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Sports

Sonoma Raceway Charity Event Honors Former Champion's Memory

The July 25 event benefiting Sonoma County youth groups will be held in Novato.

Sonoma Raceway will honor the memory of a former motor sports champion who was killed in a testing accident.

The Seventh Annual Eric Medlen Nitro Night Charity Dinner will be held at the Stone Tree Golf Club on July 25.

Medlen, a Central Valley native from Oakdale, was a member of John Force Racing when he won the 2006 Funny Car championship at Sonoma Raceway, his home track. He was killed the next year.

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NHRA stars attending the event include Ashley Force-Hood, Funny Car drivers Jack Beckman (Valvoline Dodge), Ron Capps (Napa Auto Parts Dodge Charger) and Josh Crawford (Pacific Truck Repair Dodge Charger), plus Top Fuel drivers Morgan Lucas (GEICO Powersports/Lucas Oil dragster) and Brandon Bernstein (Protect the Harvest/MavTV dragster).

The event will be hosted by Dave Rieff, ESPN's NHRA commentator .

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Racers at the event will compete in a Texas Hold 'Em Charity Poker tournament that starts at 6 p.m. A prime rib dinner immediately follows.

Rieff will serve as the events master of ceremonies and will host a Q&A session with the drivers.

The event will also feature a charity drawing.

Admission to the event is $125, with all proceeds benefiting qualified Sonoma County youth groups through Speedway Children's Charities, a charitable arm of the raceway.

The event typically attracts a large contingent from Oakdale and has been sold out each of the last six years.

For more information or to purchase tickets for this event contact Melinda Pahl at 707-933-3950 or email mpahl@racesonoma.com.


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