Sonoma Raceway is welcoming fans back to its grandstands for the first time in 714 days this weekend and before the green flag drops for the Toyota/Save Mart 350 NASCAR Cup Series race on Sunday, there will be a full lineup of pre-race ceremonies officially kicking off festivities on both days.
Among the notable dignitaries for Sunday’s Toyota/Save Mart 350, San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan will serve as the Grand Marshal, 15-year-old U.S. Skateboarding champ Minna Stess, from Petaluma, will perform a skating exhibition and Food Network star Guy Fieri will drive the ceremonial pace car. In addition, Airmen from Travis Air Force Base will provide the Presentation of Colors while two F-15s from the 123rd Fighter Squadron of the Oregon National Guard will rocket through the skies during a dramatic patriotic flyover during Sunday’s National Anthem performance by country singer, and California native, Callie Twissleman.
Also on Sunday, guests will be treated to the Patriots Jet Demonstration Air Show and the traditional pre-race parade laps by the Save Mart “Big Red” Shopping Cart and the Garton Tractor Truck with the American Flag.
Below is a breakdown of key pre-race activities and racing schedules for Saturday and Sunday:
SATURDAY, June 5
Historic Trans Am Practice, 9 a.m. (30 minutes)
Historic Trans Am Qualifying, 10:30 a.m. (30 minutes)
General Tire 200 ARCA Menards West Series practice/qualifying, 11:30 a.m.
Historic Trans Am race, 1 p.m. (30 minutes)
General Tire 200 ARCA Menards West Series drivers report to their vehicles, 1:40 p.m.
General Tire 200 ARCA Menards West Series driver introductions, 1:45 p.m.
The full field of drivers who will compete in the General Tire 200 race will be introduced prior to the green flag.
Presentation of Colors, 1:51 p.m.
Airmen from Travis Air Force Base will present the nation’s colors prior to the national anthem.
Invocation
Larry Davis, lead pastor at Northgate Church in Benicia will give the pre-race prayer.
National Anthem
Marissa Gallardo, 15-year-old Bay Area native will perform the National Anthem. Last year she performed the National Anthem at games for the NBA’s Sacramento Kings and the San Jose Giants minor league baseball team.
The Command: Drivers, Start Your Engines!, 1:58 p.m.
Lindsay Lee, district service & parts manager, Toyota Motor North America, San Francisco regional office will serve as the race’s Grand Marshal and give the command virtually for drivers to start their engines
Green Flag for the General Tire 200 ARCA Menards West Series race (50 laps, 126 miles/200 km), 2:05 p.m.
SUNDAY, June 6
Historic Trans Am warm-up laps, 9:15 a.m. (15 minutes)
Historic Trans Am race, 10:30 a.m. (30 minutes)
The Save Mart Companies “Big Red” Parade Lap, 11:10 a.m.
Save Mart Supermarkets will take its giant 12-foot shopping cart “Big Red” for its traditional ceremonial lap around the road course.
Skateboarding Exhibition
USA National Skateboarding Champion Minna Stess, 15, from nearby Petaluma, who has competed in the XGames, Dew Tour and major pro women’s events around the world, will wow the crowd with a skateboarding demonstration. She is currently preparing to represent Team USA at the upcoming Tokyo Olympic Games.
Patriots Jet Demonstration Team Air Show, Noon
The Patriots Jet Team will electrify race fans with a 25-minute air show just one-hour before the green flag drops! The demonstration will feature six-L-39 albatross jets strutting their fast-paced formation flying, choreographed six-jet diamond-formation aerobatic maneuvers and their signature “Tail Slide,” where the aircraft actually slides backwards toward the ground.
NASCAR Cup Series drivers report to vehicles, 12:35 p.m.
Official race day welcome, 12:35 p.m.
Jill Gregory, executive vice president and general manager, Sonoma Raceway, will welcome fans to the running of the Toyota/Save Mart 350, the first race at this facility in 714 days. In addition, James Dowdy, marketing director for Toyota’s San Francisco Region also will provide some pre-race remarks.
Toyota/Save Mart 350 Grand Marshal
Kyle Shanahan, San Francisco 49ers football team head coach, will be introduced prior to help give the traditional command for drivers to start their engines.
Toyota/Save Mart 350 Honorary Starter
Debra Woodcock, winning store manager of the year for FoodMaxx in Yuba City will be introduced. She will wave the ceremonial green flag to start the Toyota/Save Mart 350 NASCAR Cup Series race.
Toyota/Save Mart 350 VIP
Chris McGarry, chief executive officer, The Save Mart Companies
Toyota/Save Mart 350 NASCAR Cup Series driver introductions, 12:40 p.m.
Meet the starting lineup for the Toyota/Save Mart 350 NASCAR Cup Series race.
Presentation of Colors
Airmen from Travis Air Force Base will present the nation’s colors prior to the national anthem.
Invocation
Pastor Rondall Leggett, senior pastor of First Missionary Baptist Church, Marin City, Calif., will provide the pre-race prayer.
National Anthem
Country music vocalist Callie Twissleman, of Paso Robles, Calif., who recently released her debut single “Two Hands,” will perform The National Anthem prior to the green flag of the Toyota/Save Mart 350.
Patriotic Pre-Race Flyover
Two F-15C Eagles from the 123d Fighter Squadron Redhawks of the Oregon Air National Guard will rocket through the skies during a dramatic flyover as the National Anthem is being performed.
Patriotic Pre-Race Ceremonial Lap
In addition to the pre-race Flyover, a Garton Tractor Truck with an American Flag in tow will make a ceremonial lap around the Sonoma Raceway road course during the National Anthem performance.
Honorary Pace Car Driver
Emmy-award winning Food Network star Guy Fieri, owner of Johnny Garlic’s restaurant in nearby Santa Rosa and several other dining establishments in Northern California, New York and Las Vegas, will lead the field to the green flag in a Toyota Camry while serving as the Honorary Pace Car Driver.
The Command: Drivers, Start Your Engines!, 1:02 p.m.
San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan along with other Toyota executives will say the most famous words in motorsports and give the official command for the drivers to start their engines.
Green Flag for the Toyota/Save Mart 350 NASCAR Cup Series race (90 laps, 226.8 miles/350 km), 1:14 p.m.
While the Toyota/Save Mart 350 NASCAR Cup Series race has reached its maximum socially-distanced grandstand capacity for the weekend, there are still tickets available for Saturday’s racing, which includes the Historic Trans-Am race and the ARCA Menards West Series General Tire 200 race. For more information, call 800-870-7223, visit www.sonomaraceway.com.
