Sonoma Raceway welcomes FIA World Touring Cars

After making its North American debut on the Valley’s 12-turn, 2.5-mile road course last year, the FIA World Touring Car Championship returns for a second straight year to Sonoma Raceway tomorrow, Saturday, and Sunday, Sept. 7 and 8.

It will be the ninth race on the FIA World Touring Car series’ 12-race schedule, which includes stops in Morocco, Italy, Brazil, Japan and Macau.

The weekend will also feature the U.S. Touring Car Championship; the Pirelli GT3 Porsche Cup; Formula Drift demonstrations presented by Yokohama; Fatlace’s premier automotive lifestyle event, the Slammed Society 2013 World Tour; and Evasive Motorsports’ track car showcase and time attack exhibition featuring its track-prepared vehicles.

Saturday’s schedule includes Pirelli T3 Porsche Cup warm-up, 8:30 to 8:45 a.m.; FIA WTCC practice 1, 9 to 9:30 a.m.; Yokohama drifting demonstration, 9:45 to 10 a.m.; Pirelli GT3 Porsche Cup qualifying, 10:15 to 10:45 a.m.; FIA WTCC practice 2, 11 to 11:30 a.m.; United States Touring Car Championship qualifying 2, 11:45 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.; Yokohama drifting demonstration 12:30 to 12:45 p.m.; USTCC race 1, 1:10 to 1:40 p.m.; FIA WTCC qualifying 1, 2 to 2:20 p.m.; FIA WTCC qualifying 2, 2:25 to 2:35 p.m.; Pirelli GT3 Porsche Cup race 1, 3:10 to 3:50 p.m.; Yokohama drifting demonstration, 4 to 4:15 p.m.

On Sunday, the USTCC warm-up is 8 to 8:15 a.m.; FIA WTCC warm-up, 8:30 to 8:45 a.m.; Pirelli GT3 Porsche Cup warm-up, 9 to 9:15 a.m.; Yokohama drifting demonstration, 9:30 to 9:45 a.m.; Pirelli GT3 Porsche Cup qualifying, 10 to 10:30 a.m.; FIA WTCC pre-race ceremonies, 10:45 to 11:15 a.m.; FIA WTCC race 1, 11:20 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.; Yokohama drifting demonstration, 12:30 to 12:45 p.m.; FIA WTCC race 2, 2:20 to 3:15 p.m.; USTCC race 2, 3:45 to 4:30 p.m.; Yokohama drifting demonstration, 4:45 to 5 p.m.; and the Pirelli GT3 Porsche Cup race 2, 5:15 to 6 p.m.

Sonoma Raceway’s final major event of the 2013 season is the Classic Sports Racing Group Charity Challenge taking place on Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 5 and 6.

For FIA World Touring Car, CSRG Charity Challenge and Wednesday Night Drags details or for general Sonoma Raceway information, call 800-870-RACE (7223), or visit racesonoma.com/wtcc, racesonoma.com or ticketmaster.com. Camping is also available for all major events.