Sonoma Raceway’s final major event

Another action-packed major event season is gearing up for its final racing weekend as Sonoma Raceway’s Big O Tires 2014 schedule, highlighted by NASCAR, NHRA and IndyCar events, will end with the Classic Sports Racing Group’s 11th straight Charity Challenge.

Having opened the major event campaign with historic car racing, Sonoma Raceway will wrap up the season with more vintage car racing on the Valley’s famous 12-turn, 2.52-mile road course, when the CSRG’s Charity Challenge takes place on Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 4 and 5.

With the proceeds benefiting the Sonoma Chapter of Speedway Children’s Charities, the charitable arm of the raceway, the Charity Challenge will feature approximately 200 vintage racecars competing.

Featuring eight race groups with qualifying and races on both Saturday and Sunday, one of the highlights of the Charity Challenge is the charity rides, with fans making donations to take a thrilling, three-lap ride around the road course in one of some 30 different participating racecars. Pace car rides and checkered flag waving opportunities are also available.

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Sonoma Raceway’s popular Wednesday Night Drags program, which includes the motorsport of drifting and the featured “Top the Cops,” continues every Wednesday evening through Nov. 13.

Designed to help take illegal racing off the streets and bring it to a safe, legal and controlled environment, the “Top the Cops” program allows high school students the opportunity to drag race against law enforcement officers, who will be driving their squad cars.

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.

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. – drifting from 4 to 10 p.m. – with the Wednesday Night Drags costing $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 more details on the CSRG Charity Challenge, the Wednesday Night Drags or for general Sonoma Raceway information, call 800-870-RACE (7223) or visit csrgracing.org, racesonoma.com or ticketmaster.com. Camping is also available for all major events.