); Ed Carpenter Racing (Ed Carpenter); and Panther Racing (Sausalito native JR Hildebrand).

Fans who purchase a ticket to the upcoming IndyCar GoPro Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma weekend on Aug. 23 through 25, on the day of the test session will be given a free pit tour for an up-close look at the racecars and drivers.

The Raceway Café will also be open for lunch, when a press conference will be held and fans will be admitted free, pending space.

Also available is the popular IndyCar Total Access pass, which costs $99 and gives a fan a race-day ticket, a garage/pit/pre-race pass and access to a question-and-answer session with one of the series’ top drivers.

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Along with the IndyCar GoPro Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma (Aug. 23 through 25), Sonoma Raceway’s 2013 Big O Tires major events schedule will feature the Sonoma Historic Motorsports Festival on May 18 and 19; the 25th annual Toyota/Save Mart 350 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, which is the Valley raceway’s largest attended motorsports weekend, from June 21 through 23; the NHRA Division 7 Drag Races from July 19 to 21; the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series Sonoma Nationals weekend from July 26 through 28; the second-annual FIA World Touring Car event on Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 7 and 8; and the Classic Sports Racing Group Charity Challenge on Saturday, Oct. 5, and Sunday, Oct. 6.

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Sonoma Raceway has a variety of ticket packages available for the 2013 season, including the all-inclusive Track Pass, the General Admission Track Pass, and the Summer Fun Family Pass.

To purchase tickets and ticket packages or for more information, call 800-870-RACE (7223), visit racesonoma.com or ticketmaster.com – also for IndyCar, go to racesonoma.com/indycar. Camping is also available for all major events.