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the run up to the winning 2006 race Race Engineer Eddie
Jones said:
"Infineon
Raceway is a very challenging race. It bears a strong
resemblance to Watkins Glen where we had a very competitive
race car. Marco also won the Indy Pro Series event
at Infineon last year and that gives us reason to
be very optimistic. It is a difficult track to set
up for because of the mixture of fast and slow corners.
I really expect for us to have a very competitive
weekend. "
Eddie Jones, Race Engineer,
#26 NYSE Dallara/Honda/Firestone
After
his Indycar Seires debut win, Marco said: "We
got it! I was trying all year for it. We knew this is one
track we could have a shot at but we knew how tough it
was going to be. I've got to give it to the team, though.
My NYSE boys did an awesome job all weekend, just as they
have all year long. Track position was huge. I love a track
that you have to qualify well at and have to drive the
thing." |
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#Race
#15 :
The Motorola Indy 300
From Infineon Raceway
Sunday
August 26th
Sonoma, California
29355 Arnold Dr.
Sonoma, California 95476
1-800-870-RACE
2006
winner Marco Andretti.
Distance:
80 laps/184 miles
TV:
3.30pm on ESPN.
Ticket
Info
Race
Track Website
The
Race :
The
Motorola Indy 300 presented by Jackson Rancheria Casino & Hotel
is an Indy Racing League IndyCar Series race held at Infineon
Raceway in Sonoma, California.
The USAC Championship Car circuit raced at the circuit in
1970. In 2005, American open wheel racing returned to the
circuit with an Indycar Series event
Track
Talk
Race fans are invited to the Wine Country Winner's Circle
during the Grand Prix of Sonoma race weekend for intimate
question-and-answer sessions with top drivers.
IndyCar
Series & Grand Am Driver Autograph Sessions
Fans will have a chance to meet many of the stars from the
Grand-Am Series and IndyCar Series at the driver autograph
sessions on Saturday, August 25th.
IndyCar® Charity
Auction
It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to take a pace lap
with star drivers like Helio Castroneves, Dan Wheldon or
Danica Patrick around the world-famous road course. All proceeds
benefit Speedway Children's Charities.
AAA
Designated Driver Program
Come by the AAA Designated Driver Program booth to become
a designated driver for your group. Just fill out a pledge
card - under the direction of the AAA- and receive a free
bottle of water.
Speedway
Children's Charities Booth
Visit the Speedway Children's Charities booth to learn more
about the charitable arm of Infineon Raceway. Speedway Children's
Charities is dedicated to raising money for needy youth organizations
in Sonoma County, and has distributed more than $2.1 million
since
Backstory:
Infineon Raceway, formerly Sears Point Raceway, is a road
course and drag strip located on the landform known as
Sears Point in the southern Sonoma Mountains near Sonoma,
California, USA. The course is a complex series of twists
and turns that go up and down the hills. It is host to
one of only five NASCAR races each year that are run
on road courses (including two races at Watkins Glen
International in Watkins Glen, New York and the Busch-only
races at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez in Mexico City,
Mexico and at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal,
Quebec, Canada). It is also host to America's top open-wheel
series, the Indy Racing League, and several other auto
races and motorcycle races such as the American Federation
of Motorcyclists series.
With the closure of Riverside International Raceway in Riverside,
California after the 1988 season, NASCAR, wanting a west
coast road course event to replace it, chose the Sears Point
facility. Riverside International was razed for a shopping
center development.
In 2002, Sears Point Raceway was renamed after a corporation,
Infineon. However, as with many renamings of sports complexes,
many people still call it by its original name. Despite its
name, it was in no ways affiliated with Sears, Roebuck and
Company, having been named for the nearby geographical feature.
The standard road course at Infineon Raceway is a 2.52 mile
(4.05 km), 12 turn course, however the track was modified
in 1998, adding the Chute, which bypassed turns 5 and 6,
shortening the course to 1.95 miles (3.14 km). The Chute
was only used for NASCAR events such as the Toyota/Save Mart
350, and was criticized by many drivers, who prefer the full
layout.[1] In 2001, it was replaced with the 70° turn,
4A bringing the track to its current dimensions.[2] Most
races, including the Grand American Road Racing Association's
Grand Prix of Sonoma, use the full course, while American
Motorcyclist Association and Indy Racing League events use
a modified 2.22 mile (3.57 km), 12 turn course. This layout,
opened in 2003, skips much of the Esses and run from Turn
10 to Turn 11 (the hairpin) for additional safety for motorcyclists,
including runoff available in the motorcycle Turn 11 (the
main Turn 11 has no runoff, and is a very slow turn, similar
to the Mirabeau hairpin at Monaco). The raceway also has
a quarter mile (400 m) drag strip used for NHRA drag racing
events, and is located on part of the front straightaway
on the course.
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