infineon raceway - sonoma, ca travel guide with hotels near the racetrack and motorsport event tickets
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Where we headed this time?
Infineon Raceway sonoma California usa (formerly Sears Point Racway)
Venue Physical Address: 29305 Arnold Dr Sonoma, CA, 95476-9765
Hotels Accommodations nearby?
For Hotels / Motels and resort Accommodations near Sonoma California & Infineon Raceway see:
my Hotels near infineon raceway page accommodations options include:
> Courtyard By Marriott Marin Novato
Hotel Address: Courtyard By Marriott Marin Novato
1400 North Hamilton Parkway
Novato, CA 94949
(10 miles)
> Best Western Novato Oaks Inn
Hotel Address: Best Western Novato Oaks Inn
215 Alameda del Prado
Novato, CA 94949
(10 miles)
> Four Points By Sheraton San Rafael
Hotel Address: Four Points By Sheraton San Rafael
1010 Northgate Drive
San Rafal, CA 94903 (14 miles)
> Embassy Suites Hotel Napa Valley-Wine Country
Hotel Address: Embassy Suites Hotel Napa Valley-Wine Country
1075 California Blvd
Napa, CA 94559 (19 miles)
Use the above power search accommodations link to scan a 40 mile radius for hotels near this ractrack, using interactive maps, and sorting hotels and motels by distance, price, star ranking. If you don't find a room via the above link for a race weekend, I got a feeling there ain't any left, but I doubt it. Check and see. Good Luck in your search.
> Distance from: How far is ? from Infineon Raceway?
> Sonoma Town Hotels: 12 miles
> San Francisco Hotels: 34 miles
> Sacramento, CA Hotels: 67 miles
> Laguna Seca, CA: 90 miles
> Fontana, CA: 420 miles
> All USA Hotels
> What's the nearest major airport?
(SFO) San Francisco International Airport :
(35 miles)
Find Hotels near San Francisco International Aiport (SFO)
Find SFO Airport Website
(OAK) Oakland International Airport :
(about 35 miles)
Find Hotels near Oakland International Airport (OAK)
Find OAK Airport Website zrt
Find Hotels near all major U.S. Airports
Shop for the cheapest airfare to SFO & OAK Airport s in California for your trip to Infineon Raceway with my online travel store . Compare prices from big travel package providers like travelocity, priceline, hotwire and expedia and save. For information about getting from these airports to their respective downtowns visit to and from the airport.
Got Directions? The official website has a recommended route but this is messed with by local police on busy race days. There are only two roads to the track into which everyone is funnelled, try to be early to avoid the back up (or at least make sure you have a full tank of gas before you get into the trouble area). Allow 3-4 hours for what would usually be a 45 minute trip from SF.
DRIVING DIRECTIONS
> FROM ALAMEDA & CONTRA COSTA COUNTIES:
Take I-580 west to I-80 east to I-580 west again toward the Richmond/San Rafael Bridge. Once over bridge take Highway 101 north. Take Highway 37 eastbound. Left at Highway 121. Track is one-quarter mile up on the left.
> FROM LOS ANGELES, FRESNO, AND STOCKTON AREAS:
Take I-580 westbound through Dublin and Castro Valley into Oakland where I-580 will merge with 80 eastbound. Follow to the I-580 west exit for the Richmond/San Rafael bridge towards Highway 101. Proceed north on 101 to the Highway 37 junction. Take Highway 37 eastbound. Left at Highway 121. Track is one-quarter mile up on the left.
> FROM RENO, SACRAMENTO, FAIRFIELD AREAS:
Take I-80 west from Sacramento to Vallejo. Take Highway 37 westbound towards Novato and Sonoma. Right at Highway 121. Track is one-quarter mile up on the left.
> FROM SAN FRANCISCO:
Cross Golden Gate Bridge to Highway 101 north. Take Highway 37 eastbound toward Vallejo. Left at Highway 121. Track is one-quarter mile up on the left.
> FROM UKIAH, SANTA ROSA, PETALUMA AREAS:
Take Highway 101 south to the Highway 116 east exit in Petaluma. Follow Highway 116 southbound. Left at Highway 37 eastbound. Left at Highway 121. Track is one-quarter mile up on the left.
Parking: The closer you park (or you are parked) to the gates of the circuit, the longer it takes to get out after the race. On the west side of the circuit, (lots 6-10, via Lakeville Highway), gates are opened sequentially, starting at those furthest from the circuit. The furthest you'll be parked, if you get there late, is about 1.5 miles from the gates. Parking lots 12-15 on the north side of the track, is a bit more orderly (letting you exit properly, allowing those closest the circuit to exit first). Still, leave a good 2-3 hours to get out after a race as popular as the NASCAR event.
There is shuttle service from the parking areas to the track, or you may choose to hoof it. Event parking is free.
Race Day Traffic Radio: 740 AM KCBS
Road Advisories:
> California Department of Transport (CALTRANS).
> See also my list of DOTs across the US
Buses & Trains: Recently, the track has organized bus trips to the Sunday NASCAR race departing from Novato, Petaluma, and Concord. The fare is $35.00 round trip for the bus ride only and packages with race tickets included are also available. See the official website.
> Is there camping at the track? Yep, Call the Raceway.
Note, it gets very dry, dusty, and hot in the area during Summer so sun block and plenty of drinks (although you can't techically take beer into the circuit) is necessary. Locally you'll also find the KOA Kampground at Petaluma Ph: (707) 763-1492
> Where's the Map? > Check out this Infineon Raceway (Sears Point International Raceway) satellite and road map
Got a trackmap? ???
.
Best Viewing / Seating: The raceway just spent a ton of money building grandstands on the hillsides above the track. People used to just bring blankets but now there are these terraced seating areas. (They're still not seats, but they're flat and keep you from rolling down the hill). Opinion has it (thanks Rossana) that the best seats are in T9 (but sit closer to Turn 8A) or T2 (Earnhardt Terrace). The main grandstand is good if you need an actual "seat" and real restrooms (the others are all portable toilets) but, from the grandstand, you can't see all the good racing up the hill (Turns 2-4).
Scalping in California: It is legal to sell tickets over purchase price (i.e. on the internet or in the newspaper) but you can not sell them at the entrance to the racetrack or in the parking lot.
> Got Sears Point Sonoma weather and radar?
Sonoma California Official NOAA Weather Forecast
> What's the local newspaper say? Sonoma Index-Tribune
> What else is there to do?
Events Listings: SCVCB (Sonoma County Visitors Convention Bureau)
Race Related Events: Not a great deal in the area and the circuit doesn't usually put on concerts or fan related activities. You can be sure that NASCAR brings with it its mall but after that you're on your own. The region is famous for it's wineries and cheeses, has the Jack London State Park near by for hiking and getting back to nature. Around 45 miles from the track is the rugged Pacific coast, where it might be a little cold to swim, but you can check out some beautiful towns inlcuding Bodega Bay (where Hitchcock's "The Birds" was filmed) and Tomales Bay or Marshall, where they have lots of oyster farms and you can buy and shuck your own on the spot. If you don't want to shuck your own, there's a cool restaurant on the water in Marshall called Tony's with BBQ'd oysters and other stuff. Just south on the coast is Pt. Reyes National Seashore where there's lots of outdoor stuff to do. Highway 1, which is the coastal highway, is worth a drive just for the amazing scenery and crazy turns.
Movies: The nearest movie theatres are Sebastiani Theatre & Cinema West in Sonoma. There's also the Century Rowland Plaza in Novato.
Casinos? Nearest Gaming places are River Rock Casino - Off Highway 101 in Geyserville, (60 miles) & Cache Creek Casino - Off Highway 16 in Brooks(72 miles)
Go Carts near the track: Infineon Raceway now has it's own Go-Cart Track, which is part of the Jim Russell Racing School. Check to see if it's open on big race weekends. Ph: 800-831-KART
Theme Parks / Family Fun Near by:
Six Flags Marine World - 15 miles
Check out the local Russian River which is a big recreation area. You can rent canoes, swim, bike, go on a hot air balloon ride, etc. That area is less than an hour from the track and the main town along the river is Guerneville.
Horse Racing: Check out Golden Gate Fields - Thoroughbred racing in Albany, CA (30 miles)
LOCAL PRO SPORTS:
MLB: San Francisco Giants & Oakland A's. Either play every week except when they play each other (rarely).
Restaurants/Clubs/Cafes:
The town of Sonoma is pretty with much to do for tourists, including visiting the old mission and other cool old buildings There are lots of shops and restaurants that cater for all tastes. Note though that it's a good drive from the track, and may take even longer on a big race weekend.
Or you might be packing the grill in your RV!
Check out the tourism authroities:
> Sonoma Valley Visitors Bureau
> Sonoma County Visitors Bureau
Take time to see
> Sonoma State Historic Park
> Local Cheeseries (sp?) Sonoma & Vella Cheese
> Interesting wineries, particularly those with pretty surrounds are: Ravenswood, Gundlach-Bunschu, Hop Kiln, Kenwood, and Kunde Estate. Note: If you are visiting wineries in the region, keep in mind that those in Sonoma, as opposed to those in the Napa Valley, are less likely to charge for tasting:
www.kunde.com
www.ravenswood-wine.com
www.kenwoodvineyards.com
www.gunbun.com (for Gundlach-Bundschu)
www.hopkilnwinery.com
> San Francisco!
Just out of town
> In Santa Rosa (about 30 minutes from the track), there is the Pacific Coast Air Museum.
> In Petaluma (about 20 minutes from the track), there are LOTS of antique stores on the main drag, Petaluma Blvd.
Speed Related Stuff to do?
Nearby Racetracks in the area:
> closest racetrack to Sears Point is Petaluma Speedway, about 10 miles away, which bills itself as the "fastest 3/8 dirt track oval in California". Check to see if something's up on the weekend you're visiting. Support local racers!
> Altamont Raceway - which sometimes attracts some celebrity drivers during the NASCAR weekend. Off Highway 580 in Tracy, CA, about 75 miles
> Watsonville Speedway - good short track racing, demolition derbies, etc.Off Highway 152 in Watsonville, CA, about 130 miles
More Californian Circuits
> Find more U.S. Speedways
Places of Worship Check out Worship here.org
> Liquor Laws: The legal drinking age in California is 21. Alcohol can't be purchased between 2 and 6am. Bars often close at 2am, and while clubs stay open later they can't sell drinks during these hours.
>Local Currency: U.S. Dollar
> TIPPING: 15% on food / travel / hospitality services
> TAXES: The tax-rate for Sonoma County – location of Infineon Raceway – is 7.75%; except for two (2) locations which are 8%. This tax rate is not included in list price. More California County & City tax ratesCalifornia State Board of Equalization website
> ATM Locator: Visa
> Time Zone: PST GMT -8
Electricity plugs are 2 prong paralel, but some older plugs accept a third round earth grounding.
A FEW NOTES ABOUT INFINEON RACEWAY SEARS POINT SONOMA CA
Like Brooklyn, MI or Joliet, IL, Sonoma County and the legendary American road racing Sears Point/Infineon raceway that resides there, is some ways from a town and stuff to do. There is however, within driving distance, some lovely towns, the Napa Valley and Sonoma Vinyards and around an hour away is one of my favorite cities in the world, San Francisco (pic).
If you're going to the track, particularly to see the NASCAR event (the second of 2 which ditch the usual oval racing for some fun right & left curves) then you're going camping, or your running a risk of long delays on smaller country roads as the fans make their way mostly from the east for this racing weekend tailgating treat.
Personally I like to think of Sonoma as the "hardest working track in the United States". There always seems to be something going on, including regular Wednesday night drag racing and now including go-cart racing.
INFINEON RACEWAY MOTORSPORT TRAVEL NEWS
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