NASCAR Weekend kicks off at Sonoma Raceway

NASCAR weekend kicks off at Sonoma Raceway

SONOMA COUNTY, Calif. - NASCAR weekend at Sonoma Raceway has arrived. The action kicked off Friday on the iconic road course.

What they're saying:

"We come every year," said Nick Cameron of Riverbank.

"This is our Super Bowl," said Sonoma Raceway General Manager Brian Flynn.

Traffic impact

The big event caused some traffic headaches on Highway 37 Friday, as fans made their way to the course.

"It was definitely something. It's not as bad as normally on Sunday though," said Trystan Burris of Red Bluff.

Xfinity Series qualifying race

Friday was the qualifying race for Saturday's NASCAR Xfinity Series race.

Local perspective:

"Being a local boy, it's always cool to race at home and have more friends and family," said NASCAR driver and Menlo Park native Jesse Love.

Love was among those who qualified. He says racing here is a homecoming of sorts.

"I got to see a lot of really cool special moments here. It's just kind of a blessing to see it come full circle," said Love.

NASCAR driver on Sonoma's unique course

In the "garage", other drivers like John Hunter Nemechek are gearing up for an exciting weekend on one of NASCAR's most unique courses.

"I think being able to come out here to wine country, it's always neat," said Nemechek. It's a really technical racetrack. There's 90-degree corners, there's a lot of elevation change. Definitely a driver's racetrack."

Friday also featured the General Tire 200, with a host of up-and-coming drivers. After that, the Historic Trans Am Race spotlighted restored race cars from decades past.

"It's just some cool sports cars," said Flynn. "Gives the fans an opportunity to see those cars."

A family tradition for fans

Between races, many of those fans pass their time in the Fan Zone, where they can sit in a real stock car, or test their skills on a NASCAR simulator.

"I've been coming out here since 2014, camping with my friends," said Jose Vegas of Vacaville.

"It's really fun. I grew up watching it, so it's fun to see it in person," said Burris.

What's next:

The action continues Saturday with the NASCAR Xfinity Series race. Then, on Sunday it's the main event: the Toyota/Save Mart 350.

The Source: Interviews conducted by KTVU reporter John Krinjak

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