SONOMA, Calif. (July 10, 2018) - The hills of Sonoma Valley will rumble to life during back-to-back weekends of drag racing during the NHRA Division 7 Drag Races, presented by Korbel, July 20-22, and 31st annual Toyota NHRA Sonoma Nationals, July 27-29.
The NHRA Division 7 Drag Races, presented by Korbel, will set the stage for high-horsepower entertainment as the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series returns to Sonoma. Nearly 450 sportsman racers will vie for top titles in their respective classes during the fourth of seven races of the series' schedule. The weekend also features the return of the five-second door slammers of the Xtreme Pro Mods West Series, as well as Team Boddie Presents Outlaw 1/8 Racing Association with its popular Big Tire/Small Tire shootout.
New for this year, Saturday night will feature "The Beast" and "The Warhawk" jet cars at 7:15 p.m. and 9:15 p.m. These rocket-powered machines will reach speeds exceeding 300 mph as they fire down the drag strip for the ultimate high-horsepower entertainment. The evening will also feature elimination rounds for the Pro Mods and Team Boddie.
Following the divisional event, the wine country facility will also host the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series' only stop in Northern California at the Toyota NHRA Sonoma Nationals, July 27-29. NHRA's top drivers will pilot their 10,000-horsepower machines in head-to-head 330-mph match-ups on the raceway's drag strip. The weekend will feature racing in four professional categories, including Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle.
Sonoma's drag strip has consistently posted some of the quickest and fastest runs of the year on the NHRA circuit. Funny Car driver Robert Hight powered to a national record speed of 339.87 mph in 2017. Additionally, J.R. Todd secured his first career Funny Car victory, making him the first African-American to win in the NHRA Funny Car category and the second driver in NHRA history to win at Sonoma Raceway in both nitro categories.
The Toyota NHRA Sonoma Nationals will feature two rounds of qualifying at 4:15 and 7 p.m. on Friday, July 27, and the final two rounds of qualifying on Saturday, July 28, at 1:10 and 4:20 p.m. Race fans can also witness the fire-breathing machine of Juan Cantu's El Arabe Racing reach speeds of more than 300 mph as it launches down the drag strip in an illuminating display for the last pass of the day on Friday night.
To purchase tickets for these high-speed weekends in Sonoma, call 800-870-7223 or visit www.sonomaraceway.com. Race fans looking for a great deal on Toyota NHRA Sonoma Nationals tickets need look no further than their local O'Reilly Auto Parts dealer. The exclusive in-store offer includes a reserved ticket for either Friday, Saturday OR Sunday ticket for the Toyota NHRA Sonoma Nationals at one low price of only $49. Tickets for the NHRA Division 7 event range from $5-$20 each day. Parking is free.
