Sonoma Raceway

I attended this year’s Save Mart 350 Nascar race with my 9 year old in toe. I was never a «FAN» of racing, but because my son is a fan I was willing to go. We purchased the bus ride from Sonoma Raceway after purchasing our race tickets. We had the opportunity to witness history when Tony Stewart won the race in an epic finish, but what made the day truly amazing for our first raceway experience was the security, med staff and vendors. Everyone was so sweet and professional. It was extremely hot on the turn 9 terrace and there was little to no shade, however, that is just good information for future planning. The downside of our whole day was the bus trip to and from, which is at no fault of Sonoma Raceway but of Silverado Stages. Sonoma Raceway took full responsibility and was very apologetic making it right without me even requesting. When I purchased the tickets Brook was very helpful and speedy and when I needed to discuss the bus ride to and from their location Michael was very supportive, professional and compassionate. Thank you Sonoma raceway, we will return for other events, job well done!

I’ll preface this review by saying after attending the Save Mart 350 NASCAR race for my 9^th year in a row, it never gets old. I know nothing about NASCAR and don’t consider myself a fan but, it’s really something everyone should experience at least once in their life… or 9 times :)
The Sonoma Raceway was previously known as Sears Point and now goes by Infineon Raceway. It’s located right before you get into the wine country of Sonoma/​Napa so, you wouldn’t think it would be a natural fit in the area, but you’re wrong. This place is amazing! The race track is more of an Indy Car based track but, apparently the track is «hot» over 300 days a year and you can see all kinds of races.
Logistically handling 300k people in this space is a feat in itself so mad props to the management at Infineon. The parking is super organized and easy, concessions are pretty speedy and the prices are right on. When was the last time you were able to attend a sporting event and get a $ 7 beer? Probably at an Oakland A’s game, that’s it!
I had a few favorite moments from the day: «Drivers, start your engines!», the flyover from two US jets at the end of the star spangled banner, and the smell of fuel & burnt rubber. USA! USA! USA!
Check out an event at this raceway. You won’t be disapointed.
Btw, the video I’m posting below might make your ears ring! Go Merica, go NASCAR!

Great facility had a blast!!! Enjoyed the layout and cleanliness of the property. I took a tour bus there and traffic wasn’t horrible getting in or out.

If I could do less than 1, I would. The Staff was inconsiderate, rude and had no knowledge of their job. The race was cool. The Staff was the worst. One of our party was lightheaded and felt like passing out. Some dumb ass one eyed seating attendant told them they could not sit in the shade. Even after I explained how they were feeling. He told us you can not stay in the shade. You have to return to your seat. I had to walk 2 miles up and down the hills to get an umbrella in my car. I walked because none of the staff knew which tram to take, if there were any. I think it’s time for some new considerate people who are trained to do their job correctly.

Fast cars zipping away. 110 laps… Amazing race. HOT but windy. Lots of food, booze and spiked lemonades. From fries to BBQ to icees with alcohol. You name the outdoor food, they have it. No cards only cash. Tons of ATM machines but might run out of cash. Almost 50 K people. Free parking but tickets are not cheap. My tickets are from work (thanks Powerbar/​Premier). Clean portable potties. At least the one I used.

Wow Sonoma is freaking scary. There are concrete walls everywhere and not much runoff room. It also doesn’t help that with all the elevation changes, many of the turns are blind. You just take a leap of faith, and hope that you stay on track. These challenges make it a great track to race on and really test your skills and testicular fortitude. I’m not the fastest in my class so I still have a lot to learn. It’s still a blast to bomb through the carousel and carve the uphill esses. I’m looking forward to placing better here when I have everything figured out.
I also like that Sonoma feels like a pro track. The grandstands offer a great view when I want to watch the other car classes race, and there are large indoor bathrooms everywhere. I really enjoy not having to walk all across the paddock just to go pee. Wine Country Motor Sports is also located on site, so you can find pretty much any gear you need if you want a new suit/​helmet/​shoes/​gloves or if you somehow forgot something. There’s really not much else you could ask for in a race track.

This is a great venue for any motorsports related activity!
We’ve been here for NHRA, NASCAR and our most recent visit was for the 24 hrs of Lemons race. The facility is well maintained and they have seating available just about everywhere. Restrooms have always been clean. Parking can get a little dicey during the really large events like Nascar, just make sure to bring your walking shoes! Shuttles can get you close to where you need to go but they stop running at a set time after the event is over so make sure you don’t get stuck miles away from your car like we did. Leaving the venue can be interesting if it is your first time here and you need to go east on 37, careful you don’t end up exiting the track where they only allow you to go west as that results in a long line of traffic that could have been avoided on 37 eastbound after you are forced to drive west for a few miles before it is legal to turn around.
I really like that they also have performance driving sessions available here with various groups that are based throughout California so you actually get to drive on the circuit! Too cool!
Not anything the track can control but worth mentioning is the long wait in traffic on 37. Many times the traffic isn’t even due to an event at the track, but to Caltrans’ poor design and lack of more than 1 lane in each direction. If you are going to a large event like Nascar, be prepared to wait for easily more than an hour even if you are going to the event several hours early!

Wednesday night drift. I really do love the smell of burnt rubber. And the sound of screaming tires. Only wish i lived closer.

Have only raced here once but its a top notch track and one of the best in California. There aren’t a ton of garages but they are still available. The track has awesome elevation changes and curbing. It’s obvious that real racing goes on here by how well things are up kept. The facilities are really nice and clean. Many games have scans of this track, I have used both Simraceways and Iracing and was pleased with both. In addition there is a awesome karting facility nearby. I am not sure if its actually part of Sonoma raceway or Simraceway but its worth checking out.

Races are fun, awesome track but traffic control for patrons was so bad it will be a long time before we consider coming back. Their exiting strategy isn’t consistent. We have been there many times but each time their exiting pattern changes, sometimes you can exit the front gate, sometimes nit.
We followed signs that said «all hwys» but it sent us west bound on US37. We ended up having an additional 2.5 hours tacked on our drive. Because all of the other people who were screwed over as well there was a gnarly back up. On top of the fact no one seems to understand merging goes faster if you don’t try to edge others out from being able to merge and then last minute mergers who think they are too good to get in line… It was a nightmare.
So thank you, Sonoma Raceway, thank you for making what started as a great exciting race day and morphing it into an absolute nightmare.
It’s like getting chocolate cake and then being told I have to gnaw raw bark afterwards for 3 hours.

What a great experience! I can’t wait to come back next year. It wasn’t as bad as I had originally thought a race would be. It was my boy’s first time as well and he was enthralled with the entire experience. It is loud and if you have sensitive ears I recommend bringing ear plugs or they sell them for $ 2 a pair at the souvenir shop. Also, bring a portable umbrella… I’m a crispy critter now–

I came here with my brother and son to watch the Nascar Race and we stayed in the RV. While the 50 acres campground served its purpose it was a little funky. There was dog crap all over the place and it was like walking through a mine field and when we arrived on Saturday morning there was a car in our spot and we couldn’t find the person to move. Security took us to our spot and said well they will show up eventually. Really, tow their ass… The race was ok and the had some good activities.
I really wish that there was a truck race or xfinity race that weekend as well.

Came here for Sunday’s NHRA event. Had the Nitro Club Luxury Suite. Here is my overall impression of the Nitro Club Suite Experience:
The GOOD: VIP Parking made for an easy trek to and from the car. And getting in and out was easy. The view from the suite was awesome and it was nice to have a place to relax when you want to get out of the sun. Free water and sodas were a bonus. TV screens inside to tell you what was going on. Bonus was having private restrooms that were clean.
The So-​So: The food was mediocre. I ate a big breakfast and skipped the lunch which was sad-​looking chicken, potatoes, macaroni salad, and rolls. It did not look appetizing. They also had chips, popcorn, pretzels and afternoon cheese plates (with way too much goat cheese and swiss cheese and not enough brie, which was gone immediately, and the parmesan cheese was super hard).
The BAD: VIP Suite does not assign seating so if you leave your spot someone else will take it. People were «saving» their seats and leaving the suite, so if you came back and there was no seating, you had to stand (we did not know that you could do this so we lost our seats and spent time standing or going back outside). Children under 12 could go into the suite for free which meant they were taking up plenty of seats from paying patrons (and it was not cheap at $ 325 per ticket). Basically they oversell for the number of seats available. When you mention it to the staff inside the suites, they feign ignorance and don’t want to get involved. Several people were REALLY intoxicated (they were making drinks super strong according to what I overheard). We took a couple of seats that were «saved» and the dude who came back and claimed they were his saved seats tried to provoke a fight with us about it. TV screens were very small. The VIP suites were abnormally freezing cold (it was only 80 degrees outside and felt like 60 degrees in the suite, and I was tempted to go buy a sweatshirt to weather the temperature inside).
Suggested fixes for management’s advisement: Assign seating. Do not oversell the suite. Charge for number of butts that will be using chairs (free children taking seats from paying folk is NOT ok). Train staff members to mediate and monitor what is going on inside of the suites. Improve temperature inside. Get better TV’s. Design a system where people can put their names on seats if they want to go outside for a while and come back later. Offer better food.
Would I come back? It is not likely that I would be willing to pay so much for such a mediocre experience. I found it disappointing on many levels. I had a lot of fun overall but that was because the race itself was a blast. For the amount of money I paid, I expected a better overall experience.

I have attended NASCAR and NHRA here. The place is unique and is fun to mix some right turns into the equation and see which drivers can wheel the best on the road course. I recommend sitting high in Turn 9 since you basically can watch 95% of the race from there.
Keeping it from a 5 star track is the traffic to and from and the need to update the video screen (s). You’re also going to see fewer hauler concessions selling driver gear than other tracks since NoCal is so far away from the other race tracks

They try really hard to make this facility well rounded. They biggest problem they have in getting more races and entertainment here is the lame neighbors who can’t deal with other people having fun. Yes I am bitter about this. Its always one or two people that like to ruin everyone else’s good time. I am sick of these people. A friend is on the fan council and says this is a major hindrance. Don’t like living near a racetrack, move, please, stop being a bitter brat because you don’t like it, it’s only a handful of days out of the year. I have to listen to loud annoying music on every weekend at home to big deal…
If I won the lottery I’d gladly buy you whiners out.
Nonetheless they try hard to bring good events to the track. The food is average but I have had worse. They have been great at trying to improve on feedback. They have brought food trucks to events before and it was great. Parking condition need improvement. They are trying to improve things at the track through feedback from their Fan Councils. They still need to work on parking and shuttles. They are only okay, but other tracks do some of this better.
I still would like to see a couple more events.
I am not expecting anything special on seating so I am not commenting on that much, though I’d like to see some sort of coverage options. They have installed a fee shaded areas but they are at the back of the stands. The sound is awful in the grandstands, I don’t know if that’s something they can fix or not.
Safety is fine. There really aren’t any parts of the track that are close enough to cause fan injury in case of an incident.
(I’d actually give 3.5 stars because 4 is a but too forgiving and 3 is too low, but oh well.)

I fo-​sheezy had a great time here at the NASCAR Sprint Cup a few weeks ago. It was my first NASCAR race – first race, period – and I had oodles of fun.
Walking around the track is great – and fairly easy. We sat in the turn 7 stands – which was great for being close to the wrecks.
Bummers:
— No shade (Hellooooooo scalp sunburn! Wear a hat.)
— No *real* bathrooms away from the Grand Stands – plenty of Port-​a-​potties.
— There are some HUGE hills to climb to get back to parking.
The experience was great, though. Tonzafun.

Great place. Nice, helpful staff. Lots of room, you can walk around and see the race from many angles. We found places to stay in the shade most of the time.
Staff is very friendly and helpful. They provide free rides since the grounds are very large
Use earplugs, it’s very loud.
Suggestions for SR admin: Video: you’ve got to upgrade the video presentation. The screens are small and dim. Subtitles would be great too. Food: find some high quality local food vendors. Several of the themed food vendors seemed to be staffed by the same people and were selling garbage. $ 12 curly fries? It should be possible to improve quality and moderate prices.

Just attended the NASCAR race on ⁶⁄₂₈ and I truly had an epic time!
This was my first race to attend in person so I have no comparison, but I had read through all the reviews here and knew to expect traffic and long walks to the car… and I was okay with that.
We arrived from the alternate route of 580÷101÷37 from Oakland airport area and made it a few minutes before the gates opened at 6am… we wanted a full day experience and it was worth every minute for us.
Our seats were in the main grandstand, under the cover of the upper deck which has its pros and cons. PRO: shaded seats and better view of track. CON: the upper deck will impede your view of the air show if that’s important and some seats will have obstructions from the concrete pillars holding up the upper deck. It just so happened that my seat was in line with the pillar and jumbo screen across the track so I couldn’t see the screen at all. (My seat was section C, Row 46, seat 6. Hubby’s seat 5 was not blocked much at all) I did have the Sprint Fanvision so I could still see (and hear) what was on the big screen so I wasn’t too upset with the placement of my seat. Just sharing for those trying to attend for the first time.
We brought in a backpack with a little food and bottles of water that we refilled several times. We bought some fries from a stand but that was about it.
I can’t speak for the other events that happen at this track, but my observations after attending this race are this:
* The grandstand is a great area to watch the race.
* If you want or need shade — go for the upper rows, but be aware of sight obstacles.
* If sitting in the sun is ok, it would be super fun to be closer to the pits and watch the crews in action.
* Trying to get on a shuttle to take you to your car might take longer than just walking to your car. We just walked while masses stood in very long lines.
* Make sure you note what lot you park in! (seems like a no brainer but…)
* The Sprint Fanvision is awesome, but next time I’ll bring my own headphones.
* I’ll bring more of my own food next time.
* Depending on where you’re driving from, the route of 580÷101÷37 has much less traffic especially after the race. But be aware that events happening in San Francisco could impact your traffic post-​race. We were smooth sailing once we got out of the track until we got closer to the city. But we knew of major parades and events happening that we suspect impacted our drive home.
* My opinion of road-​track races has totally changed. ;)
I hope this helps anyone going to the track for the first time. We had so much fun, we’ve already booked tickets for the NHRA Sonoma Nationals at the end of July.

Here at SONOMA RACEWAY (old Sears Point N Infinion). Jeff Gordon’s last PRO race, warm to warmer day here on the hill UNDER A TREE waiting for race to start. My friend David H. in on turn 2 under the sun, ouch! I feel for him !

I attended the Sonoma — 2015 Ferrari Challenge yesterday. I splurged and purchased a VIP ticket. The setting was great, the venue was clean and organized, the collection of personally owned Ferraris and race specific 458’s were awesome, and the food and drinks were great! I’m definitely going again for the 2016 season. The staff done good!

If you’re not first, you’re last!
Venue: The venue itself is a beautiful area. It’s a sport’s photographer’s dream with the mountains and water in the background There are seating areas that have very good views for photos. Plenty of parking.
NASA Event: My fiancé went to this track for his first time driving on the track with NASA racing. I love the NASA community — everyone is extremely friendly and helpful. The instructors are very helpful — a special thank you to Mario for being so amazing! I was told this was the best track in California with its intricate turns. I really enjoyed this event and will be coming back to this track soon!
Tip: Be prepared to be stuck in traffic if you’re driving on 37 anytime after 4pm. Its a single lane freeway from Sonoma to Vallejo and gets backed up. Happy driving!

Came to the charity vintage racing event here. My first time time here and it was a lot of fun.
It was really cool to the see the cars from the movie RUSH in person here, walk around the pits, talk to the drivers and enjoy the races
Wish they had more vendors both for car items as well as food vendors.

I do come here from time to time and enjoy the NASCAR races in June, this would be my third year that I have returned to see the banging and fun on the track, but I know this review about the facility.
I have been to different tracks in the US and Sonoma has it good and bad points, a few of the bad. The packing is on hills, and you will need to do some walking to get to the track. The size of the track, which does bring out the fan, is a draw back because while you are walking and enjoy everything, there are a few point while walking that become very congested with people that do not know how to walk, usually the same people that can’t merge too.
The restroom as spread out throughout the track, and yes some of the are porta potty’s, of course that is OK. Now here are a few good points, yes because of the track being big, you might not be able to see the whole track do not worry, the series that come here being large screen TV’s which you can watch the area you can not see and follow your driver. The food is ok, of course it is expensive, but you are allow to bring an ice chest to the track and your seats, which is a good way to bring your sandwich. I do enjoy hanging out at the beginning of the race to see the drivers and you are able to get up close and say hi to your favorite drive, and the racing is very good nice passing area, as well as a few crashes. the course again is big which allows you to find your favorites seats and see what kind of racing you would enjoy the most.
Looking forward to hanging out in 2015.

Came here for NASCAR in June 2014 for my first ever sporting event. I must say for a sports venue this is pretty impressive.
Some stuff to know:
Sit near the «S» turns or up by the top of the hill. I’d have to look at the map to see what turn numbers. We picked turn 7 which was a mistake.
Don’t go on the charity ferris wheel. That thing was scary as shit. I though the car was going to fall and the carnies that ran it were rude and had no care for safety.
Food — pretty terrible (as all sporting events) good news: you can bring your own food. Coolers are permitted!
More good news: Bring booze! Despite all the warnings on the ticket that outside alcohol was banned this simply is no the case. Everyone brings booze and they don’t search coolers. Next NASCAR I’m bring craft beers and setting up a little bar.
Buy the headphone thing. I didn’t and couldn’t hear shit. It was loud and the speakers sucked. Very poorly positioned and balanced. Suck it up speed the $$$ because your going to want to hear all the entertaining sponsor plugs.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. is the man. Wow that dude can drive.
They got transportation shuttles to get you to the parking lots. Despite the really long lines they moved really fast. I was impressed by the logistics. They know crowds. Hell they even had portable cell towers!
Bring good shoes; your going to want to walk, and you should. It is all open and if you have shit seats you can walk to a better area and no one seems to ask to see your tickets. I wouldn’t spend $$$ for upgrades when you can get it free.

Came out with the fam for NHRA Nationals Finals on Saturday ⁷⁄₂₇. Luckily for us the day wasn’t too hot.
The whole site is clean (including the camp and parking areas), staff is friendly, prices aren’t completely out-​of-​this-​world exorbent… and how couldn’t you enjoy seeing cars go crazy fast?!
Just be prepared for the traffic getting in and out of the raceway. It took us an hour and a half from Vallejo to the raceway. We left before the end of the day so we didn’t have to sit in it again on the way home.

I frequent all of the NorCal tracks to participate in High Performance Driving Events (HPDE) and I have to say that Sears Point/​Sonoma Raceway has it all. It is technically the most challenging road course in the area by leaps and bounds; the track demands that you respect it! Unlike THill and Laguna Seca; SP has walls everyplace and they will bite you in the arse if you are not on your game.
Staff is outstanding; Show Love to the Corner Workers!
Facilities are excellent including the café, Wine Country Motorsports, rest rooms, etc. Of course the surrounding hills and valleys are really soothing on the old optics!
Always look forward to my visits here!
Cheers!