Intensity on the IZOD IndyCar Series circuit is at an all-time high with 15 drivers still eligible for the 2012 championship heading into this weekend’s GoPro Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma, Aug. 24-26. A mere 28 points separate the first four competitors as the top open-wheel drivers in the country invade the Sonoma Valley for the eighth consecutive year.
One of only three permanent road courses on the series schedule, Sonoma challenges racers with a 12-turn, 2.31 mile track. The race spans 85 laps.
“The fans will be in for a treat,” said Will Power (Team Penske), current points leader and two-time defending Sonoma champion.
Power leads second-place Ryan Hunter-Reay (Andretti Autosport) by just five points heading into the weekend. Both drivers have three victories apiece this year but Hunter-Reay has never won in Sonoma; his best finish in Wine Country was eighth (2010).
Helio Castroneves (Team Penske) sits in third place, just 26 markers behind his teammate, Power. Castroneves posted a victory in Sonoma in 2008 — he also sat on the pole that year. He is anxious to test the modified track layout with changes to Turns 7, 9 and 11 under race conditions. Castroneves tested last Friday, along with 19 other drivers.
“I think the track is great and the changes seem to create a lot more passing,” Castroneves said.
Six different drivers have won in Sonoma since the series debuted in 2005: (Tony Kanaan (‘05); Marco Andretti (‘06); Scott Dixon (‘07); Castroneves (‘08); Dario Franchitti (‘09); and Power (‘10, ‘11). Only once has a Sonoma winner, Franchitti, gone on to win the series championship.
Race tickets are still available for this weekend, which also includes Saturday’s Cadillac Sonoma Grand Prix for the SCCA World Challenge. Call 800.870.7223 (RACE) or visit racesonoma.com for details. Tickets start at just $39 on Sunday, Aug. 26, and children 12 and under are free both Friday and Saturday. Parking is free all weekend.
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