WHEN/CIRCUIT: June 23-25. The Dodge/Save Mart 350 is the 16th race on the schedule in 2006. The circuit is a 10-turn, 1.99-mile road course.
RACE LENGTH: The Dodge/Save Mart 350 is measured in kilometers. The race distance is 218.9 miles or 110 laps around the 1.99-mile road course.
PURSE: Record-setting purse of $5,362,868 in posted awards.
SCHEDULE: (All times Pacific)
Friday: NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Practice, Noon - 2 p.m.; NASCAR Grand National Division, AutoZone West Series Qualifying, 2:50 p.m.; Ravenswood Winery NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Qualifying, 4:05 p.m.
Saturday: NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Practice, 9:30 a.m.-10:15 a.m.; Slingbox NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Happy Hour, 11:10 a.m.- 11:55 a.m.; Blue Lizard Suncream 200 NASCAR Grand National Division, AutoZone West Series, 1 p.m.; SPEED World Challenge Touring Car approximately 30 minutes following the Blue Lizard Suncream 200.
Sunday: Dodge/Save Mart 350, 12:40 p.m.; SPEED World Challenge GT approximately 30 minutes following the Dodge/Save Mart 350.
TELEVISION (All times Pacific): Friday: Ravenswood Winery NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Qualifying, 4:05 p.m. (SPEED)
Saturday: Slingbox NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Happy Hour, 11 a.m. (FX)
Sunday: Dodge/Save Mart 350, noon pre-race, 12:40 p.m. approximate green flag (FOX)
WHAT TO EXPECT: Tony Stewart is the defending Dodge/Save Mart 350 champion - he has two wins overall in Sonoma, the other coming in 2001. Stewart is also the defending NASCAR NEXTEL Cup champion. He has three top-10 finishes in seven starts in Sonoma... Jeff Gordon holds the record for the most wins in Sonoma with four (1998-2000, 2004). Gordon reset the Infineon Raceway qualifying record in 2005 (94.325 mph, 1:15.950)... Two-time winners at Infineon Raceway include Rusty Wallace (1990, '96), Ernie Irvan (1992, '94), Ricky Rudd (1989, 2002) and Stewart.... Mark Martin holds the record for the most top-10 finishes at Infineon Raceway with 13.... In 2005, six of the top-10 finishers in the Dodge/Save Mart 350 started farther back than 20th. Elliott Sadler and Ron Fellows, who started 42nd and 43rd, respectively, both earned top-10 finishes... The record for the most cars on the lead lap was reset in 2005, with 34 cars finishing 110 laps.... There have been 30 lead changes combined over the last four years of NEXTEL Cup Series competition at Infineon Raceway.... Michael Waltrip has completed the most laps in Sonoma at 1,548 laps; NASCAR has run 1,554 laps in 17 visits to Infineon Raceway. ? Gordon is tops in career earnings in Sonoma at $1,507,217. He has also led the most laps (376 laps in eight starts). Wallace is a distant second (171).
QUALIFYING / RACE RECORDS:
Qualifying: Jeff Gordon, June 24, 2005, 94.325 mph/1:15.950
Race: Ricky Rudd, June 23, 2002, 81.007 mph
IN ADDITION: The weekend will also feature the Blue Lizard Suncream 200 NASCAR Grand National Division, AutoZone West Series (race on Saturday, June 24, 1 p.m.). The race will span 64 laps and NASCAR regular Ken Schrader is expected to compete, as is NASCAR road-race specialist Boris Said, who will also race in the Dodge/Save Mart 350. Bakersfield's Mike Duncan is the two-time defending West Series champion. This marks the return of the West Series to the Sonoma Valley after a seven-year absence. Kevin Harvick won the last feature in Sonoma in 1998, en route to his West Series title.
The weekend will also feature the SPEED World Challenge Series, which consists of production cars that must be available for purchase on the street. The Touring Car main event will take place on Saturday and the GT main event will take place approximately 30 minutes after the completion of the Dodge/Save Mart 350. The Sunday race is a great alternative to battling traffic on area highways following the Dodge/Save Mart 350.
NOTABLE: Race fans will have a chance to bid on "Driver Dream Packages" during the 4th annual Race-n-Rock Charity Auction on Sunday, June 25, in the Wine Country Winner's Circle at 10:45 a.m. (Pacific). In addition to bidding on the great packages, there will also be signed memorabilia from top stars in the NASCAR and rock-n-roll worlds. All proceeds benefit Speedway Children's Charities, the charitable arm of Infineon Raceway?. The AAA Designated Driver Program will be featured on Sunday, June 25. If you choose to be the designated driver of your group, you'll receive a free bottle of smartwater, plus a signed thank-you card by AAA driver Mark Martin.... Blue Lizard Suncream will offer free skin cancer screenings throughout the property all weekend...
Tickets: Call 800-870-RACE, visit www.infineonraceway.com or www.ticketmaster.com.
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