Tag: Sonoma

Jeff Gordon Has An Unforgettable Weekend Ahead in Northern California

Jeff Gordon grew up in Vallejo, CA and has raced all over Northern California. At age 6, he raced quarter midgets and had 35 main event wins and set 5 track records. He even raced at the quarter midget track in Rio Linda know as the “Fastest Dirt Track in the West” by the Capitol Quarter Midget Association. Then at 13, Jeff and his family moved to Pittsboro, Indiana to race sprint cars. He says he always enjoys coming back home to NorCal to race and see old friends. Jeff Gordon also has a small part in the new movie Cars 2, that comes out Friday. Here is a release from his team on this weekend’s activities.

No matter the result of Sunday’s Toyota/Save Mart 350, this will be a memorable weekend for five-time Infineon Raceway winner Jeff Gorvette. Er, Jeff Gordon.

Gordon, a native of Vallejo, Calif., has a busy weekend planned. On Friday, he will practice and qualify the No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet at Infineon while also traveling the world as Jeff Gorvette — assisting buddies Lightning McQueen and Mater — in Disney- Pixar’s new release Cars2.

On Saturday after practice, Gordon and family will celebrate daughter Ella’s birthday (she turned four years old on June 20). On Sunday, the all-time leader in NASCAR Sprint Cup Series road course victories will attempt to reach double-digit wins at Infineon and Watkins Glen International combined.

Jeff Gordon grew up in Vallejo, California.

“There’s no doubt this is probably my favorite weekend of racing, regardless of what happens on the track,” said Gordon. “It’s just a magical time for me with my daughter’s birthday party, seeing my biological father and other family members, and seeing friends I went to elementary school with and raced with out here.

“It’s just a special weekend and it puts me in an incredibly positive frame of mind going into the race on Sunday.”

Along with five wins here, Gordon has five poles, 11 top-fives and 14 top-10’s in 18 starts. He has led 437 laps, which is 276 more laps than the nearest active competitor, Mark Martin. To put that in perspective, Martin could lead wire-to-wire in the next two events here and he would still trail Gordon by 56 laps in that category.

But the four-time NASCAR Cup Series champion has not led a lap here in four years, and the No. 24 team has worked hard to correct that.

“We’ve struggled on the road courses recently, and that’s not something we’re accustomed to,” said Gordon, who is 12th in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series point standings. “It’s not something we like, so we tested at Mid-Ohio and have been working really hard to make improvements.”

“I’m hoping that test will get us closer to being more competitive this weekend.”

“This is a very challenging track. On a road course, you typically want to attack the braking zones. Here, with the elevation changes and the off-cambered corners, you have to be very careful not to over-attack or drive too hard.”

“Hopefully we find the right balance with speed this weekend.”

Jeff Gordon's character in the new movie Cars 2.

But before Gordon battles the NASCAR Sprint Cup regulars in northern California on Sunday, Gorvette will race into theaters beginning Friday.

“My role is fairly small,” said Gorvette. “Lightning McQueen and Mater and some of his buddies are in the movie, and I’m one of their new buddies. It’s an international spy thriller, so they go all over the world.

“It was a blast.”

A blast — like every race weekend at Infineon for Gordon.

The NASCAR Hauler Parade in Sacramento is Thursday, June 23

When you hear rumbling and roaring in downtown Sacramento on Thursday, June 23, no need to worry, that’s the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series coming to town.

Sacramento has long been a hotbed for NASCAR, and race fans will be rewarded during race week with a parade of up to 50 NASCAR haulers through the streets around the State Capitol under a full police escort.

That’s right, you’ll see haulers from Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart, Jimmie Johnson and every other driver on the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series circuit. This marks the first ever hauler parade in Northern California and raceway officials are thrilled to bring it to Sacramento, home to our most avid race fans. This will serve as the Sacramento kickoff to the Toyota/Save Mart 350 weekend in Sonoma, June 24-26.

The NASCAR Haulers at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma.

The parade will begin promptly at 2:30 p.m. on Thursday, June 23, as the haulers depart their staging area and cross the Tower Bridge, heading for the State Capitol. The route is as follows:

Cross Tower Bridge and drive up Capitol Mall.
Right turn on 9th Street.
Left turn on N Street.
Left turn on 16th Street.
Left turn on L Street.
Haulers will then be directed to the freeway and head to Infineon Raceway, where they will be parked in the garage for the race weekend.

Race fans can catch the haulers all along the parade route, but are encouraged to head to L and 11th streets for the best view. The raceway will have a display there, as well as the Infineon Raceway Girls, giveaways and tickets for the big race. This will be the heart of the action.

Be sure and mark June 23rd on your calendar so that we can give the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series a raucous Sacramento welcome as the 50 haulers rumble through town. Be sure to download the parade map below, which also lists the route, as well as best viewing points. Here is the link to the Parade Map.

For more information, please visit: www.infineonraceway.com.

The Sonoma Historic Motorsports Festival is June 4th and 5th

The Historic Race Car Festival, presented by PG&E, cruises back to the Sonoma Plaza on Saturday, June 4, to benefit youth groups in Sonoma County through Speedway Children’s Charities, the charitable arm of Infineon Raceway.

Following the on-track action at the Sonoma Historic Motorsports Festival on Saturday, fans and local residents are invited to the plaza to enjoy samplings from Sonoma Valley restaurants and wineries, as well as beautiful historic cars on display.

While enjoying local delicacies, attendees can stroll around the plaza and get an up-close look at more than 30 historic cars. The evening, which caps off Celebrate Sonoma Day at Infineon Raceway, will feature samplings from a variety of local favorite restaurants including Basque Boulangerie, Community Café, Hop Monk, The Red Grape, Swiss Hotel, Maya, Tuscan Cowgirl Dezerts and Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream, among others.

Many local wineries, including B.R. Cohn Winery, The Cellar Door, Cline Cellars, Deerfield Ranch, Highway 12 Vineyards & Winery, Larson Family Winery, Ledson Winery, VJB Vineyards & Cellars and Valley of the Moon Winery, will complement the food with wine tastings.

The event will begin with a parade of 30 historic cars departing under a full CHP escort from Infineon Raceway at approximately 5 p.m. on Saturday. The parade of cars will motor along Highways 121 and 12, before reaching the scenic Sonoma Plaza and taking a ceremonial lap around the square. They will then be parked around the horseshoe and on display for the public. Fans are invited to vote for their favorite cars in two different categories.

The parade and car display will feature many Sonoma car enthusiasts, including Stephen Cross (1965 E-Type Jaguar), Dave Lipsky (1964 Oldsmobile Cutlass), John Shirley (1958 Alfa) and Earl Whitney (1950 Muntz), among others.

McLaren will take center stage as the featured marque at the Sonoma Historic Motorsports Festival, June 4-5. The legendary McLaren name, which has graced the halls of motor sports since Bruce McLaren founded his racing team in 1963, will headline a full weekend of vintage racing, alongside machines from Porsche, Ferrari, Aston Martin, Corvette and many more! The weekend will also feature the Wine Country Pavilion with food and wine samples from the Sonoma and Napa valleys, headlined by notable Bay Area chef Victor Scargle.

The Historic Race Car Festival, presented by PG&E will run from 5:30-8 p.m. and tickets can be purchased for $30 in advance or $35 at the event. Call 800-870-RACE (7223) or visit www.infineonraceway.com for more information or to reserve tickets.