SAN FRANCISCO — IndyCar drivers look for some of the best open-wheel racing ever at Sonoma this weekend.
Faster cars and track improvements set up the GoPro Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma for more passing and lead changes since major open-wheel racing returned to the North Bay seven years ago.
"All in all, it certainly is an improvement for racing. I think you'll see a fantastic race with the new changes," said JR Hildebrand, a local favorite out of Sausalito.
Fifteen drivers remain eligible for the IZOD IndyCar Series championship; in fact, 28 points separate the first through fourth competitors.
"The fans will be in for a treat," said Will Power (Team Penske), current points leader and two-time defending Sonoma champion.
Power leads Ryan Hunter-Reay (Andretti Autosport) by five points heading into Sonoma. Helio Castroneves (Team Penske) sits in third place, 26 points behind Power, his teammate.
Scott Dixon (Target Chip Ganassi Racing) and James Hinchcliffe (Andretti Autosport) round out the top five.
Reigning IZOD IndyCar Series champion Dario Franchitti, who won his third Indianapolis 500 this season, said Sunday's winner likely won't go wire-to-wire as he did in taking the 2009 race.
"It certainly does allow for more drafting," he said of the track changes. "If you are the leader, you almost are a sitting duck."
The drivers, speaking at an interview session Wednesday in San Francisco, were among 20 IndyCar series racers who took test drives Friday to gain a better feel for how cars handle the course.
Always a popular layout, Sonoma is one of three permanent road courses in the 16-race series that runs through the middle of September.
Still a 2.3-mile track, the course features 12 turns. Improvements did not dramatically alter the track, but should open up the racing. Drivers can increase speeds and brake more easily.
Turn 7 was extended to create a full hairpin, providing perhaps the best passing zone. A longer exit area on Turn 9 sets up drivers to attempt passes on Turn 11.
"Sonoma always has been a big challenge," Franchitti said. "It will allow for more passing. It's a good thing for us drivers."
Consider that Power, winner of the 2010 and 2011 IndyCar races at Sonoma, led all but six of the 150 laps run in those two races. The most lead changes were nine, among four drivers, in 2007.
Fans could see more side-by-side racing in some areas of the track where drivers can attempt slingshot passing, Hildebrand said.
"It's really such a unique track," he said.
Having raced Sonoma often in his young career, Hildebrand — the 2011 Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year — is excited to return to the North Bay. He competed in the past two IndyCar races here, finishing back in the pack both times.
"It's always great to come back. You get so much support here," he said. "You lose a little of that home-course advantage over time."
What hasn't changed is the distinctive stretch where the track rises and undulates through Turns 1 through 6. There are the blind curves that still test drivers despite knowing lines to take on the track.
Drivers are challenged particularly in the carousel section, with great force exerted on their head and arms.
"It's a very physical track. It just makes it more of a challenge," Franchitti said.
Another factor promising an exciting race Sunday is the new IndyCar Series racer. Safer, yet still slightly faster machines give drivers more room to challenge and even go side by side on road courses.
Changes to the car body, adding a side pod and rear bumpers, reduce chances for wheel-to-wheel contact and crashes.
The IndyCar Series enters Sonoma following races at Edmonton and Columbus, Ohio, that did not stop for a caution — the first time that's happened inconsecutive races since 1987.
"It gives us a little more license," Franchitti said. "If there is contact side-by-side, you can get away with it."
Drivers operate with both a greater feeling of safety and a bit more speed. The cars are lighter, yet have comparable horsepower and improved aerodynamics.
"It may be why things have been a little racier this year," Hildebrand said.
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