For the first time in more than a year drivers at Sonoma Raceway will hear the roar of fans the first weekend in June.
The NASCAR Cup Series returns to the venue June 6, with the ARCA Menards Series West General Tire 200 50-lap race on June 5.
Track officials announced the change Thursday. Because Sonoma County is in the orange tier this allows for 33% of the facility to be occupied by fans.
“We are thrilled to be able to open our gates and welcome fans back to the raceway for our annual NASCAR race weekend in June,” Sonoma Raceway Executive Vice President and General Manager Jill Gregory stated in the announcement. “We are fortunate to have a beautiful, outdoor facility that is perfect for social distancing and will provide a safe and memorable race-day experience for our guests. We look forward to welcoming the greatest fans and drivers in motorsports back to Northern California.”
Spectators will discover several things have changed because of the pandemic. All tickets will be digital and all transactions will be cashless. Food must be ordered via an app. It will be delivered to a person’s seat or can be picked up at a window in a contactless manner.
Everyone must wear a mask even with the race being outside. A maximum of 10 people will be allowed in each pod, with no more than three households per group.
The NASCAR weekend in wine country will feature the 90-lap Toyota/Save Mart 350 NASCAR Cup Series race on Sunday as well as the ARCA Menards Series West General Tire 200 50-lap race on Saturday.
NASCAR at Sonoma Raceway photo Big Rick