St. Patrick’s Day car show and drag racing at Sonoma Raceway

Sonoma Raceway is hosting a St. Patrick’s Day celebration complete with a car show, food and green beer on tap.

The Sonoma Drags & Drift Shamrock Show & Shine will take place on Wednesday, March 15, at 4 p.m.

The car show is open to everyone, with proceeds from the entries going to Speedway Children’s Charities, the charitable arm of Sonoma Raceway.

Sonoma Drags & Drift gives drivers a safe, legal, and controlled environment to drag race and drift their cars, away from city streets. During the events, Sonoma Raceway opens its world-famous quarter mile dragstrip to any vehicle that passes a basic tech and safety inspection. High School students can compete against uniformed police officers in their patrol cars in the “Top the Cops” class.

From 4 to 7 p.m., the car show will be staged for spectators to enjoy. Those wishing to enter can choose from paddock showcase spaces for $25 and covered premium spots for $50. Event spectators are $20 and kids 12 and under are admitted for free.

Drag racing runs from 4:30 to 10 p.m., and the cost is $35 to race with online pre-registration, or $40 at the gate. Current high school students with ID pay only $20.

Ride-along passes for drifting can be purchased for $10 by those 18 and older with valid state-issued photo ID. Spectators ages 16 and 17 wishing to ride along must present a notarized parental consent waiver, available online. Once on file the waiver is valid throughout the year.

Sonoma Drift events are limited to 70 participants per week and, due to their popularity, usually sell out. Organized for ranges in skill from experienced enthusiast to beginner, single or tandem drifting, there is a course for every skill level to gain experience, hone skills and have a great time on track. Cost with advance online registration is $60, $70 at the gate if there are still slots available.

To register and find more information about the event, visit the raceway’s website at sonomaraceway.com.