Indy Car and Formula 1 don’t run at Sonoma.

What would do with the land, build houses like everywhere else

They'll nix the whinery and build a winery.

So besides 1 drag race and 1 nascar race, what other events does the track have to bring in revenue? The property taxes have got to be insane

Steve, and a ton of track rentals that make a boat load of money

quote:

Originally posted by Big Steve:
So besides 1 drag race and 1 nascar race, what other events does the track have to bring in revenue? The property taxes have got to be insane

Scca, Dr’s and Lawyers rent the track to run the collectables. Offshore dealers etc.
Drag racing can make money but first you have to promote. Jet cars, wheel standers etc. advertising does work. Come to think of it, I never heard or saw one advertised commercial or airtime about the Nationals. Most certainly not any division races so what would you expect. This has been in the making for at least five years. I pray this bites the raceway in the ass.
BTW. Brittany Force just set a National speed record there. Sonoma doesn’t deserve the credit.
By far the worst National event I have ever attended. There weren’t even enough porta potties!

This message has been edited. Last edited by: BP758,

We have discussed this before and it always comes back to not enough racers and spectators. In my opinion there are several reasons why.

1. Our World is changing from get out and do things, hiking, racing, fishing, hunting, playing sports etc. To a virtual world where people talk about it on computers.

2. NHRA is doing everything they can to run off Racers, Spectators and Sponsors. Trying to rip them off for every penny they can, then wonder why they are not growing or even coming back in numbers they were.

3. As someone else said here there is not much ROI on investment and not much reward or Thanks for doing it.

The track has to make a profit and with Insurance, property values, Employee payroll, Sanctioning fees, racer payout and all kinds of other expenses it has to be hard to make it. Then some racers treat them terrible.

Now add on top of that State of California with all the rules, regulations, laws and general liberal BS and and it is harder there than rest of Country. We are losing tracks all over the Country but as a racer I would not even want to go to California knowing the police target racers and gas prices etc.

Unfortunately, Sonoma has been spiraling for years. It seemed to start when they canned the Divisional. People need travel long distances to race there and it just doesn't pencil out for some teams to travel for one race.

I know Nick (the dragstrip manager) was trying very hard to keep the bracket program running. He rallied and and got the car counts up, but the Track didn't seem to care. They make more money on other programs. I sponsored them for a few years, but I pulled the plug after it was clear upper management could care less.

Anyone know when the NHRA 2026 Schedule will be out?

There are enough racers. When you treat them terribly they won’t return. Class racers use the bigger bracket races to test and they enter too. Just look at the nostalgia racers. There are plenty! Nick has has it tough, not his fault as he answers to upper level mgmt . As I said before. They never advertised any divisional’s since Korbel. The only times were when Korbel sponsored and actual advertising was in play. The place was packed at a divisional.
Are there as many as before? No and I know this as we are aging out and lack of recruitment.