Sonoma Raceway notes: High-performance bikes on tap for track

The MotoAmerica Cycle Gear Championship will bring its high-speed bikes to the asphalt of Sonoma Raceway this weekend.

The high-performance bikes will race in a variety of classes, including three that will feature racers from Sonoma County - the most prominent being Tyler O'Hara in the Supersport class.

Also racing will be Shelina Moreda of Petaluma in the stock 1000 class. Moreda learned to ride growing up on a dairy farm and is now a pro competitor across the world, also being named a Covergirl cosmetics model in 2017.

In addition, Rohnert Park's Nikolas Thompson will race in the Liqui Moly Junior Cup.

The Supersport division will have 19-lap races on both days, starting at 4 p.m. on Saturday and 2 p.m. on Sunday.

The EBC Brakes Superbikes class will have two 22-lap contests, at 3 p.m. each day. The final two races on Sunday are the stock 1000 class featuring Moreda at 4 p.m. and the 13-lap Twins Cup race at 4:45 p.m.

Tickets for this weekend's races start at $50 for a one-day ticket and $60 for a two-day pass. Parking starts at $10. Military discounts are available at the gate.

Gates open at 8 a.m. each day this weekend.

For more information on the race weekend, visit www.sonomaraceway.com.

Wednesday nights at the track

Three Sonoma County residents took home titles in this week's Wednesday Night Drags event at the raceway.

Sonoma's Charlotte Skorlich used a quick reaction time to win the high school division. Craig Love took the top crown in the Gear Jammer division. Rohnert Park's Spencer Marcil won the street division.

The Wednesday Night Drags program runs almost every Wednesday. Currently in its 31st year, it runs from March 13 through Nov. 13.

Fans can race their vehicles down the quarter-mile drag strip in a controlled environment away from city streets. Gates open at 3:30 p.m., with racing from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Competitors must have a driver's license to compete, their cars must pass a technical inspection and all vehicles must have mufflers. Up to 300 cars are allowed to enter.

Running alongside the drags will be Sonoma Drift, where pros and amateurs can swing wheels to perfect their drifting techniques.

Speed is secondary as competitors are judged on the style and execution of their drift through a marked course in the raceway's paddock. Cars must pass a technical inspection before being allowed to drift.

Drifting starts at 4 p.m. Drivers pay $25 and high school students with ID can race for $15 at the gate. Spectators can watch for $10.

The next Wednesday Night Drags event is scheduled for Aug. 14.

Top the Cops

The Top the Cops program provides high school students across the Bay Area an opportunity to race against law enforcement officers every Wednesday night at Sonoma Racewar.

The raceway touts the program, in its 25th season, as an alternative to illegal street racing that also provides teens with the chance to speak with officers about safe driving and other rules of the road. It runs alongside almost every Wednesday Night Drags event through Aug. 28.