WHEN/WHERE: Monday, Feb. 27, 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Infineon Raceway, Highways 37 and 121, Sonoma, Calif. (800-870-RACE, www.infineonraceway.com).
DRIVERS: Speed-Fest will feature the following drivers/rider:
- Dan Wheldon (Indy Racing League): Wheldon, who drives the Target car for Chip Ganassi Racing, is the 2005 IndyCar® champion and the 2005 Indianapolis 500 champion.
- David Stremme (NASCAR NEXTEL Cup): Stremme will pilot the No. 40 Coors Light/Lone Star Steakhouse and Saloon Dodge for Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates in 2006. This will be Stremme's rookie season; he posted 10 top-10 efforts in the Busch Series last year and was 13th in the Busch standings.
- Cory McClenathan (NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series): McClenathan has been runner-up for the Top Fuel championship four times and has 28 career Top Fuel victories in the NHRA. He'll pilot the Carrier Boyz FRAM Boost Top Fuel dragster in 2006.
- Scott Pruett (Grand American Rolex Sports Car Series): Pruett, a resident of Auburn in the Sacramento area, is the 2004 Rolex Series Daytona Prototype co-champion along with Max Papis. Pruett also placed third at the 2004 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup event in Sonoma.
- Jake Zemke (AMA Superbikes): Zemke, who rides for American Honda, placed second in Formula Xtreme in 2005 with five victories, including four consecutive. The San Francisco native was also 11th in Superbike.
FAN ELEMENTS:
- Karting demonstration by drivers/rider in attendance (approx. 10:30 a.m.).
- Fan Forum and driver/rider autograph session (approx. 11:45 a.m.).
- Motor Sports Corral featuring a variety of vehicles from different forms of racing.
- Special ticket offer (see below).
- American Red Cross Blood Drive (see below).
- The Raceway Café will be open for lunch.
- Jim Russell Racing School display.
- The BONE 107.7 FM, a classic rock-n-roll station in San Francisco will be on-hand.
- Much, much more
2006 MEDIA KICKOFF: Speed-Fest will also serve as a 2006 media kickoff for press members in the Bay Area/Sacramento areas. A formal press conference will be held in the Winner's Circle, and all drivers will be available for interviews. Race fans are invited to watch the formal press conference.
BLOOD DRIVE: The day will also feature a blood drive by the American Red Cross from noon-6 p.m. All race fans who donate one point of blood will be given a "hot lap" at speed around the world-famous 12-turn, 2.52-mile road course. Please visit www.beadonor.com for donor eligibility and to secure your appointment (sponsor code:Infineon). Each person who donates one pint of blood will receive a hot lap. Hot laps will be administered by instructors from the Jim Russell Racing School. This marks the fifth consecutive year the raceway has hosted a blood drive; the raceway has helped generate more than 250 pints of blood the last two years for the American Red Cross.
FREE BASEBALL CAP OFFER: All race fans who purchase a ticket in-person at Speed-Fest for any major event on the 2006 Infineon Raceway calendar will receive a limited-edition Ignition Tour 2006 cap.
ABOUT IGNITION TOUR 2006 Speed-Fest is the first of three events for Ignition Tour 2006, designed to build momentum for race fans entering the upcoming season at Infineon Raceway. Other events are:
- NHRA Tour de Charity (March 4, Infineon Raceway): It's your chance for a full day of karting at the Infineon Raceway Karting Center with some of the NHRA's biggest stars ? Ron Capps, Cory McClenathan and Gary Scelzi. Call 707-933-3950 or email Denise Silver (dsilver@infineonraceway.com) for details.
- Two-Wheel Thunder (March 17, Infineon Raceway): Race fans will be admitted into the raceway for a one-day festival on Friday, March 17. All the top teams, including Kawasaki, Yamaha, Suzuki and Honda, will be testing the track for the upcoming Kawasaki AMA Superbike Showdown weekend, presented by Supercuts (May 19-21). Supermoto USA and Stuntspot.com will be on-hand with demonstrations and displays by top area pro riders and there will also be a fan forum and autograph session.
MORE INFORMATION: For race fan information, call 800-870-RACE or visit www.infineonraceway.com. For media inquiries regarding Speed-Fest, email John Cardinale at jcardinale@infineonraceway.com or Diana Rose at drose@infineonraceway.com.
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