Wine Who? Now Sonoma Means Raceway for NASCAR Fans

If you hear a certain buzzing and a lot of cheering from over the hills this weekend, it's not the ovations for the new Envolve tasting room, sure to be a hot spot for bachelorette parties. That's coming on or about the Fourth of July, along with a lot of other patriotic events.

Instead, the newly-renamed welcomes the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series weekend starting this Friday, June 22, continuing through Saturday, June 23, and concluding with the 24th running of the Toyota/Save Mart 350 race on Sunday, June 24.

"The management of the raceway has not changed, nor has our commitment to provide you with the best possible experience every time you are our guest at our facility," said Steve Page, President and General Manager of Sonoma (formerly Infineon).

"We will formally re-brand the facility before the end of this year, whether with a new company or otherwise, with a major announcement, new logo, promotions and merchandise," he continued.

"However, since this current change is happening in the middle of race season, our immediate focus is to produce a series of terrific events and continue providing you with the most diverse menu of racing of any facility in America."

The first feast in that diverse racing menu is offered this weekend, with the 16th race on the 36-race NASCAR Sprint Cup Series schedule.

The 43-car Toyota/Save Mart 350 field of drivers will be racing on Sonoma (formerly Infineon)’s 1.99-mile road course – consisting of 110 laps covering 218.9 miles, measured in kilometers. Highlighted drivers include defending champion Kurt Busch, and the only five-time champion, Jeff Gordon, and two-time Sonoma (formerly Infineon) winners Tony Stewart (2001, ’05), Rusty Wallace (1990, ‘96), Ernie Irvan (1992, ‘94),  and Ricky Rudd (1989, 2002).

Tony La Russa, former A's baseball manager, is the grand marshal for NASCAR’s 2012 Toyota/Save Mart 350, and will headline the Children's Champions NASCAR Grand Marshal's Banquet at Cline Cellars in Sonoma this Friday, June 22.

Tickets to the Children’s Champions NASCAR Grand Marshals Banquet, a fundraiser for the Sonoma Chapter of Speedway Children's Charities, cost 250 each or $2,500 for a table of 10. For more information, contact Denise Sliver at dsilver@racesonoma.com.

Sonoma Raceway’s 2012 Track Pass is available for $425, and includes tickets to all major events; season-long VIP parking; a Pre-Race Pit and Track Pass for NASCAR; an IndyCar garage/pit/pre-race pass; and an NHRA thunder alley pass and exclusive hot lap track day.

To purchase the Track Pass, other special ticket packages or tickets, for or for general Sonoma Raceway information, call 800-870-RACE (7223), or visit  racesonoma.com/nascar.

Camping is available for all major events.