Bruton Smith, Jeff Gordon to be Inducted into Wall of Fame
SONOMA, Calif. - NASCAR NEXTEL Cup driver Jeff Gordon and Speedway Motorsports Chairman and CEO O. Bruton Smith will share center stage during the Dodge/Save Mart 350 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup weekend as both will be inducted into Infineon Raceway's Wall of Fame. Gordon and Smith will join NASCAR drivers Rusty Wallace and Mark Martin, who were the first inductees when construction of the Wall of Fame was announced at the 2005 Dodge/Save Mart 350 weekend. Other inductees include Warren Johnson from the NHRA, and Miguel Duhamel and Rich Oliver from the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA). The ceremony will take place on Friday, June 23, at 11:20 a.m. (Pacific) in the Wine Country Winner's Circle, which is adjacent to the main grandstand in the paddock. Race fans are invited to the ceremony honoring both men. The Wall of Fame is located behind the main grandstand and will be open to the public during race weekend. Smith purchased then-Sears Point Raceway in 1996 and, thanks to a comprehensive $70 million modernization project, has transformed the facility into one of the premier motor sports and entertainment venues in the country, and certainly the top road-racing venue in the country. The "new" Infineon Raceway features first-class amenities for both competitors and race fans, including an expanded paddock, 44 permanent garages, repaved road course and drag strip, comfortable hillside terrace seats, underground pedestrian tunnels to expedite traffic flow and incredible sightlines that offer views of both the road course and the scenic Sonoma Valley, to name just a few of the enhancements. "I am honored to be included and it's wonderful to be inducted with Jeff Gordon. He has done a lot of great things for our sport and is someone I greatly admire," said Smith. "I am proud of the improvements we've made to this great facility and the work we've done in helping build the NASCAR fan base in the area." Smith and raceway President and General Manager Steve Page were the architects behind the massive project that has helped the raceway attract just about every form of motor racing, including NASCAR, NHRA POWERade Drag Racing, Indy Racing League and the AMA Superbike Championship Series. Smith's SMI also owns and operates Atlanta Motor Speedway, Bristol Motor Speedway, Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Lowe's Motor Speedway and Texas Motor Speedway. Gordon, a native of nearby Vallejo, has simply owned the Sonoma Valley road course during his career. He holds the record for career NASCAR Cup wins at Infineon Raceway with four, including three consecutive from 1998-2000, and he has finished no worse than third in eight of his 13 starts in Sonoma, dating back to 1993. Moreover, he holds the following records at Infineon Raceway: * Career earnings ($1,507, 217) * Laps led (376) * Qualifying (94.325 mph, 2005) * Pole positions (five, 1998-99, 2001, 2004, 2005) * Most laps led by a race winner (92 in 2004) "I love racing on road courses and we've had a lot of success there," said Gordon, driver of the No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet. "It's an honor to be inducted into the Wall of Fame, especially at a track where we have a tremendous amount of support from fans, friends and family." For his career, Gordon is also a four-time NASCAR Cup champion (1995, 1997-98, 2001) and a three-time winner of the Daytona 500 (1997, 1999, 2005). The Wall of Fame includes competitors from all forms of motor racing at Infineon Raceway, including NASCAR, NHRA, AMA, open-wheel cars, sports cars, and more. It will also include those who have made significant contributions to the raceway over the years. A raceway committee oversees the selection process on an annual basis. WHAT: Dodge/Save Mart 350 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup weekend WHERE: Infineon Raceway, Highways 37 & 121, Sonoma, CA 95476 WHEN: June 23-25 COURSE: 10 turns, 1.99 miles 2005 WINNER: Tony Stewart 2006 PURSE: Record $5,362,868 in posted awards RECORDS: Qualifying- Jeff Gordon, 2005, 94.325 mph. Race - Ricky Rudd, 2002, 81.007 mph NEXTEL CUP SCHEDULE (All times Pacific): Friday - NASCAR NEXTEL Cup practice, noon-2 p.m.; Ravenswood Winery NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Qualifying, 4:05 p.m. (SPEED). Saturday - NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series practice, 9:30-10:15 a.m.; Slingbox NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series Happy Hour, 11:10-11:55 a.m. (FX). Sunday - Dodge/Save Mart 350, 12:40 p.m. (FOX). TICKETS: $25-$180, parking is free. 800-870-RACE, www.infineonraceway.com <http://www.infineonraceway.com/> or www.ticketmaster.com <http://www.ticketmaster.com/> . Gates open at 7 a.m. each day.