Sonoma Raceway Ready for 50th Anniversary Celebration at Toyota/Save Mart 350

1969 Weibel 150 stock car race at Sonoma Raceway
1969 Weibel 150 Pacific Coast Late Model stock car race at Sonoma Raceway won by Ray Elder

Stock car racing in Sonoma dates back to June of 1969, just months after the raceway opened for business. Sonoma Raceway will celebrate 50 years of racing in wine country during the Toyota/Save Mart 350 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series event, June 21-23, including a number of highlights for race fans during NASCAR’s only stop in Northern California.

Below are some of the 50th anniversary highlights slated for the Toyota/Save Mart 350, June 21-23:

New Course, New Challenge

The Toyota/Save Mart 350, as well Saturday’s Procore 200 West Series race, will return to Sonoma Raceway original 12-turn, 2.52-mile road course for the first time since 1997. Highlighted by the infamous “Carousel" turn, no current Cup Series drivers have raced on this configuration in a Cup Series car. Notably, Kevin Harvick competed on the 12-turn circuit in a Southwest Series car in 1995, and Kyle Busch did so in a Legends car. The last winner on the full road course was Mark Martin.

Sonoma Raceway Launches 50th Anniversary Book

To commemorate its 50 years history, Sonoma Raceway has released a limited-edition 50th anniversary book. The photo-filled memoir chronicles the raceway’s history over five decades, including its tumultuous early years, emergence on the national racing scene and transformation following its purchase by Speedway Motorsports, Inc. in the mid-1990s. The book includes highlighted sections on the raceway’s modernization in the late 1990s and its community involvement. The $30 book will be available at souvenir stands throughout the facility, as well as at Wine Country Motorsports in the main paddock.

Toyota Racing Development Celebrates 40 Years, Named Grand Marshal

Toyota Racing Development (TRD), represented by TRD President David Wilson, is celebrating its 40th anniversary and has been named Grand Marshal of the Toyota/Save Mart 350. TRD boast five wins in Sonoma since they debuted in Cup Series in 2007 (Kyle Busch 2008, ’15, Clint Bowyer 2012, Martin Truex Jr. 2013, ’18).

Race Fans Invited to “Legends Chat" During Pre-Race Show

Race fans are invited to join a celebration of Sonoma Raceway’s 50th anniversary with three NASCAR legends during the Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma Raceway on Sunday, June 23. Ernie Irvan, Richard Childress and Hershel McGriff will be the featured guests during the pre-race Legends Chat, which will serve as the centerpiece of the Pre-Race Show Powered by Friedman’s Home Improvement before the green flag falls on the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series main event in Sonoma.

Future Legends Honored During Pre-Race

Ten local quarter-midget racers (ages 12 and under) will step into the spotlight alongside the top-10 Toyota/Save Mart 350 qualifiers during driver introductions, representing the future legends of motorsports. Represented quarter-midget racing associations are: Capital, Tri Valley, Baylands, American and Good Times.

Vintage NASCAR Stock Car Display

Race weekend will feature a display of iconic stock cars representing some of the most memorable cars and drivers from NASCAR’s history in Sonoma including Kyle Busch’s 2015 No. 18 M&M’s Toyota, Jeff Gordon’s 2006 No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet, as well as the No. 4 Kodak Oldsmobile driven by Ernie Irvan in 1991-1992 and Dale Earnhardt’s No. 3 Goodwrench Monte Carlo from his 1995 win in Sonoma.

Live Art by David Arrigo

Renowned artist David Arrigo will create a custom canvas painting commemorating 50 years of racing history on Saturday and Sunday in the main paddock. Arrigo has been painting professionally for 25 years for a list of high profile clients and events such as the Winter Olympics, U.S. Open, various professional All Star Games and the NFL Super Bowl.

Get to “The Point"
Sonoma Raceway will debut a newly-renovated fan viewing area at “The Point." The Point is the closest spot to watch drivers tackle the 200-degree Carousel turn. It will also be a great place to catch the green flag and restarts as the field battles up the hill to Turn 2. Fans will enjoy shade under a new redwood pergola, food, beverages, games and plenty of racing action. Access to this area is open to all ticket holders.

The Toyota/Save Mart 350 returns to Sonoma for the 31st consecutive year and guests can look forward to fender-banging, racing while celebrating five decades of stock car racing history in wine country. For more information or for ticket information, call 800-870-7223 or visit www.sonomaraceway.com/nascar.

Toyota/Save Mart 350 Fast Facts:

When: June 21-23, 2019

Circuit: 12-turn, 2.52-mile road course

Number of laps: 90 laps

Last event on full road course: 1997 Save Mart Supermarkets 300; won by Mark Martin

1969 Weibel 150 Results

Fin St # Driver Sponsor / Owner Car Laps Money Status Led
1 1 96 Ray Elder Hillsdale Dodge (Fred Elder) '69 Dodge 60 2,940 running 54
2 3 18 Jim Cook Bob Bristol '68 Ford 60 1,300 running 0
3 7 90 Marty Kinerk O'Reilly Chevrolet (Frank Townsend) '67 Chevrolet 60 900 running 2
4 8 6 Merle Brennan Cos Cancilla '67 Oldsmobile 59 750 running 0
5 18 11 Ed Brown Ed Brown '67 Ford 58 600 running 0
6 22 44 Hank Dekker, Jr. T.C. Hynes '67 Pontiac 57 500 running 0
7 9 38 Don Noel Noel-Lewin Ford (Harry Lewin) '67 Ford 57 420 running 0
8 21 8 Bob England Bob England '69 Chevrolet 56 350 running 0
9 11 7 Jack McCoy Frontier Dodge (Ernie Conn) '69 Dodge 54 325 running 0
10 23 80 Bo Reeder Frank Reeder '67 Ford 51 300 running 0
11 25 32 Kevin Terris Black & Decker / Plymouth (Gary Sigman) '67 Plymouth 49 275 running 0
12 6 15 Paul Dorrity Glen Dorrity '67 Chevrolet 47 250 running 0
13 5 98 Steve Froines Frank Morlan '67 Ford 45 225 running 0
14 12 3 Joe Clark Joe Clark '67 Ford 45 200 running 0
15 19 9 Marvin Sjolin Wes Brier '67 Mercury 44 175 running 0
16 14 04 Dave James Clayton (J.R. Van Curren) '67 Plymouth 43 160 running 0
17 10 81 Dave Alonzo Dave Alonzo '67 Plymouth 35 150 engine 0
18 16 16 Jerry Oliver Cos Cancilla '67 Oldsmobile 30 145 transmission 0
19 13 2 Johnny Steele Johnny Steele '69 Ford 28 140 differential 0
20 2 61 Dick Bown Ober Logging (Mike Ober) '69 Chevrolet 23 230 engine 4
21 20 43 Frank Burnett Paul Jenkins '67 Plymouth 17 125 differential 0
22 15 79 Ranny Dodd Workrite Products (Ranny Dodd) '67 Chevrolet 12 125 out of gas 0
23 26 40 Les Loeser, Jr. AAA Used Cars (Les Loeser, Sr.) '68 Ford 9 125 transmission 0
24 4 45 Scotty Cain Mitch Buich of Lafayette Ford Sales (Bill Clinton) '69 Ford 5 125 engine 0
25 17 09 Sam Rose Rose Auto Wrecking (Sam Rose) '67 Ford 3 125 differential 0
26 24 39 George Wiltshire Wiltshire Bros. (Wes Wiltshire) '67 Plymouth 1 100 driveshaft 0

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