The Infineon Raceway is a tarred race track with a straight for drag races at Sears Point, inaugurated in the year 1968 south of the Sonoma Mountains, near Sonoma (California, USA). The track sports a series of corners, winding through the hills. It hosts one of the five NASCAR races, which are held every year on traditional road tracks (together with the one at Watkins Glen International at Watkins Glen (New York), the two Busch-only at the Hermanos Rodriguez circuit in Mexico City and the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal). The track is also home of the Indy Racing League, the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series and other car and motorbike races, part of the American Federation of Motorcyclists championships.
The road race circuit at the Infineon Raceway was 4.05 km long with 12 corners, but was modified in the year 1998 adding the Chute, thus cutting corners 5 and 6, shortening the track to a length of 3.14 km. The Chute is only used in NASCAR events. In the year 2001 a 70° corner, the 4A, was inserted, and the car was brought back to its original length. Most of the races, including the Grand American Road Racing Association's Grand Prix of Sonoma, use the whole track (while the American Motorcyclist Association and the Indy Racing League use the shorter version 3.57 km) with 12 corners. This new configuration, opened in 2003, does not include the S-corners and sports extensions between corners 10 and 11, guaranteeing higher safety for motorcyclists, including also a safety area in corner 11 (the “normal” corner 11 does not include such an area, is very slow and reminds of the Loews hairpin at the Monte Carlo circuit). The track sports a straight with a length of 1/4 mile, where the NHRA holds its drag races, in front of the tracks main straight.
The Infineon Raceway has a permanent capacity of 47,000 seats. The structure has been expanded in 2004, to up to 64,000 seats on the hills, 10,000 on the grandstands, a wastewater treatment facility, 100 acres gained from the surrounding area, permanent garages, new spaces, a go-kart circuit and a new straight for drag races.
EVENT DETAILS: FERRARI RACING DAYS
The track will host the F430s taking part in the North American Ferrari Challenge series for the third race and the 2009 season’s second round with the historical jewels participating in the Shell Historic Challenge.
Date:
1st-3rd May
Location:
Venue: Infineon Raceway
City: Sonoma, California USA
More information:
800-870
http://www.infineonraceway.com