As firefighters appear to have the devastating fires under control in California wine country, Sonoma Raceway appears ready to re-open. The track closed for more than a week after the fires broke out in Sonoma and Napa Counties. "We’re okay," said the track’s VP/Communications & Marketing Diana Brennan. The fire burned the hillside around the course, but Brennan noted the structures came through unscathed, and fortunately so did the staff. Brennan noted no staffers sustained any injuries, but some were evacuated from their homes. “We canceled a Tough Mudder event last weekend because of the (poor) air quality but we’re hoping to get back to business as usual,” Brennan said.
The track will open for a Test Day on Monday, and the first race will be the weekend of Oct. 28-29. Last week, Sonoma Raceway opened its 50-acre campgrounds as a stop-through shelter, offering three meals a day for evacuees. Brennan said at the peak, there were around 75 RVs and campers on the grounds just across from the raceway. She added, “This valley (Sonoma) and the community are amazing on a good day and, it turns out, even better on a bad day. It’s a long haul, but we need to be a part of the restoration process.”
