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Infineon Speedway at Sonoma
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Infineon Speedway Sonoma
Track Diagram |
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Infineon Raceway
Highways 37 & 121 Sonoma, CA 95476 |
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The 2,52 mile course was constructed on 720 acres by Marin County owners Robert Marshall, Jr., an attorney from Point Reyes, and land developer Jim Coleman of Kentfield. It only took four months from breaking ground to the first race. The track was then sold to Filmways Corp., a Los Angeles-based entertainment company for 4.5 million. From 1969 through early 1970, the Raceway hosted a variety of events, including USAC IndyCar races, NASCAR stock car races, and drag races. Then, one of the most significant moves in the track's history occured. The raceway signed a five-year contract with the National Hot Rod Association for the California Nationals. The first event was held in the summer of 1988. Additional buildings constructed on the property brought shop space to more than 700,000 square feet. In 1989, NASCAR Winston Cup Series debuted at the raceway, with Ricky Rudd taking the inaugural victory. Major renovations began with the creation of " The Chute," an 890 -foot high-speed stretch that will be used for all NASCAR -sanctioned events. The stretch connects existing turns 4 and 7 and was officially opened on May 5 by NASCAR star Jeff Gordon. The re-design of the road course shortens the circuit from 2.52 miles to 1.949 miles, but increases the Winston Cup race from 74 to 112 laps, providing fans with more action. The chute will be used for NASCAR Nextel Cup, NASCAR Winston West, NASCAR Southwest Series and NASCAR Craftsman Truck series events.
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Track Facts Information: On-track activity is scheduled at Infineon Raceway an average of 340 days per year. The Dodge/Save Mart 350 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup event is one of the few on the NEXTEL Cup schedule measured in kilometers. This event is 110 laps, or 218.9 miles or 352.21 kilometers. Michael Waltrip holds the record for most laps completed by at NASCAR NEXTEL Cup driver at Infineon Raceway. Through 17 races, or 1,554 laps, Waltrip has completed 1,548. Jeff Gordon is the top NEXTEL Cup money winner at Infineon Raceway with $1,507,217, competing in 13 of 17 NASCAR events. Mark Martin holds the track record for the most top-ten NEXTEL Cup finishes at Infineon Raceway at 13. He has also claimed one victory (1997) and either top-five finishes on the road course. Dale Earnhardt won his first and only NASCAR road-course race at Infineon Raceway in 1995. Infineon Raceway owns 1,600 acres in the beautiful Sonoma Valley, 900 of which is used for daily racing activities. More than nine and a half million cubic yards of dirt were moved on the Infineon Raceway property during the $50-million Modernization Plan from 2000-2002. The hillside terrace seats at Turns 2-4, 7 and 8a-9 have used a total of 140,000 concrete blocks. At 18-inches long each, that is almost 40 miles of blocks. Approximately 121,176 gallons of concrete were used to create the 660-foot concrete launch pad on the renovated drag strip. The renovation of the drag strip required 9,600 hours of manpower. Ten tons of rebar cable was laid underneath the surface of the drag strip to reinforce the concrete launch pad. Policy Information: Infineon Raceway is committed to providing a safe, comfortable and enjoyable experience to all guests. To help ensure a positive race-day experience for you and your family please review the following guidelines and restrictions: The following items are allowed at the raceway but must not exceed 15" x 15" in size:
The following items may not be brought into the facility:
Vehicle Restrictions Infineon Raceway provides a free shuttle service to and from major parking and seating areas. For your safety, and the safety of others, the use of personal transportation vehicles is prohibited. |
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