Sonoma Raceway Rewind: 50 Years Ago Sonoma Raceway Hosted Its First NHRA Drag Race March 8-9, 1969
· Sonoma Raceway celebrates 50 years of racing in wine country this year. The raceway hosted its first full season of racing in 1969.
· For the 32nd consecutive year, the Mello Yello Drag Racing Series returns to Sonoma Raceway for the NHRA Sonoma Nationals, July 26-28.
SONOMA, Calif. (March 7, 2019) – Professional drag racing made its Sonoma Valley debut 50 years ago, as then-Sears Point Raceway hosted its first drag racing event on a freshly-paved quarter-mile drag strip, March 8-9, 1969.
The San Francisco National Open was sanctioned by the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA), which still sanctions drag racing activity at Sonoma Raceway today. The entry list for the inaugural event included the likes of “Big Daddy” Don Garlits, Jim Davis and Big John Mazmanian.
A promotional brochure from the raceway’s first season in 1969 proclaimed, “The drag strip has been designed for the day when the magic of 300 mph will occur…. The most advanced timing and scoring systems available have been installed to make this the finest drag strip in Northern California.”
The raceway would go on to host its second drag race, a Super Stock Drag Meet, April 19-20, as well as multiple SCCA events and its first AMA National Motorcycle Road Race later that year.
Fifty years later, drag racing continues to be a centerpiece of Sonoma Raceway’s on-track activity, including 45 days of drag racing slated for 2019. The 10,000-horspower dragsters of the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series have long eclipsed the 300-mph barrier, including the 339.87-mph Funny Car national record set by Robert Hight at Sonoma Raceway in 2017.
Sonoma Raceway 50th Anniversary:
Sonoma Raceway will celebrate 50 years of racing history and memories throughout the 2019 race season. Honoring the raceway’s history and memorable moments will be at the heart of the raceway’s efforts, including celebrations to mark significant milestones in the raceway’s history, signature celebrations at the raceway’s major events featuring drivers and legends, and plenty of throwback images and memorabilia.
“Sonoma Raceway’s legacy over the last half century covers the spectrum from iconic professional stars to thousands of amateur enthusiast racers who have turned laps on our road course or accelerated down the quarter-mile,” said Steve Page, Sonoma Raceway president and general manager. “We look forward to celebrating with all of them in the coming year, and honoring our incredible history.”
Race fans are invited to get in on the fun by sharing their personal memories, stories and pictures from events at Sonoma Raceway at www.sonomaraceway.com/50 or on social media using the hashtag #Race50noma.
Photo by Les Welch
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