IndyCar zooms toward Sonoma Raceway

One of the highlights of Sonoma Raceway’s Big O Tires 2014 major event season is when the Verizon IndyCar Series takes over the Valley’s world renown 12-turn, 2.38-mile road course.

The 10th annual GoPro Grand Prix of Sonoma will be held at Sonoma Raceway the weekend of Aug. 22 through 24, and returning to defend his crown will be Australian Will Power of Team Penske, who also won back-to-back IndyCar titles at Sonoma in 2010 and 2011.

Power enters this year’s race as one of seven different IndyCar drivers who have won at Sonoma Raceway since the series debuted in 2005 – Tony Kanaan (’05), Marco Andretti (’06), Scott Dixon (’07), Helio Castroneves (’08), Dario Franchitti (’09), and Ryan Briscoe (’12). Only once has a Sonoma winner gone on to win the series championship (Franchitti in 2009).

As part of the preparation for the popular IndyCar event, a one-day test session took place last Thursday.

Participating in the IndyCar Series test session were Power and Team Penske teammates Helio Castroneves and Juan Pablo Montoya; Andretti Autosport’s Ryan Hunter-Reay and Carlos Munoz; Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing’s Graham Rahal; Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing’s Josef Newgarden; and Chip Ganassi Racing’s Ryan Briscoe, Scott Dixon, Tony Kanaan and Charlie Kimball. 

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Continuing every Wednesday evening through Nov. 12, is the 26th annual Wednesday Night Drags program at Sonoma Raceway, which and includes the motorsport of drifting and “Top the Cops.”

The Wednesday Night Drags are open to anyone with a driver’s license, who can race any vehicle or motorcycle they bring to the world-famous quarter-mile drag strip, provided it passes a simple tech inspection.

“Top the Cops” participants need a current high school identification card, and all students are given practice runs, followed by the head-to-head competition against an officer in his/her patrol car.

Gates open for “Drag and Drift” at 3:30, time runs begin at 4, and the racing takes place from 6:30 to 10 p.m. – with drifting from 4 to 10 p.m.

The Wednesday Night Drags cost is $25 for competitors, $15 for students with a high school ID and $10 for spectators. Season-long passes are also available; and children ages 12 years old and under, and parking, are free. The drifting costs are $40 for pre-registration and $50 at the gate.

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For IndyCar Series tickets and packages, including the popular Total Access pass – a race-day reserved-seat ticket in any section and a Garage/Pit/Pre-race pass for $99 – more details on the Wednesday Night Drags, or for general Sonoma Raceway information, call 800-870-RACE (7223), or visit racesonoma.com, racesonoma.com/indycar or ticketmaster.com. Camping is also available around the facility.