Sonoma Raceway

Track Info

Location	Sonoma, California
Type	Road Course
Length	2.52 miles (4.055 km) - full course
Turns	12
Surface	Asphalt
Capacity	~47,000
Opened	1968

Track Characteristics

Sonoma Raceway winds through the rolling hills of Northern California wine country, offering some of the most picturesque scenery on the entire NASCAR circuit. The road course features significant elevation changes, blind crests, and a variety of corner types that test every aspect of a driver's skill set. NASCAR has used different configurations over the years, including a shorter course that bypassed the challenging "Carousel" section, but the full course layout maximizes the technical challenge.

The key overtaking zone is the heavy braking area into Turn 7 (the hairpin), where drivers dive deep on the brakes coming off the straight to make aggressive passes. Turn 11 - the final corner before the frontstretch - is another critical passing point where a good exit can set up a draft-and-pass down the straight. The narrow track width in several sections makes side-by-side racing difficult but not impossible, and the resulting contact and drama are part of what makes Sonoma special.

The California sun and wind play a major role in race conditions. Track temperatures can vary significantly from morning practice to afternoon racing, and the wind sweeping across the exposed hillsides can push cars around in the higher-speed sections. Teams that adapt their setups throughout the day tend to perform best.

Getting There

Nearest Airport	Charles M. Schulz Sonoma County Airport (STS) - approximately 20 miles north. San Francisco International Airport (SFO) is about 50 miles south.
Nearest City	Sonoma, CA. Napa Valley wine country is nearby, making this one of the best destination race weekends on the schedule.

Series That Race Here

• NASCAR Cup Series
• NASCAR Xfinity Series
• NHRA Drag Racing
• Historic: IndyCar (various years), Trans-Am, IMSA

2026 NASCAR Event Info

Cup Race	Toyota / Save Mart 350
Date	June 7, 2026
TV	FOX

Track Records

NASCAR Qualifying	Jeff Gordon - 99.006 mph (2004, short course)
Note	Records vary by course configuration used

Notable Past Races

• 2012: Clint Bowyer won at Sonoma in a race that saw Jeff Gordon intentionally wreck Bowyer under caution, leading to NASCAR fining Gordon's team $100,000 and docking points.
• 2019: Martin Truex Jr. dominated the road course, proving his versatility by winning convincingly at a track that rewards finesse over raw power.
• 1998: Jeff Gordon added Sonoma to his impressive road course resume, winning for the third time at the Northern California circuit.
• 2016: Tony Stewart won at Sonoma in his final season, adding a sentimental victory at one of his favorite tracks during his farewell tour.

Track Facts

• Sonoma Raceway was originally called Sears Point Raceway and later Infineon Raceway before reverting to its current name in 2012.
• The track is located in the heart of Sonoma County wine country, surrounded by vineyards and rolling hills that make it one of the most scenic racing venues in the world.
• Jeff Gordon holds the record for most Cup victories at Sonoma with five, earning it a reputation as one of his signature tracks.
• The facility includes a quarter-mile drag strip that hosts NHRA national events, making it a complete motorsport complex.

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