Sonoma Raceway prepares for flood of NASCAR fans

Golf carts zipped by as crews scrambled Wednesday to set up tents, signs, barbecue grills, corn dog stands and port-a-potties for this weekend’s NASCAR race at Sonoma Raceway.

Eric Lobato and Francisco Hernandez worked to secure a large tent near the track as tractor-trailers rolled into the lot, ready to unload race cars. Nearby, vendors assembled grills, where they’ll be serving up Philly cheesesteaks, turkey legs, grilled corn and fries.

“It’s been a lot of work. It’s been exciting, though,” said Lobato, who enjoyed watching cars out on the track for the past few weeks while setting up the tents.

The three-day event, which kicks off Friday, typically draws 100,000 fans, all excited to see their favorite NASCAR drivers whiz around the track.

Traffic is expected to slow to a crawl along the roads leading to the racetrack south of Sonoma, off Highway 121 just north of its intersection with Highway 37. In past years, traffic has backed up as far away as Highway 101 and Interstate 80.

Motorists should plan ahead and avoid the area, CHP spokeswoman Officer Anna Paulson said.

“There are ways to get around it,” she said.

“That’s the fortunate part of the Bay Area - we have alternate routes,” said Paulson, who also encouraged drivers to carry water in their cars in case they get stuck in traffic during the warm weekend.

Sonoma Raceway has been spreading the word about the alternative routes since last year, reaching out to visitors’ bureaus, wineries, restaurants and hotels in hopes of reducing congestion in the area over the weekend. It also developed a traffic management plan, which included distributing 46 message signs along roads within a 15-mile radius around the track and hiring a traffic manager to work closely with CHP officers.

It also encouraged people to use alternative forms of transportation, including the Raceway Fun Train, which will bring nearly 700 fans to the track by rail from Sacramento. An express bus program is expected to bring more than 1,000 fans from around Northern California.

The traffic management plan resulted in a “substantial reduction” in problems last year near the raceway during events, CHP Sgt. Brad Bradshaw said in a statement.

“The raceway has done an excellent job advising residents, businesses and visitors of the Napa and Sonoma Valleys with its mailers, signage and electronic message boards,” Bradshaw said.

The raceway did an informal study two years ago and found that roughly one in seven cars on the road were coming to the race, said Steve Page, Sonoma Raceway president and general manager. He said it was bad for the fans, as well as for local residents and tourists who were heading to the race.

Page is expecting a larger crowd this year, but predicted the raceway’s mitigation plan should ease some of that traffic.

“There will be probably more people here this weekend than there have been in 10 years,” Page said. “The economy has picked up. … We’ve seen an uptick in corporate business.”

He also credits Jeff Gordon, who’s expected to make his final appearance at the Sonoma Raceway as a driver.

“He has a huge following in Northern California,” Page said about Gordon, who was born in Vallejo. A Q&A session with the popular driver is scheduled for Saturday.

On Friday, Santa Rosa native Kevin Jorgeson, who free climbed El Capitan in Yosemite National Park earlier this year, will be honored at the Children’s Champions Grand Marshal’s Banquet at Cline Cellars. Jorgeson was named the Grand Marshal of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series event at the Sonoma Raceway.

The main event will be the 110-lap Toyota/Save Mart 350, which will be held Sunday. Former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger will drive the pace car to kick off the race.

“It’s all about Sunday,” said Matt Marcoccia, who has been selling food at the event for the past five years. The Sacramento man expects up to 70,000 race fans to turn up on that day.

A hot dog-eating contest also will be held on Sunday. World champion Joey Chestnut will oversee the competition, which starts at 10 a.m. The male and female winners will qualify for a seat at the Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog Eating Contest in Coney Island.

It’s the second year the hot dog-eating contest has been held at the NASCAR event, Page said.

“There’s stuff happening at every corner,” Page said. “In the middle of it we have a pretty good car race.”

You can reach Staff Writer Eloísa Ruano González at 521-5458 or eloisa.gonzalez@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @eloisanews.