Looking back at IndyCar's time at Sonoma Raceway

IndyCar racing has taken place in Sonoma under many different race names and different track names - from Sears Point to Infineon to Sonoma Raceway. This year marks the end of a run of IndyCar races at the Sonoma Valley venue, so here’s a look back over the years at the races that have run there.

1970: Less than two years after groundbreaking at what was then known as Sears Point Raceway, the U.S. Automobile Club staged the Golden Gate 150, the first IndyCar race at the Sonoma circuit, in April. Dan Gurney won the race against a field that included Mario Andretti, Mark Donahue and Al Unser.

2005: Although the National Hod Rod Association (NHRA) came to the track in 1988 and NASCAR arrived in 1989, IndyCar racing had a 35-year hiatus before returning to Sonoma. Tony Kanaan claimed the inaugural victory and did push-ups in the Wine Country Winner’s Circle at what was known since 2002 as Infineon Raceway.

2006: Marco Andretti picked up one of his two career wins on the IndyCar circuit with the victory by .656 of a second over Dario Franchitti.

2007: Scott Dixon held off Helio Castroneves to claim his first of three victories at the Sonoma track, taking the Motorola Indy 300 title.

2008: Castroneves got his first win at Sonoma by a margin of 5.293 seconds, one of two wins on the season.

2009: Dario Franchitti went wire-to-wire in a 75-lap version of the race with Ryan Briscoe (-0.2488 seconds) and Mike Conway (-0.8293) right on his tail.

2010: Will Power was the winner, leading 73 of the 75 laps and just holding off Dixon.

2011: Power made it two in a row at Sonoma with one of his six wins on the season, earning him second in the series standings behind Franchitti.

2012: The track was rebranded Sonoma Raceway, and the race bumped back up to 85 laps and 315 miles. Australian Ryan Briscoe won it over countryman Power.

2013: Power picked up his third checkered flag at the Sonoma track. Dixon hit one of Power’s crew members late, receiving a drive-through penalty.

2014: Dixon returned to the winner’s circle for his second win at Sonoma, passing Mike Conway to take the lead.

2015: In the first IndyCar series season finale at the track, Dixon matched Power with a third checkered flag on the Sonoma circuit, wrapping up the title.

2016: Frenchman Simon Pagenaud wrapped up the IndyCar series title, his first, with his fifth victory of the season.

2017: Pagenaud made it back-to-back wins at Sonoma Raceway, but it was runner-up Josef Newgarden who clinched the season title.

2018: The Verizon IndyCar Series announced in August that the season finale for 2019 would be held at Laguna Seca in Monterey County, leaving Sonoma Raceway without an IndyCar race next year. Today’s race is the final scheduled IndyCar race at Sonoma Raceway.

The Press Democrat