Sonoma Raceway

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"Born out of the ideas hatched in a Mexican restaurant in Northern California in the late 1960s, Sonoma Raceway has grown from a quaint regional track to one of the largest and most respected motorsports destinations in North America. Close to the heart of California’s Sonoma wine country, the circuit enjoys beautiful weather year-round, making it an ideal spot for the wide variety of racing that occurs on its varied ribbon—in fact, it’s one of the most utilized courses in the world, with events being held nearly 340 days each year. Sonoma Raceway opened its doors under its original name, Sears Point Raceway, in 1968, and became the host of various SCCA and other local races. Over the years, it has hosted a long list of different race series, including Trans Am, IMSA GT, and the ALMS series. Currently it hosts the IndyCar, AMA Superbike, and NHRA series of races, among others. It is notable as one of two NASCAR road races which are run on the special NASCAR circuit, which bypasses the tight carousel, instead using a route known as “the Chute.” The ribbon itself is known for its challenging banked turns and significant elevation change, from the highest point at Turn 3a (174 feet) to the lowest point at Turn 10 (14 feet). In between, the course has several variations that change the course to best suit the race event. From the white-knuckle Turn 1, to the blind crest of Turn 3a, to highly technical chicane at Turn 9a, it’s a course that challenges even the most experienced drivers. But that’s one of the charms of a course that’s just as suitable for fine Sonoma wine and vintage Ferraris as it is for the thunderous action of stock car racing."
—Official description^[1]

Sonoma Raceway - previously known as "Infineon Raceway" - is a 2.5 mile, twelve-turn road course in Napa Valley, California. It appears in Forza Motorsport 4, Forza Motorsport 6 and Forza Motorsport 7.

Overview[]

It was founded in 1967 as Sears Point International Raceway (no affiliation with Sears-Roebuck; the course was named after a local ranch). Decades later, it became Infineon Raceway after the naming rights were sold to Infineon Technologies. Several years later the rights expired and the course was renamed Sonoma Raceway.

Series Hosted[]

NASCAR
IndyCar
Formula 5000
World Challenge
IMSA
Grand Am

Configurations[]

Full Circuit
- Default circuit for most events.
- Turn two is noted for having inverse banking, making it a tricky part of the course
- The Carousel is a downhill curve leading into the dragstrip
- The dragstrip acts as a high-speed straight when not used for NHRA events
- The tight back hairpin leads into the high-speed esses
- The esses lead into the front hairpin and ultimately the front straight
Indy Circuit
- The back hairpin was modified to use an outer turn, making the area not as tight. This was changed back to the original hairpin in 2012, but Forza Motorsport 6 does not feature the new configuration.
- A bus stop cuts off much of the esses due to lack of runoff. The exit was widened in 2012. Forza Motorsport 6 does not have this change.
- The front hairpin was cut off due to lack of runoff. This was modified to add a small amount of the hairpin in 2012. Forza Motorsport 6 does not have this change.
NASCAR Circuit
- The downhill, Carousel, and back hairpin are omitted due to the NASCAR vehicles being unable to handle such tight areas. The vehicles instead use a back straight called the Chute.
- The outer part of the back hairpin formerly used by the IndyCars is used as the inner part is too tight.
- The full esses are used as the NASCAR vehicles cannot handle the bus stop.
- The entire front hairpin is used as the NASCAR vehicles cannot handle the cutoff.

Trivia[]

The track is called "Infineon Raceway" in Forza Motorsport 4.

Gallery[]

References[]

↑ "Sonoma Raceway" . forzamotorsport.net . Retrieved 04-24-2019.

[1] "Sonoma Raceway" . forzamotorsport.net . Retrieved 04-24-2019.

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