The weather was warm, sunny and breezy for the mobs of fans everywhere – in the garage, pit lane, Driver’s Intros, Pre-Race ceremonies, etc. It’s difficult to get a handle on how large is the crowd. While the grandstands may appear less than full, the aerial shots show that the hillsides all around the course are full. Sonoma is unique for a road course in that there are hillside views where much of the 1.9-mile course can be viewed.
The obligatory fly-over was done by The Patriot Jets Team – the only US civilian aerobatic team; and the University of California Berkeley Marching Band performed the National Anthem, it’s first NASCAR race.
During Driver Introductions, it should come as no surprise that the biggest welcome was afforded to NASCAR’s Most Popular Driver, or that the BUSCH BROTHERS, who qualified together in the third row, got the biggest disapproval.
Team Owner, CHIP GANASSI, has had a very busy weekend, racking up the Frequent Flyer Miles on Air Ganassi. He started out Saturday afternoon at Road America to watch his Grand-Am Rolex Series Daytona Prototype team with SCOTT PRUETT & MEMO ROJAS win the race at Road America. Then he flew to Iowa where his evening was not as good when his two-time Championship/Indy 500 winner, Indycar Pole Sitter DARIO FRANCHITTI, lose his engine on the pace lap, and his other driver, SCOTT DIXON, finished fourth and dropped to third in the standings. Now Ganassi is at Sonoma, to watch his Chevrolet drivers JAMIE McMURRAY and JUAN PABLO MONTOYA.
