Sonoma Raceway's drag strip heated up last night, Aug. 24, with more than 150 Northern California drag racers competing during the Wednesday Night Drags.
The Wednesday Night Drags program, which is in its 29th year, gives drag racers the opportunity to drag race on Sonoma Raceway's world-famous quarter-mile drag strip. The objective of the program is to give people, from teen-agers to working professionals, a safe, legal and controlled environment in which to race their vehicles, as opposed to using city streets or back-county roads.
Racing is featured in seven different classes. Timed runs begin at 4 p.m. with racing spanning from 5-10 p.m. anyone with a driver's license can compete, providing their vehicle or motorcycle passes a simple technical inspection.
Last night's class winners included Santa Rosa's Don Waltenspiel (Jackpot); Valley Ford's Joel Minades (Gear Jammer); Novato's Doug Love (Motorcycle); Pacifica's Brian Kam (Camp Rod); Rodeo's Douglas McCay (Sport Street); Richmond's Chris Burton (Street); and Santa Rosa's Jorge Valenica JR (High School).
Wednesday Night Drags returns to the strip next Wednesday, Aug. 31, and will also feature the final Top the Cops event of the season in which high school students drag race against Bay Area law enforcement officers in their squad cars on the quarter-mile drag strip. For more information, visit www.SonomaRaceway.com/youcanrace or call 800-870-RACE (7223).
