Sonoma Historic Motorsports Festival 2011 Update

The Sonoma Historic Motorsports Festival 2011 will be held June 4-5 at the 12-turn, 2.52-mile Infineon Raceway Sears Point road course. From a 1934 Alfa Romeo Tipo B to a 1991 Riley & Scott Trans-Am Camaro, nearly every marque produced and raced worldwide during the last 70 years will be featured at the 2nd Annual Sonoma Historics.

Four hundred entries, some coming from as far away as St. Croix, Australia, Brazil, Canada and New Zealand, will compete in a series of “time capsule” historic races each day, among 13 race groups. Twenty-six of these entries will represent McLaren, the iconic marque featured at the 2011 Sonoma Historic Motorsports Festival.

Two historically significant McLarens competing in the event are the 1967 McLaren M6A/1 in which Bruce McLaren won the 1967 Can-Am Championship (entered and driven by Richard Griot, Milton, Wash.), and the 1971 McLaren M8F/1, which Denis Hulme drove to second behind teammate Peter Revson in the 1971 Can-Am Championship (entered and driven by Chris MacAllister, Indianapolis).

Among the historic Formula One race cars entered is the 1970 McLaren M14A, the spare Formula One car driven by Bruce McLaren (entered and driven by Scott Drnek of Hayward, Calif.),

The McLaren M23, one of the most important designs in Formula One history, that was successfully raced from 1973 to 1977, will be represented by the 1973 Yardley-McLaren M23/3 that Jody Scheckter raced at the French and British GPs that year. It is entered and driven by Bob Baker, of Sun Valley, Idaho.

“McLaren’s racing history is incredibly rich with its successes, controversies and the colorful personalities who raced them,” said Steve Earle, president of General Racing, Ltd., who for four decades has devoted his life to organizing historic car racing events. He is the originator of the Monterey Historic Automobile Races and the Wine Country Classic that preceded the Sonoma Historic Motorsports Festival for 24 years.

“While we are featuring the McLaren at this year’s event,” continued Earle, we are also honored to welcome a number of other important historic entries, such as the 1949 Talbot Lago T-26C, which took part in 15 Grand Prix races, and is entered and raced by David Duthu of Seabrook, Texas. Also entered is a more recently raced car, the 1991 Roush Mustang that Robby Gordon drove to second in the 1991 IMSA GTO championship (entered and driven by Steve Schuler, Capistrano Beach, Calif.).

“This year’s field of race cars is indeed eclectic, historic and significant. The weekend should provide every racing fan a wonderful experience reliving the unique racing histories of each entry,” said Earle.

The weekend’s festivities will also include the Historic Race Car Festival in the Sonoma Plaza benefiting Speedway Children’s Charities, and other special programs to be announced. A popular event away from the racing action is the Wine Country Pavilion at Infineon Raceway, where the best food and wine from the Sonoma and Napa Valleys may be sampled. Admission to the Pavilion is FREE with an event ticket.

The Sonoma Historic Motorsports Festival 2011 will be held June 4-5 at the 12-turn, 2.52-mile Infineon Raceway Sears Point road course. Tickets are $40 day/$60 weekend; Youth (Ages 13-20): $20 day/$30 weekend; Children 12-and-under FREE and parking is FREE. Each ticket includes entry to the Wine Country Pavilion. For more information, visit www.sonomahistoric.com, or to purchase tickets, visit infineonraceway.com/historics or call 800-870-RACE.

[Source: Sonoma Historic Motorsports Festival; photo credit: Dennis Gray]