Written by Derek Wilson
It's a weekend to celebrate speed: NASCAR weekend in Sonoma.
They'll be running hot on the 1.99-mile Sonoma Raceway road course this weekend for the 25th Toyota/Save Mart 350. But traffic on the roads leading to the main gate traditionally has been more stop than go on race day. Media reports last year estimated attendance for Sunday around 90,000, of course not all those people are on the road at the same time.
"There's going to be heavy traffic Saturday and Sunday, especially in the evening when the race gets out," California Highway Patrol Officer M. Ernie said.
Drivers often admit the action on the track can get a little heated, and fans can expect to see plenty of bump-and-run action. That's not what the CHP expects on the highways, though.
"Accidents are usually pretty minimal just because traffic is moving as slowly as it it. There aren't too many collisions," Officer Ernie said.
Sonoma Raceway is doing its part to take cars off the highways, with bus and train service to the track. The raceway and Sports Fan Express are teaming up with bus service from Livermore, Fairfield, Concord, Sacramento, Santa Rosa, Novato, San Rafael and other cities. Bus fare is $30-40. (http://www.racesonoma.com/fanguide/travel/bus_transportation/)
For locals, the Sonoma Valley Visitors Bureau announces a partnership with Sonoma Raceway and Sonoma County Transit with a free shuttle will be running between Sonoma Raceway's '50-Acres' campground and the Historic Sonoma Plaza on both Friday, June 21 and Saturday, June 22, 2013.
The shuttle will run from 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. both Friday and Saturday. The first shuttle departs from the 50-Acre Campground at 9:30 a.m., and will depart from that location every half hour with the last shuttle departing at 4:30 p.m.
Shuttles departing from the Sonoma County Transit bus stop on the Sonoma Plaza horseshoe will depart on the hour, the first shuttle departing to the track at 10:00 a.m. and the last shuttle returning to the track at 5:00 p.m.
The premier of Sonoma Raceway's NASCAR Express Train is sold out. The train will accommodate 500 passengers. It will depart from Sacramento, with stops in Davis and Suisun City, before dropping passengers just steps from the raceway’s main entrance on race-day morning
“We felt sure this was going to be a popular program, but until you put it out to the market you can never be certain,” said Steve Page, president and general manager of Sonoma Raceway. “We know the people riding the NASCAR Express will have a terrific time this Sunday and we look forward to building on this success in future years.”
The train service is a collaboration between the raceway, the Capitol Corridor Joint Powers Authority and several other agencies. The program finally came together this year after upgrades to the adjacent tracks. It marks the first time some of the track has ever been used for passenger rail travel.
But with all the logistical planning and cooperation, whether or not the NASCAR Express train will run next year is an open question.
Race tickets and reserved seats are still available for this weekend’s 25th Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma Raceway, June 21-23. For more information, visit www.racesonoma.com/nascar or call 800-870-RACE (7223).
