Sonoma Raceway revving up hospitality center for NASCAR in June, other events

NASCAR weekend at Sonoma Raceway

The NASCAR Cup Series Toyota/Save Mart 350 will take place at the Sonoma Raceway on Sunday, June 11. Series stars like 2022 Sonoma winner Daniel Suarez and Elk Grove native Kyle Larson, will return to the Valley for the race.

The star studded and jam packed weekend will extend beyond the track, with musical performances, pre-race events and more:

Friday, June 9 — General Tire 200

9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.

NASCAR's up-and-coming stars will battle it out in the ARCA Menards Series West, 64 laps, 127.36 miles on one the most difficult courses in the country. The drivers will practice, qualify and race for the title. An ARCA Driver autograph session will take place at 11 a.m., and the race begins at 3:30 p.m.

Tickets are $30 for adults and free for kids 12 and under.

Saturday, June 10 — DoorDash 250

9 a.m. to 8 p.m.

NASCAR's up-and-coming stars tackle an all-new road course for the first time at the debut of the NASCAR Xfinity Series in Northern California.

The NASCAR drivers will get a feel for the course and take the qualifying laps for Sunday’s big race. The DoorDash 250 NXS Race goes 156.95 miles. The NASCAR Xfinity Series autograph session takes place at 10:15 a.m., and the race will begin at 5 p.m. after practice and qualifying.

A Post-Race Concert Performed by Tim Dugger will happen after the cars leave the track.

Tickets are $40 for adults, and free for kids 12 and under.

Sunday, June 11 — NASCAR Cup Series Toyota/Save Mart 350

7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

The NASCAR Cup Series Toyota/Save Mart 350 covers 218.9 miles, as drivers fight for the title. The day begins with a Kids Only NCS Driver autograph session, followed by an air show presented by Patriots Jet Team.

Before the big race, four-time NBA champion and platinum-selling recording deejay, DJ Diesel, Shaquille O’Neal will perform a pre-race concert. The driver will do a Red Carpet Walk, followed by introductions. “Pitch Perfect” star Adam Devine will act as grand marshal for the event.

The drivers hit the track at 12:30 p.m.

Tickets for the Sunday race range from $59 to $140 for adults, and are $10 for kids 12 and under.

Weekend passes range from $105 to $180 for adults and cost $10 for kids 12 and under. Prices range for pre-race track events. To purchase tickets and view the weekend’s full schedule, visit sonomaraceway.com.

When Daniel Suarez made history last June roaring over the finish line at Sonoma Raceway, the first Mexican-born NASCAR Cup Series winner crossed another line in paving the way for more racing enthusiasts in the Hispanic and business communities.

The Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Sonoma County members call themselves “Daniel’s Amigos,” a term coined by his followers. The local business group was invited to the track to see Suarez steer his No. 99 Trackhouse Racing Team Chevy to the checkered flag last year. The local chamber went to Suarez’s “amigos” event on behalf of the flagship state group — California Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.

“He raced, and he won. That was my introduction into the raceway. I’ve never had any experience in NASCAR, but now we’re partnering with the raceway. I’ll definitely be here for (this year’s) NASCAR,” Sonoma County’s Hispanic Chamber Vice President Jackie Gonzalez said May 17 during a mixer at the raceway’s new, 19,000-square-foot corporate retreat called Turn 11. It was named for the track’s gnarliest hairpin turn.

Sonoma Raceway is commemorating the retreat site’s first-year anniversary. It opened during the Toyota/Save Mart NASCAR race last June, two years after the groundbreaking adjacent to the 2.52-mile road course.

“Turn 11 is exactly what we envisioned,” raceway Executive Vice President and General Manager Jill Gregory said. “We wanted Sonoma Raceway and our main focal point here, other than the racing surface itself, to blend the beauty, innovation and functionality that embodies Sonoma.”

The Turn 11 center features conference rooms, an airy, open front area with a bar, as well as retractable garage doors to bring in vehicles.

The raceway’s management and Gonzalez’s chamber, with its 100 members, are aiming to open up the whole new world of activities to its demographic. Gonzalez, chamber President Alma Magellon and other chamber attendees singled out the raceway’s “Drags & Drifts” event, as a way to get sideshow enthusiasts off city streets and into a safe place to make their spins.

Ivan Lopez said he gets the desire. The Hansel Toyota salesperson insisted he grew up in a world of fixing up older cars for speed and power.

“One of our detailers comes here all the time with his Nissan 350z for drifting,” he said.

And once at the track, most agreed there’s more to do and see, ranging from a go-karting center to BMW ‘track days’.

“One thing I like about this is the extracurricular activities,” Magellon said at the mixer, as she brought out the raceway’s activity-filled brochures.

The raceway is hosting a slew of events related to NASCAR, which starts June 9 and wraps up June 11.

On June 8, Sonoma Raceway — founded in 1968 — will host the West Coast Stock Car/Motorsports Hall of Fame’s class of 2022.

Sonoma Raceway plans to build on the NASCAR momentum as a year-round destination for local corporate events and tourism attraction, with the Turn 11 retreat facility as the centerpiece site.

AMG Mercedes Senior Account Director Claudette Foster noted her U.S. corporate group based in Atlanta used the site for its eight-day gathering.

“This environment is not run of the mill,” she said.

Foster insists the Sonoma Raceway Turn 11 building offers a much-preferred alternative to the mobile chalet it erects for such events. The weather, for starters, poses problems for the “super expensive” and “time-consuming” endeavor.

“When we first heard about Turn 11, I took a video and sent it to our executive management team, and they said it was ‘right on brand,’” she said.

The automotive company plans to return in August for a corporate retreat — with a fuller agenda that involves a scenic drive through bucolic Sonoma County, in addition to wine tasting and other activities.

“One thing we’re witnessing for our customer base is we’re experimenting with more ‘drive vacation’ packages,” she said. With the Sonoma Raceway as a home base, Foster has drafted a route, which is kept under wraps.

According to a 2021 Allied Market Research report, the global ‘drive vacation’ market is valued at $121.2 billion. The trend, which encompasses more than company scenic tours, is expected to reach $513.3 billion by 2031.

“Those kind of packages are not uncommon. A lot of these have worked in conjunction with driver schools,” Sonoma County Tourism Bureau CEO Claudia Vecchio said, noting whether it’s for business or pleasure.

The tourism chief commended Sonoma Raceway’s efforts with offering packages to companies that go outside the realm of its spectator sports week.

“I think what they’re doing is really smart. They’re identifying their opportunity to appeal to corporate groups,” she said.

Vecchio wasn’t alone in her assessment.

“I think it’s a great idea. We have a lot of places to explore,” Sonoma Valley Visitors Bureau Executive Director Tim Zahner said. “Adding in the raceway is a nice way to bring them back to Sonoma.”

Susan Wood covers law, cannabis, production, tech, energy, transportation, agriculture as well as banking and finance. She can be reached at 530-545-8662 or susan.wood@busjrnl.com

NASCAR weekend at Sonoma Raceway

The NASCAR Cup Series Toyota/Save Mart 350 will take place at the Sonoma Raceway on Sunday, June 11. Series stars like 2022 Sonoma winner Daniel Suarez and Elk Grove native Kyle Larson, will return to the Valley for the race.

The star studded and jam packed weekend will extend beyond the track, with musical performances, pre-race events and more:

Friday, June 9 — General Tire 200

9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.

NASCAR's up-and-coming stars will battle it out in the ARCA Menards Series West, 64 laps, 127.36 miles on one the most difficult courses in the country. The drivers will practice, qualify and race for the title. An ARCA Driver autograph session will take place at 11 a.m., and the race begins at 3:30 p.m.

Tickets are $30 for adults and free for kids 12 and under.

Saturday, June 10 — DoorDash 250

9 a.m. to 8 p.m.

NASCAR's up-and-coming stars tackle an all-new road course for the first time at the debut of the NASCAR Xfinity Series in Northern California.

The NASCAR drivers will get a feel for the course and take the qualifying laps for Sunday’s big race. The DoorDash 250 NXS Race goes 156.95 miles. The NASCAR Xfinity Series autograph session takes place at 10:15 a.m., and the race will begin at 5 p.m. after practice and qualifying.

A Post-Race Concert Performed by Tim Dugger will happen after the cars leave the track.

Tickets are $40 for adults, and free for kids 12 and under.

Sunday, June 11 — NASCAR Cup Series Toyota/Save Mart 350

7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

The NASCAR Cup Series Toyota/Save Mart 350 covers 218.9 miles, as drivers fight for the title. The day begins with a Kids Only NCS Driver autograph session, followed by an air show presented by Patriots Jet Team.

Before the big race, four-time NBA champion and platinum-selling recording deejay, DJ Diesel, Shaquille O’Neal will perform a pre-race concert. The driver will do a Red Carpet Walk, followed by introductions. “Pitch Perfect” star Adam Devine will act as grand marshal for the event.

The drivers hit the track at 12:30 p.m.

Tickets for the Sunday race range from $59 to $140 for adults, and are $10 for kids 12 and under.

Weekend passes range from $105 to $180 for adults and cost $10 for kids 12 and under. Prices range for pre-race track events. To purchase tickets and view the weekend’s full schedule, visit sonomaraceway.com.

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