Sonoma Raceway

On December 19, 1967, The Press Democrat reported that Sears Point Properties, Inc. filed a permit for a 2.47-mile road course near the Sears Point area of Sonoma County. Four Marin County businessmen — James Coleman, John B. Gibbons, Robert D. Marshall, and Gordon Blumenfeld — were the investors. The track was intended as the first phase of a larger entertainment complex called "Sears Point Park." Additional plans released in early 1968 projected a budget of $1,200,000 and included layouts for a drag strip and two road courses.

Groundbreaking for the renamed "Sears Point International Raceway" (SPIR) took place on August 14, 1968. Paving was completed by October 4, 1968. Track designer Don Boos noted that construction costs "far exceeded" expectations; winter storms caused more than $100,000 in damage, and the final hairpin had to be redesigned because the intended site was a former dairy farm manure reservoir described as "an absolute stinking quagmire."

In early September 1968, promoter Ken Clapp signed a long-term lease to host USAC and NASCAR-sanctioned races. The facility held informal SCCA races on November 30, 1968, and its drag strip opened publicly on March 8, 1969 for an NHRA event, with Don Garlits winning the first Top Fuel feature. The road course formally opened March 28, 1969 to host an SCCA event.

Within months of opening, negotiations began for film company Filmways to purchase SPIR; the sale was completed in mid-1969. SPIR held its first NASCAR-sanctioned race in June 1969, with Ray Elder winning a Pacific Coast Division (now the ARCA Menards Series West) event.

Financial trouble followed quickly. By May 1970, SPIR president Craig Murray reported losses of $300,000 within 14 months and major staffing cuts. Filmways cancelled all its events and put the entire facility up for sale at $3.5–4 million, later reduced to $1.5–1.7 million for the racetrack alone. The facility closed in August 1970. A San Francisco Examiner reporter later described the scene as nature "slowly taking over," with "only rabbits and occasional deer" venturing onto the road course.

In February 1971, Murray announced formation of a corporation with drivers Dan Gurney, George Follmer, and Peter Revson to purchase SPIR. The group secured a purchase option in August 1971.

Hugh Harn and Parker Archer purchased SPIR's lease in January 1973 for approximately $1,000,000. The facility officially reopened for an SCCA driving school on March 2, 1973. However, Harn and Archer were quickly embattled with local environmental agencies over water and sewage improvements, and Sonoma County refused to renew the racing license after the track was found to be near the Rodgers Creek Fault.

In June 1974, Bob Bondurant — owner of a driving school based at SPIR — bought Harn and Archer's lease. Conflicts between SPIR officials and Filmways continued through the mid-1970s, with Filmways refusing to invest while seeking to sell. In November 1975, Filmways approved $1 million for a sewage treatment plant. By March 1979, Bondurant signed an agreement with Filmways to purchase the track; the purchase became official in June, with Bondurant, Bill Koll, and Don Marsh's Black Mountain Inc. paying $1.45 million.

The track experienced a significant number of deaths across multiple disciplines. In September 1969, motorcycle rider Lee Patterson died in Turn 7 after hitting a hay bale. Duane Gomez — son of Major League Baseball pitcher Lefty Gomez — died after a motorcycle race in August 1973. Further motorcycle deaths followed: Edward Unini in July 1976, Candice Corbett in June 1977, Bradley Horrell in August 1983, Michael J. Parkinson and Michael Guerrero both in 1985, Mario Manucal in September 1987, and Russell Paulk in August 1988.

Tim K. Kuykendall died in a Formula Ford race in August 1979 after his head struck a guardrail. Gary Lynn died in August 1980 after a deer jumped over a guardrail onto the track at Turn 8. Sports car driver Jim Cook died of a heart attack during a qualifying lap in August 1985, and sailor Tom Blackaller died of a heart attack during a practice session for a Sports 2000 race in September 1989.

In 1997 alone, four fatalities occurred: motorcyclist Joshua Scott in June, drag racer Carrie Neal in July, sports car racer Derek Israel in September, and Brian Craig Wilson in October.

Following a lawsuit by Black Mountain against Filmways over alleged misrepresentations of the 1979 sale, a Sonoma County judge ruled in favor of Filmways in May 1981. A group led by former director of track operations Jack Williams purchased the track on June 23, 1981 for approximately $800,000, restoring the SPIR name. Williams emphasized advertising and restored several major event contracts, with a Novato Advance writer crediting him and his team with reversing the facility's fortunes.

In September 1984, real estate management firm president Skip Berg and financial services company president Frank Scott Jr. invested to fund a track upgrade project running from 1985 to 1987. A complete repave was completed in February 1985. On April 24, 1986, Berg bought out Williams in a contested ownership change. Berg hired Darwin Doll, former general manager of Michigan International Speedway, as general manager. Doll was later replaced by IBM executive Glen Long in June 1988.

The planned closure of Riverside International Raceway prompted NASCAR to seek a replacement venue on the West Coast. NASCAR president Bill France Jr. visited SPIR and in December 1988 officially announced a Cup Series race for June 11, 1989. Temporary grandstands sourced from the Formula One United States Grand Prix at the Phoenix Street Circuit were brought in to handle the expected crowd. Ricky Rudd won the inaugural race in front of a crowd of 53,000. In 1993 the facility dropped "International" from its name, becoming "Sears Point Raceway."

On November 13, 1996, SMI owner Bruton Smith confirmed purchase of the facility. SEC documents later revealed a price of $2 million for the track, with an option to purchase the full 800-acre complex for $38 million. Smith announced heavy renovation plans and denied rumors of converting the road course into an oval.

In October 1997, plans were announced for "The Chute," a bypass section connecting Turn 4 to Turn 7 while skipping the Carousel (Turns 5 and 6). The Chute was designed specifically because permanent grandstands could not be constructed at the Carousel. It was completed and tested in May 1998 but received mixed feedback from drivers including Rusty Wallace and Wally Dallenbach Jr. over concerns about passing opportunities. In 1999 Turn 7 was converted into a "hard-braking 90-degree turn" to create a passing point, though testers Rusty Wallace and Wally Dallenbach Jr. again expressed doubts.

Environmental review of a planned $30 million expansion was delayed repeatedly due to noise, traffic, and environmental concerns raised by citizen groups including the "Yellow Flag Alliance." Original plans for a 110-foot-tall grandstand seating over 100,000 were scaled back to 35,000 permanent seats, and the project was approved in April 2000.

The now-$35 million project was split into two phases. Phase one — permanent grandstands, improved run-off areas, and renovated garage areas — was completed in time for the 2001 Dodge/Save Mart 350. Phase two included a go-kart track (the Karting Center, opened March 2002), grandstands at Turn 7 and the start-finish line, a complete repave, and a pit road expanded to accommodate 43 cars, eliminating the temporary "Gilligan's Island" pit road inside Turn 11. The project was completed by July 2002 at a total cost of $50 million, increasing permanent grandstand seating to approximately 70,000 at that time.

On June 22, 2002, SMI announced a 10-year, $35 million naming-rights deal with semiconductor company Infineon Technologies, renaming the facility "Infineon Raceway." In March 2012, Infineon did not renew its deal and the track was renamed "Sonoma Raceway" in December 2012. Track general manager Steve Page stated the "Sonoma" name was chosen because it "connotes a lifestyle" as an international brand.

In 2003, a new layout was built specifically for the AMA Superbike Championship to improve safety, incorporating a 90-degree Turn 1, an esses bypass creating a 900-foot straightaway, and a shortened Turn 11 hairpin. In 2010, a collaboration with Panasonic resulted in the installation of 1,652 solar panels at a cost of approximately $3 million, completed in June 2011.

Steve Page retired as general manager on January 1, 2021, ending a 29-year tenure. NASCAR's chief marketing and content officer Jill Gregory replaced him, then resigned in July 2023 to start a marketing consultancy. Consultant Brian Flynn assumed the general manager role on August 1, 2023.

The Turn 11 Club, a luxury hospitality area, was completed in June 2022. A full track repave — the first in over 20 years — was completed in February 2024, though portions of the new surface came apart during a GT World Challenge America test and were patched before the 2024 Toyota/Save Mart 350 race weekend.

Sonoma Raceway has hosted the NASCAR Cup Series annually since 1989 (except 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic), currently running the Toyota/Save Mart 350. The IndyCar Series raced at the facility annually from 2005 to 2018, with the event serving as the series season finale from 2015 to 2018. The NHRA has held the NHRA Sonoma Nationals at the facility annually since 1988. Sports car series including the IMSA GT Championship (1976–1990, 1995–1997) and the American Le Mans Series (1999–2005) have also held races at the venue.

The USAC Championship Car series held one race at the facility on April 4, 1970, won by Dan Gurney. Among the many other series that have raced at Sonoma Raceway are the Can-Am Series, Trans-Am Series, World Touring Car Championship, and the 24 Hours of Lemons.

This article is based solely on the supplied corpus. No external sources were consulted; claims that could not be substantiated against the corpus were omitted under the drop-the-claim rule.