Sonoma Raceway staff and its vendors are hard at work preparing to host Northern California’s largest sporting event of the year. The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series makes its 30th annual visit to wine country this weekend, June 22-24. This marks the first road-course race of the year for the NASCAR Cup Series, which will be televised live on Sunday at 12 p.m. PT on FS1.
The road course features more than 160 feet of elevation change from its highest point (Turn 3a, 174 feet) to its lowest point (Turn 10, 14 feet). That’s taller than a 14-story building.
- Petaluma-based Corky Caprara of United Striping 101 has handled painting/striping duties on the road course for 29 of the raceway’s 30 NASCAR races. Every ounce of paint on the road course is laid down by he and his crew, including the start/finish line and the logos inside Turn 11, as well as the blue and gold berms (in honor of Steve Page’s alma mater, UC Berkeley). He will use 900 gallons of paint to prepare for the Toyota/Save Mart 350.
NASCAR Monster Energy Cup driver AJ Allmendinger sprays paint in turn 11 at Sonoma Raceway. - Sonoma Raceway President and General Manager Steve Page will oversee his 27th NASCAR event this weekend. His first race at then-Sears Point Raceway was in 1992.
- The NASCAR configuration of the Sonoma Raceway road course is lined with 1,178 tire packs made up 29,450 tires, 106,020 screws, 106,020 clips and 212,040 washers.
“Lawnmowers” - Nearly 3,000 sheep, housed at the raceway and provided by Rocky Mountain Wooly Weeders, provide natural land care, helping to maintain the facility’s grasses and fire lanes.
Sacramento Hauler Parade
Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series haulers will rumble through the streets of Sacramento at the 8th annual NASCAR Hauler Parade en route to Sonoma for the Toyota/Save Mart 350 race weekend.
WHEN: Parade begins at noon; Morning show opportunities available at the 49er Travel Plaza from 5-9 a.m., including with hauler drivers and Hauler Parade Grand Marshal Michael Rooker (7-8 a.m.)
PARADE ROUTE:
The parade will begin promptly at noon on Thursday, June 21, 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 towards Capitol Mall.
- Right turn on 3rd 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 South on Hwy. 80 to Sonoma Raceway, where they will be parked in the garage for the race weekend. The haulers will arrive at the raceway at approximately 2 p.m.
