Autoblog

Infineon Raceway to become Sonoma raceway... temporarily

Jeff Sabatini — Sun, 03 Jun 2012 10:01:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Marketing/Advertising

Here's the problem with selling corporate naming rights to sports facilities: When times are good and sponsors are interested, they're more than happy to make it rain. When priorities change, however, the money gets withdrawn and all that's left is that company's stupid logo, plastered all over the signage.

Not that we're specifically referring to Infineon, the German chipmaker that decided against renewing its sponsorship deal with the California track now known as Sonoma raceway (yes, small r). We're not sure why the powers that be at Infineon felt that defiling the name of this 2.5-mile road course would no longer be part of the corporate marketing plan, though we will admit that despite its having bought the naming rights to Sears Point Raceway a decade ago, we still had to look Infineon up on Wikipedia to recall exactly what business it was in.

The announcement that Infineon would cut ties with the track came in March, though track management told The San Francisco Chronicle that it had known for years that the contract would not be renewed. Infineon had its name officially retired on June 1, and while track officials have temporarily christened the course, they've said the "Sonoma" moniker is not likely to last. In a letter to fans, the track's general manager said they will "formally re-brand the facility before the end of this year, whether with a new company or otherwise, with a major announcement, new logo, promotion and merchandise."

Here's an idea: If you strike out on landing a new corporate sponsor, most racing fans still call it Sears Point.

Infineon Raceway to become Sonoma raceway... temporarily originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 03 Jun 2012 10:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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SPEED announces Hollywood's Hottest Car Chases with mega sweepstakes

Jeff Glucker — Mon, 11 Oct 2010 08:28:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Videos

Ronin ranks high on the list - Click above to watch video after the jump

It's a question which stirs up deep emotions in most automotive enthusiasts. No, it's not Porsche versus Ferrari, Senna versus Schumacher or Jeep against Land Rover. The question that causes serious debate boils down to one sentence - what is the best movie car chase of all time? SPEED is going to count down the greatest that Hollywood has to offer during a two-hour special running Thanksgiving day. The show is a platform to show-off the channel's newest contest, the return of the SPEED Dream Ride in the form of the SPEED Dream Ride 2.

The SPEED Dream Ride 2 is a sweepstakes-style contest with an excellent grand prize. Five winners and their guests will get to experience the VIP treatment at Infineon Raceway, in Sonoma, California. While at the track, winners will get to ride shotgun with Mario Andretti in a two-seat Indy car, Kyle Petty in a NASCAR stock car, Jason Pridmore on a two-up MotoGP sportbike and get sideways with Tanner Foust on a drifting course. If riding riding in cars gets boring, the winners can take turns crushing cars behind the wheel of the Gravedigger monster truck. They'll also get seat time in a handful of exotics courtesy of World Class Driving. Appetite whetted? You can enter this contest starting on Thanksgiving Day by heading to SpeedDreamRide.com.

The TV show, called Hollywood's Hottest Car Chases, may just serve as a backdrop for the announcement of the dream ride contest, but we think it's a topic that can't be discussed enough. To get you ready for the show, we've placed three chase clips after the the jump along with the full press release for the SPEED Dream Ride 2 contest.

[Source: SPEED, Youtube]

Continue reading SPEED announces Hollywood's Hottest Car Chases with mega sweepstakes

SPEED announces Hollywood's Hottest Car Chases with mega sweepstakes originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 11 Oct 2010 08:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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IndyCar: 2010 Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma [SPOILERS]

Frank Filipponio — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 10:58:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Honda, Racing

2010 Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma - Click above for high-res image gallery

Just five races remain on the 2010 Indy Racing League IndyCar schedule, and only one of those is a road course. The final four rounds of the championship will all be contested on ovals - but this weekend the drivers will be taking on Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, California. Last race at Mid-Ohio, series points leader Will Power saw his lead shrink a bit when second place Dario Franchitti took the win. Still, Power clinched the inaugural Mario Andretti trophy for being the road course champ. Not a lot of drivers have a shot at catching the seemingly invincible super Power, but Franchitti has a better track record at Sonoma...and on ovals.

In fact, Power had a pretty nasty crash at Infineon just last year, while Franchitti claimed victory, so it was going to be interesting to see if 2010 would bring a reversal of fortune for the duo. Heading into qualifying, Power was looking to extend his consecutive pole position record and secure enough points to give him a bigger buffer going into the ovals, which haven't been as lucky for him to date. Follow the jump to see how things played out at Infineon.

Gallery: IndyCar: 2010 Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma

[Images: Donald Miralle, Christian Petersen/Getty Images | George Nikitin, Rich Pedroncelli/AP]

Continue reading IndyCar: 2010 Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma [SPOILERS]

IndyCar: 2010 Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma [SPOILERS] originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 23 Aug 2010 10:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Audi wants to put you - and your Tweet - in an R8

Jonathon Ramsey — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 07:35:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Audi

Perhaps you've heard the one about Audi taking the top three slots at a little race called Le Mans? Well, Audi would like you to make sure that the rest of the world hears about it, and as enticement the Quattro-meisters are offering a chance to win a trip to the Audi Sportscar Experience at Infineon Raceway and a seat in a brand-spanking-new R8.

You'll need a twitter account and a knowledge of pointing-and-clicking. Once you get that sorted, head to the contest page and follow the absurdly simple instruction of sending a tweet. If you're really into it, you can re-enter the contest up to 25 more times (for 26 in total), which would make Audi - and maybe your Piloti racing shoes - really happy. Best hurry, though - the contest ends today. After that you'll have to buy your own R8...

[Source: Audi]

Audi wants to put you - and your Tweet - in an R8 originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 23 Jun 2010 07:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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DTM champ Mattias Ekström swaps tin-tops for NASCAR

Noah Joseph — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 07:59:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports

If we've said it once, we've said it a thousand times, but it warrants repeating - in context especially - that there exists an ocean of difference between stock car racing in America and touring cars overseas. And we're talking about more than geography here. The cars are different, the tracks are different, the drivers, the fans... and so too is the racing. But the two are about to take one step closer when two-time DTM champion Mattias Ekström takes on NASCAR.

Now Ekstrom wouldn't be the first European driver to test drive a stock car, but he's already done that. What we're talking about here is the full contest of an actual NASCAR race (made possibly by Red Bull, which sponsors his Audi A4 DTM and the #83 Toyota Camry he'll be driving Stateside). And not in a feeder series, either: the Toyota/Save Mart 350 is a full-fledged round of the top-tier Sprint Cup, not the Nationwide Series, Camping World Truck Series or ARCA junior league like some European drivers have started out with when making the transition.

Mind you, the race is being held at Infineon Raceway (formerly known as Sears Point) in Sonoma, California - one of only two road-courses on the series calendar - but the round at the Lausitzring EuroSpeedway (run partially on the banked tri-oval) ranks among the fourteen DTM races which Ekström's won, so he very well might stand a fighting chance on an American oval, too. In the meantime we'll be watching the weekend after next to see how Mattias fares in his auspicious NASCAR debut. Details in the press release after the jump.

[Source: Audi]

Continue reading DTM champ Mattias Ekström swaps tin-tops for NASCAR

DTM champ Mattias Ekström swaps tin-tops for NASCAR originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 09 Jun 2010 07:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The barrage continues: GTR caught testing at Infineon/Sears Point

Frank Filipponio — Thu, 15 Feb 2007 14:03:00 EST

Filed under: Spy Photos, Nissan

Have we overdone the GT-R coverage yet? We didn't think so, either. This is a pretty hotly anticipated player in the sports/GT segment and we can't get enough of it. After discovering a new GT-R on California's freeways recently, the spy photogs decided to give chase and ended up driving all the way to Sonoma. The Nissan team was apparently headed to Infineon Raceway at Sear's Point to dial in the new super Skyline for final production tire and wheel specs. The Edmund's team reports that the turbo all-wheel-drive Nissan was unofficially clocked as running within tenths of a second of the 997 Turbo Porsche the group had brought along for comparison. Turbo performance at Carrera prices? Sounds good to us. Plenty of pics and even some video available by following the read link.

[Source: Edmund's Straightline]

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The barrage continues: GTR caught testing at Infineon/Sears Point originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 15 Feb 2007 14:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Cadillac CTS-V racer promotes XBOX tie-in this weekend

Alex Nunez — Tue, 20 Jun 2006 16:34:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Sedan, Performance, Etc., Marketing/Advertising, Cadillac

Last month, Cadillac announced its relationship with Microsoft's XBOX in the form of a downloadable expansion pack for the console's Project Gotham Racing 3 game. Gamers were given the ability to add three of Caddy's V-Series cars to the already-impressive group of rides included with the game.

This coming weekend, that relationship is going to get some high-profile exposure as the #16 CTS-V SPEED GT racing car will sport a new PGR-themed livery for the Speed World Challenge race at Infineon Raceway. Cadillac is pulling out all the stops to make sure the car does well, as Corvette Racing's Johnny O'Connell will strap in behind the wheel. O'Connell, who along with teammate Ron Fellows has won his last five ALMS races at Infineon, will see if he can work his magic with the Cadillac and finish atop the podium. Reigining SPEED GT champ and Cadillac teammate Andy Pilgrim will join O'Connell on the circuit in the #1 car.

The SPEED GT race is part of this weekend's NASCAR Nextel Cup festivities at Infineon, so a huge crowd and equally huge exposure for the Caddy/XBOX relationship are all but guaranteed.

(Photo, press release after the jump)

[Source: GM]

Continue reading Cadillac CTS-V racer promotes XBOX tie-in this weekend

Cadillac CTS-V racer promotes XBOX tie-in this weekend originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 20 Jun 2006 16:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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