History

In 1968, a twisting 12-turn, 2.52-mile road course and a quarter-mile drag strip were carved into the picturesque rolling hills at the gateway to the Sonoma Wine Country. Since that time, race fans from around the world have been treated to some of the greatest racing highlights of all time on this unique race track.

Whether it's amateur or professional SCCA road races, AMA and AFM motorcycle racing, exotic IMSA sports car events, vintage cars or the raw power of NASCAR NEXTEL Cup and the NHRA POWERade drag races, Infineon Raceway has played host to some of the racing world's top events and its greatest moments.

Racing legends such as Mario Andretti, Al Unser, Dan Gurney, Kenny Roberts, Shirley Muldowney and Don 'The Snake' Prudhomme, as well as modern day stars including Dale Earnhardt, Rusty Wallace, Jeff Gordon, Miguel Duhamel and John Force, have all left their indelible marks at this unique and historic facility.

Infineon Raceway is arguably the world¿s busiest racing facility, with track activity scheduled an average of 340 days a year. It is one of North America's most complete and versatile motorsports complex and home to one of the nation's only high-performance automotive industrial parks with approximately 70 tenants.

Under the ownership and vision of Speedway Motorsports Incorporated, Infineon Raceway is poised to reach new heights in facility development and in the quality of events it offers fans. The following is a history of Infineon Raceway:

In the Beginning
Franklin Sears was born in Indiana in 1817. He spent his childhood in Missouri, and in 1844 ventured westward to Oregon. He left home with his friend, Granville Swift, a rifle, mule and $1.50 in his pocket.

After one winter in Oregon, Sears was fed up with the rain and headed south. He volunteered for the U.S.-Mexican war and was named a hero of the Battle of San Pasquale. He spent much of the time in the thick of the battle and was a decorated solider during the war. Following the war in 1851, he married Granville Swift's sister, Margaret, and settled on 600 acres of land south of Sonoma. He built his home of hand-hewn redwood. He was a blacksmith by trade but a large source of his income came from ranching.

Sears eventually partnered with Granville Swift and bought 15,000 acres of land that stretched from Infineon Raceway all the way to what is now Lakeville Highway.

1968
The 2.52-mile road racing course was constructed on 720 acres by Marin County owners Robert Marshall Jr., an attorney from Point Reyes, and land developer Jim Coleman of Kentfield. The two conceived of the idea of a race track while on a hunting trip. Ground was broken in August and paving of the race surface was completed in November. The first official event at Infineon Raceway was an SCCA Enduro, held on Dec. 1, 1968.

1969
The track was sold to Filmways Corp., a Los Angeles-based entertainment company for $4.5 million. From 1969 through early 1970, Infineon Raceway hosted a variety of events, including USAC IndyCar races, NASCAR stock car races, SCCA races, and drag races.

1970
Dan Gurney won a 150-mile USAC IndyCar road race with a field that included Mario Andretti, Mark Donahue and Al Unser. Not long after, the track closed in May and became a tax shelter for Filmways after losses of $300,000 were reported.

1973
Hugh Harm of Belvedere and Parker Archer of Napa arranged to lease the track through Filmways vice president Lee Moselle for $1 million. Bob Bondurant, owner and operator of the Bob Bondurant School of High Performance Driving, announced that he would move his school from Ontario Speedway in Southern California to Infineon Raceway. The Pacific Region of the Sports Club Car of America announced it would hold a driver's school and series of non-spectator races at the track.

1974
Bob Bondurant and partner Bill Benck took over management and control of the leased raceway from Archer and Harn. American Motorcycle Association national motocross races in the hills north of Turn 7 become popular with Bay Area fans, but were phased out by the end of the decade because of rising insurance costs.

1975
Moselle, a lawyer with no racing experience, comes aboard and hires Jack Williams, the 1964 NHRA top-fuel drag racing champion, to be his operations chief, and Art Glattke to handle public relations. Moselle was under orders from Filmways to clear spectator restrictions with the county of Sonoma and to build a major-event schedule.

A group calling itself Black Mountain Inc., which included Bob Bondurant, William J. Kolb of Del Mar and Howard Meister of Newport Beach, purchased the track from Filmways for a reported $1.5 million. Two months later, in May, Kenny Roberts did wheelies on the final two laps while he waved to a crowd of 20,000 for a runaway victory in the AMA-Sonoma Motorcycle Classic.

1980
The Black Mountain Group took on an additional partner -- the Long Beach Grand Prix Association -- in hopes of improving marketing and public relations.

1981
The Long Beach Grand Prix, headed by Chris Pook, decided to rename the track Golden State International Raceway. The Black Mountain group obtained an injunction to keep Filmways from claiming the property after defaulting on payments. Black Mountain claimed Filmways gave false financial projections when it sold the property in 1979. Bondurant resigned as president of Golden State Raceway in a dispute with Pook over the Long Beach Grand Prix's management plan. Filmways regained ownership of the track and Williams, Rick Betts and John Andersen purchased the track from Filmways at an auction for $800,000.

1983
Ford became a major sponsor at the track. Williams named Dr. Frank N. Scott Jr. of Aptos and Harvey "Skip" Berg of Tiburon as partners.

1985
The track was completely repaved, in part with funds donated from the "Pave the Point" fund-raising campaign. It was also in 1985 that the first shop spaces (Buildings A, B, C, and D in the main paddock area) were built.

1986
Berg, president of a real estate acquisition and management firm headquartered in Seattle, took control of the track and became major stockholder in Brenda Raceway Corp. Berg named Darwin Doll, vice president and general manager of Michigan International Speedway, new track president.

1987
Infineon Raceway signed a five-year contract with the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) for the California Nationals. The first event was held in the summer of 1988. Additional buildings constructed on the property brought shop space to more than 700,000 square feet.

1988
Berg hired Glen Long, an IBM executive, to be the track's new president. Mike Yurick was named general manager. The NHRA nationals were a resounding success, with an estimated 32,000 spectators on hand to watch Joe Amato edge Dick LaHaie in victory by one hundredths of a second margin.

1989
Infineon Raceway entered the national racing scene when NASCAR debuted at the raceway, with Ricky Rudd taking the inaugural victory.

1991
The Skip Barber Racing School replaced the Bob Bondurant School of High Performance Driving. The NASCAR race drew 70,000 spectators in its second year at the track. The 15-year association with International Motor sports Association (IMSA) GTP series, was suspended. Steve Page, a marketing executive with the Oakland A's, succeeded Long as track president.

1994
More than $1 million was spent on a beautification project and construction of a 62-foot-high, four-sided electronic lap leader board in the center of the road course. A medical facility and an 18-nozzle Unocal gasoline filling station were constructed.

1995
A major $3 million renovation plan was kicked off that included posh tower VIP suites and a two-story driver's lounge/emergency medical facility. Trans-Am and IMSA races returned to Infineon Raceway. The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series is added to the major-events schedule.

1996
The Russell Racing School signs a 10-year contract with Infineon Raceway in February to headquarter its world-renowned driving school in Sonoma. The Skip Barber Driving School moves to Laguna Seca. In May of 1996, the NASCAR Winston Cup race drew a record 102,000 spectators - the largest single-day crowd for a Northern California sports event. Infineon Raceway owner Skip Berg sells the rights to operate the track to O. Bruton Smith, chairman of Speedway Motorsports, Inc. in November of 1996 with an option to buy within three years.

1998
'The Chute', a new high-speed straightaway that connects existing Turns 4 and 7 was officially opened during a press conference on May 5. The re-design of the road course shortened the circuit from 2.52 miles to 1.949 and increased the distance from 300 to 350 kilometers. Laps for the Save Mart/Kragen 350 will also increase by 50 percent, from 74 to 112, providing fans with even more action. The re-designed course will be used strictly for NASCAR events. 'The Chute' spans 890 feet and has a banking of 2.8 degrees. Speedway Motorsports purchased the real property, including 800 acres of land and permanent structures. Smith owns Atlanta, Bristol, Charlotte and Texas Motor Speedways in addition to Infineon Raceway. He is also part owner of Rockingham and North Wilkesboro speedways.

1999
Infineon Raceway introduced a new event to the schedule with the American Le Mans Series, which debuted July 23-25. This marks the return of sports car racing to the road course. The Chute received a modification as the exit went from a sweeping turn to a hard-braking 90-degree right-hand turn. The modified circuit will be used for all NASCAR-sanctioned events, including the Save Mart/Kragen 350. The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race took a one-year hiatus so that the raceway could begin work on its modernization project much sooner. The truck race usually runs in October.

2000
Infineon Raceway received approval for a $60 million Modernization Plan. The project, which will begin after the 2000 season, will transform the facility into the premier road-racing venue in the country. Included in the plan are hillside terrace seats, garages for competitors, wider roads for better internal traffic circulation, more permanent restrooms and numerous other fan amenities.

2001
The $60 million Modernization Plan kicked off. The official groundbreaking ceremonies took place in September, 2000, and more than 5,000,000 cubic yards of dirt is moved. The two-phase plan will be completed by the 2002 season and give fans a state-of-the-art facility that provides all of the amenities seen at today¿s modern sports venues. Improvements completed thus far include the construction of hillside terrace seats above Turns 2-4, 40 garages for competitors, dramatically expanded entrance and access roads to reduce traffic congestion into and around the raceway, and increased run-off on the road course at turns 1, 2, 3, 3a, 4, 6 and 7. Drivers will encounter a modified segment of track in 2001 at the Chute, which connects Turns 4 and 7 on the road course. The modification will hopefully provide drivers with a passing zone at Turn 7, and possibly another one at the new Turn 4a. The modification ups the NASCAR course from 1.949 miles to 1.99 miles.

2002
Infineon Raceway takes the wraps off its $60 million Modernization Plan after completing phase two of the project. Phase two enhancements include a new permanent grandstand at start/finish, underground pedestrian tunnels, enlargement of pit road to accommodate a 43-car field, new system of shuttle roads and the separation of the road course form the drag strip. The renovated drag strip features a 660-foot concrete launch pad, which should make it one of the fastest in the country. The Infineon Raceway Karting Center is also opened in March, featuring a three-quarter mile, 16-turn course. The Center is run by the ESPN Russell Racing Schools. Raceway officials announce during the NASCAR Winston Cup weekend that the facility has been renamed Infineon Raceway. It is part of a 10-year strategic partnership with Infineon Technologies, which is based in Munich (Germany) with North American headquarters in Silicon Valley. The company specializes in semiconductor manufacturing.

2003
Improvements continued at Infineon Raceway as the final portions of the road course were repaved (Turns 1-3, 6-8 and 11). Turns 4-5, 9-10, 12 and the Chute were repaved prior to the 2003 season. Additional runoff was also created at Turns 1 and 6, and the bridge at Turn 1 was replaced, while the Turn 6 bridge was removed permanently. There is now more than 120 feet of runoff at Turn 1, and 80 feet of runoff at Turn 6. Construction began on an additional four competitor garages, bringing the total to 44, as well as a new medical center. On the track, Robby Gordon captured his first-ever road-course victory in NASCAR, while track speed and elapsed-time records were broken in all four professional categories at the FRAM Autolite NHRA Nationals. AMA riders encountered a modified 12-turn, 2.22-mile circuit for their event in May, complete with redesigned portions at Turns 1 and 9. Both changes were made to increase rider safety; the redesigned circuit was used strictly for the AMA event. The raceway generated a record amount of $330,426 for Speedway Children¿s Charities.

2004
The big news was the addition of the IRL IndyCar® Series to the schedule, beginning with the 2005 season. The official announcement was made in August with the IRL¿s Ken Ungar and drivers Tony Kanaan and Townsend Bell. This will mark the first road-course race at a permanent facility in the 10-year history of the IRL. It will also mark the first world-class open-wheel race at Infineon Raceway since 1970 (Dan Gurney won that event). NASCAR¿s Jeff Gordon continued his winning ways, taking his fourth victory at Infineon Raceway in the Dodge/Save Mart 350. The quarter-mile drag strip, meanwhile, also had fireworks as 10 track records were shattered at the FRAM Autolite NHRA Nationals. The event also featured the fastest pass by a Pro Stock Motorcycle in history, as well as the fastest-ever Pro Stock Motorcycle field. A new event appeared on the schedule with the California Outdoor Sports Championships, a cycling event that included many different disciplines, including road racing, mountain cross, slalom racing and more. The Sonoma Chapter of Speedway Children¿s Charities distributed $458,000, bringing the three-year total to more than $1.2 million.

2005
History was made as Infineon Raceway hosted its first major open-wheel race since 1970 (35 years) with the Argent Mortgage Indy Grand Prix. It was also the first event on a permanent road course in the 10-year history of the IRL. Tony Kanaan (Andretti Green Racing) took the win in the 80-lap feature over the 12-turn, 2.26-mile road course on Aug. 28. ? Tony Stewart took the checkers in the Dodge/Save Mart 350 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup event; it was his second career victory at Infineon Raceway, the other coming in 2001. Jeff Gordon reset the track qualifying record at 94.325 mph. ? Seven of eight track records were shattered at the FRAM Autolite NHRA Nationals, and Andrew Hines set the world record for elapsed time (6.968 seconds) for Pro Stock Motorcycle. Winner's at the event were Doug Kalitta (Top Fuel), Gary Scelzi (Funny Car), Greg Anderson (Pro Stock) and Hines (Pro Stock Motorcycle). ? Mat Mladin (Suzuki) became the all-time leader for AMA Superbike wins at Infineon Raceway, sweeping the doubleheader weekend (May 6-8). Mladin has six career Superbike wins in Sonoma; he has won five of the last six Superbike events at Infineon Raceway dating back to 2003. ? Pedal-power returned to Infineon Raceway in 2005 with the Infineon Technologies Cougar Mountain Classic. The raceway obtained the rights to use Cougar Mountain for the mountain bike downhill course. It was the first time the mountain has been used for such an event. ? Speedway Children?s Charities featured eight events on its calendar for the 2005 season and distributed $554,000 for qualified youth groups in Sonoma County. It was the highest one-year total for the Infineon Raceway Chapter and brings the total for the last four years to $1.2 million. ? In business news, Speedway Motorsports Inc. purchased the Jim Russell Racing Drivers School, which is based at Infineon Raceway.