Local drag racers provided tire-melting action on Sonoma Raceway's drag strip during Wednesday Night Drags Powered by Universal Technical Institute, July 10.
The Wednesday Night Drags program, which is in its 31st consecutive year, gives drag racers the opportunity to race on Sonoma Raceway's world-famous quarter-mile drag strip. The objective of the program is to give people, from teenagers to working professionals, a safe, legal and controlled environment in which to race their vehicles, as opposed to using city streets, back-county roads or parking lots.
Racing is featured in seven classes. Gates open at 3:30 p.m. with racing spanning from 4-10 p.m. Eliminations begin at 7 p.m. allowing more track time for the racers. Anyone with a valid driver's license can participate, providing their vehicle or motorcycle passes a simple technical inspection.
Wednesday night's class winners included:
Jackpot: Santa Rosa's Tommy Johnson
Gear Jammer: Napa's Ron Jacks
Motorcycle: Novato's Doug Love
Comp Rod: San Rafael's Scott Sterley
Sport Street: Napa's Tom Markovich
Street: Windsor's Craig Merrilees
High School: Discovery Bay's Joey Frakes
The Top the Cops™ program also ran during the evening. Only one officer, Napa CHP's Mark Martineau, was able to beat a student when he got the jump on Rohnert Park's Ty Kumre. The other four students were able to outrun the officers, with Bryan Ochoa winning over Fairfield's Joe Holecek, Daniel Barnicki racing past Fairfield PD's J. Mack, Alejandro Diego Tonda beating out Sonoma Sheriff Jack Neely and Joseph McBurney earning the victory over CHP Officer Stanio.
In addition, the Top the Cops season winners were declared at the end of the night, with Fairfield PD sweeping all three awards including Top Agency, Top Cop (Officer Joe Holecek) and Best Reaction Time (Officer J. Mack, 023 Reaction Time). The wins were a first for the Fairfield PD.
Winner photos are posted on the Sonoma Raceway Drag Racing Facebook page.
Wednesday Night Drags will resume on Wednesday, July 31. For more information about Wednesday Night Drags, visit SonomaRaceway.com or call 800-870-RACE (7223). For track weather conditions, please call 800-870-RACE ext. 209.
