Infineon Raceway is considered one of the premier quarter-mile drag strips on the 23-race NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series circuit. It’s proximity to sea level, 660-foot concrete launch pad and fan amenities have cemented the Sonoma Valley quarter-mile as a hot spot for both drag racers and fans alike.
They will all soon flock to Infineon Raceway as it celebrates 20 years of NHRA drag racing at the FRAM Autolite NHRA Nationals, July 27-29. The drivers can’t wait to get to Sonoma, which will signal the end of a grueling six-week stretch of races spanning from New Jersey to Northern California.
“Infineon Raceway was always one of the more beautiful places on the tour but it was very difficult to navigate through the pits and what not. What they’ve done to open the pit area with a lot more paving and spreading out the pros a little more made it not only great for the fans, but the competitors. You can tell by how the fans flock in and out of the place that they love this place as well, ” said Pro Stock driver Jeg Coughlin, who won in Sonoma in 2003.
“Unfortunately, I have yet to win at Infineon Raceway during my career, but rest assured that I do love going out there just the same. It really is a terrific facility and the racing surface is top notch, ” said driver Tony Schumacher, owner of the Top Fuel elapsed time record in Sonoma at 4.486 seconds.
Comments like that were hard to find prior to the raceway’s massive $70 million modernization plan, which was completed prior to the 2002 motor-racing season. The drag strip featured just a 100-foot concrete pad, the race surface was difficult to navigate, the paddock was extremely small and fans were forced to sit on rickety wooden bleachers. It wasn’t a pretty sight.
“It wasn’t the best stop on the circuit, that’s for sure, ” said Funny Car driver Gary Scelzi, a two-time winner in Sonoma.
The raceway went from the outhouse to the penthouse in 2001 when Funny Car drivers John Force and Gary Scelzi concluded the FRAM Autolite Nationals by racing bulldozers down the drag strip to tear up the concrete. The race signified the beginning of the modernization plan that included a new race surface, sparkling state-of-the-art grandstand, enlarged paddock and other amenities. One of the most significant changes was the separation of the drag strip from the road course, as well as a Compulink Timing System and an upgraded Musco Lighting system for night racing.
Drag racing in the Sonoma Valley has certainly evolved since the very first NHRA national event in 1988 when Joe Amato edged Dick LaHaie for the first-ever Top Fuel championship in the Sonoma Valley. Mark Oswald (Funny Car) and Harry Scribner (Pro Stock) were the other professional winners before a packed grandstand. Since then, the raceway has turned into a drag racing powerhouse.
Last year’s event marked one of the quickest in Infineon Raceway history, as six of eight professional track records were broken. Pro Stock driver Greg Anderson even reset an NHRA national record with a 6.631-second pass. Anderson reset his own national record later in the year, but still holds the Infineon Raceway elapsed time and speed records (207.82). In Pro Stock Motorcycle, four riders cracked the six-second barrier, including Antron Brown and Tom Bradford, who became the third and fourth riders (respectively) in drag racing history to post six-second runs.
Not only does it host an NHRA national event each year, but Infineon Raceway has also opened its gates for the last 19 years for its grass-roots Wednesday Night Drags program, which allows fans to race their car or motorcycle down the world-famous strip. The event attracts 300 competitors and an average of 500 fans each week. There’s also a very successful bracket drag racing program, as well as an NHRA Division 7 Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event. In all, the raceway has more than 40 days of drag racing each year.
“We upgraded this facility to offer first-class amenities for our fans, to improve the event logistics for the race teams and most importantly, to build the fastest racetrack in the world. I think we’ve been able to accomplish all of those goals, ” said Steve Page, president and general manager of Infineon Raceway. ”
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