SONOMA, Calif. (Jan. 11, 2016) - Sonoma Raceway will continue to serve as Northern California's premier drag racing venue, as the wine country facility is set to host nearly 50 days of drag racing in 2016.

Highlighted by the 29^th annual Toyota NHRA Sonoma Nationals, the drag strip will also play host to NHRA Division 7 drag racing, Summit ET Bracket drag racing and the popular Wednesday Night Drags program.

The vineyards will rock as the 10,000-horsepower beasts of the Mello Yello Drag Racing Series return for the Toyota NHRA Sonoma Nationals, July 29-31. The fastest motorsport in the world boasts dragsters that cover the drag strip in less than four seconds at over 300-mph. The weekend will feature racing in Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle. The track returned to its record-setting ways in 2015, as seven track records were broken, including the national record for elapsed time in Funny Car.        

The NHRA Division 7 Drag Races, presented by Korbel, kicks off back-to-back weekends of drag racing in Sonoma, July 22-24. Nearly 450 sportsman racers will battle head-to-head as the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series returns the weekend prior to the national event. The event will also feature the return of the West Coast Outlaw Pro Modified Series and nitro-powered Top Fuel Harley-Davidson motorcycles.

The raceway's popular Wednesday Night Drags program enters its 28^th season this year. The amateur drag racing competition runs most Wednesday evenings from March 16-Nov.16 and gives anyone with a driver license and a car that passes a simple technical inspection a chance to race down the drag strip. The fan-favorite Top the Cops™ program, which gives high school students the opportunity to race against local law enforcement officers in their squad cars, will run from April through August in conjunction with Wednesday Night Drags.

The Summit ET Bracket Drag Racing Series features 12 races in 2016, including the popular Memorial Day and Independence Day weekend events. These events feature five classes of sportsman competition and generally attract more than 300 competitors.

            For more information on these programs or for the complete drag strip schedule, visit www.racesonoma.com/youcanrace or call 800-870-RACE (7223).