Sonoma Nationals Featuring 300 MPH Jet Dragsters

At 300 miles per hour, you could drive from downtown Petaluma to the shores of South Lake Tahoe in barely more time than it would take to watch a Seinfeld rerun.

You'd probably never be able to pull that one off, but you can witness the spectacle of land vehicles reaching ungodly speeds as Sonoma Raceway hosts the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series this weekend at the Sonoma Nationals.

The race will feature two fire-spitting, 8,000 horsepower jet dragsters that can reach speeds of more than 300 mph.

“The hills of the Sonoma Valley will shake” as jet dragsters will push the decibel level envelope, race promoters say.

The jet cars will be featured today and on Saturday after the nitro qualifying sessions.

Below are some of the highlights of this weekend's NHRA Sonoma Nationals.

ALL WEEKEND

4th Annual Nostalgia Get Together

Visit the Nostalgia Get Together display in the garages in the main paddock to check out a stellar collection of nearly 60 vintage dragsters, hot rods and more.

3rd Annual Blast on the Grass

Check out the Blast on the Grass Car Show featuring hot rods, muscles cars, rat rods and exotics.  This great display will be located on the lawn behind the staging lanes. Don't miss it!

Track Talk

Head to the Wine Country Winner's Circle on Friday at 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. to ask your favorite NHRA drag racer a question!  Check the posted board for times and drivers.

Sonoma Raceway Girls

Say hello to the popular Sonoma Raceway Girls this weekend, and don't miss your chance to have your picture taken with these lovely ladies.  Pick up a Raceway Girls poster at the Ticket Pit Stop behind the main grandstand.

Nitro Alley

Visit Nitro Alley to visit interactive displays, merchandise haulers and check out cars on display.

NEW!! Heroes in our Community Booth

Fans can send a hero to the upcoming GoPro Grand Prix of Sonoma INDYCAR race in August through a $10 donation at the Heroes in Our Community Booth, presented by PG&E.  The booth is also a hub where fans can sign banners thanking military and first responders for their service.

Ticket Pit Stop

Stop by the Ticket Pit Stop, located behind the Main Grandstand in the paddock to get answers to all of your questions, plus news about upcoming events. This is also the site of the Speedway Children's Charities booth where you can purchase $1 raffle tickets to win one of two signed guitars by NASCAR driver Kasey Kahne or country stars Big & Rich.

CHP Designated Driver Booth

Visit the California Highway Patrol Designated Driver Booth in the main paddock to pledge to be the designated driver for your group. Funding for this program was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

- See more at: http://www.racesonoma.com/media/news/pro-mods-jet-dragsters-added-nhra-sonoma-nationals-weekend.html...

SUNDAY

Lead-Foot Ladies Starting Line Party

Join Sonoma Raceway in honoring the Lead-Foot Ladies of the NHRA, including  Alexis DeJoria, Brittany Force and Courtney Force, who will take part in a Track Walk down the drag strip as well as a Q&A with race fans prior to pre-race ceremonies. Upgrades to your race-day ticket are available for $20 at the entrance to the track next to the Wine Country Winner's Circle.

Hometown Hero Recognition

PG&E's Heroes in our Community will honor Rohnert Park's Nicole Massey, local disaster responder, during pre-race ceremonies. Massey will be returning from her work in Prescott, Ariz. where she played a critical role in coordinating volunteer efforts to meet the needs of disaster clients from the devastating wild fires. Entering her third year with the Red Cross, Massey leads local efforts to engage, train and reward volunteers to support the Red Cross effort to make our community safer, better place to live.

Eric Medlen Ice Cream Social

Join us as we honor the late Funny Car racer Eric Medlen after final round eliminations on Sunday. Fans are invited onto the race surface for a free scoop of ice cream, compliments of Dreyer's Grand Ice Cream. Fans are also encouraged to donate to Speedway Children's Charities.

National Anthem by Sacramento's Ella Pierce

Sacramento's Ella Pierce will sing the national anthem on Sunday of the NHRA Sonoma Nationals. At just 10 years old, Ella is the winner of Sacramento's Stairway to Stardom contest and has sung the national anthem at a Sacramento River Cats game and at the Big Wake Weekend at Folsom Lake. This will be her first performance at a motorsports event. 

- See more at: http://www.racesonoma.com/media/news/pro-mods-jet-dragsters-added-nhra-sonoma-nationals-weekend.html...

This events schedule was provided by Sonoma Raceway.