Wafting odors of 100-octane gasoline and rumbling purrs of V8 engines punched through the overcast morning at Sonoma Raceway on Saturday as the Velocity Invitational car meet entered its second day.
The enormous racing event brought a wide variety of drivers and fans to the Northern California racetrack over a three-day festival, which kicked off Friday.
In previous years, the event has drawn more than 20,000 fans to Sonoma.
Throughout Saturday, groups of cars ranging from the earliest 1910s race cars to the newest experimental hypercars took laps around the 2.5-mile Sonoma Raceway circuit as part of demonstrations and full-blown championship races.
At the same time, fans marveled at display cars strewn around the track’s paddock area.
Race fans had no shortage of things to do and cars to spot, and the festival still has one more day to run.
Here’s what went on during Velocity Invitational on Saturday and what’s coming up on Sunday for those interested in going.
What is there to see at Velocity Invitational? The Porsche Sprint Challenge kicked off Saturday’s festivities with a qualifying session to set the grid for two races over the weekend.
As the earliest fans trickled into the track, the Bay Area’s famed fog layer hung over the hills surrounding the track.
Overcast conditions remained through the morning while Formula 1 cars, GT vehicles and racing sedans had their opportunities to run the track.
However, the sun finally made its appearance just in time for the day’s most hotly anticipated event.
Former Formula 1 driver Yuki Tsunoda met fans and signed autographs for an hour in the late morning right as the clouds parted and the track warmed up, energizing the whole raceway.
“I’ve never met an F1 driver before, and I’m glad I met (Tsunoda),” said Velocity Invitational attendee Jeremiah Ferrell, of Vacaville.
“I never thought I’d see an F1 driver out in California, so yeah it’s really cool.” Immediately after his meet-and-greet, Tsunoda hopped into a Ford GT MK IV for a guest on-track demonstration, his first time driving Sonoma’s circuit only months after drifting a Formula 1 car around the streets of San Francisco during a Red Bull Racing....
