|
Infineon Raceway
In 1968, Infineon Raceway was constructed as a twisting 2.52 mile road course and ¼ mile drag strip, which was nestled at the gateway of Sonoma's wine country. Just 30 minutes north of the Golden Gate Bridge, race fans can witness some of the greatest racing moments anywhere. This 720 acre facility was originally constructed by Robert Marshall Jr., an attorney from Point Reyes, and Jim Coleman, who was a land developer from Kentfield. The concept of Infineon Raceway derived from a hunting trip that the two took together. The groundbreaking ceremony was held in August 1968 and paving was completed in November of that same year. The inaugural event was held in December 1968.
In 1969, the facility was sold to Filmways Corporation for $4.5 million. The following year, the track was closed after financial losses were reported. At that time, it became a tax shelter. In 1973, the track was leased for the purpose of conducting a race car driving school. In 1975, the track was purchased for $1.5 million and, two months later, a crowd of 20,000 cheering fans watched the AMA-Sonoma Motorcycle Classic.
In 1985, Infineon Raceway was repaved and the first shop spaces were constructed. Soon after, a five-year contract was signed to hold National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) California Nationals competitions. In 1989, Infineon Raceway gained extreme popularity as the NASCAR circuit debuted and Ricky Rudd strolled into victory lane, making him the first NASCAR driver to win a sanctioned race at this facility. In 1991, a new racing school replaced the previous one and more than 70,000 race fans packed the seats to watch the second race ever held at Infineon Raceway.
With gaining coverage and recognition in 1994, track officials decided to invest $1 million in an improvement and beautification project that consisted, among other things, of the construction of a 62 ft. electronic lap leader board, a medical facility and filling station. The following year, $3 million was invested into a new renovation plan that would include a luxurious VIP suites tower and a new driver's lounge/medical facility. The next several years brought even more improvements to this already modern facility.
Each year, Infineon Raceway welcomes a variety of national events, including NASCAR's Nextel Cup, National Hotrod Association, American Motorcycle Association, IRL IndyCar, Superbike, etc. Infineon Raceway is open year round with events scheduled on almost every weekend. In fact, this facility is considered among the busiest in the industry with track activities scheduled on an average of 340 days annually. More than 500,000 spectators visited this racetrack during the 2004 season. Infineon Raceway operates under the ownership of Speedway Motorsports, Inc., which is the same company holding ownership in Atlanta Motor Speedway, Lowe's Motor Speedway and Bristol Motor Speedway.
© 2006 Baseballparkonline.com - All rights reserved.
|
