Sonoma Raceway WTCC
When people think of NASCAR racing, tight packs of colorful stock cars circling counter-clockwise through an oval racetrack come to mind. High banking turns, lots of passing, even some light bumping here and there. And that perception would be correct if there were no complex, clockwise oriented road courses like Sonoma Raceway, 30 miles north of the San Francisco Bay Area, in California. The road course in Sonoma is a 12-turn, 2.39-mile circuit, with an average speed of 77 mph and an average lap time of 1:51.426, enclaved in a region known for its high-quality wineries and its mild weather year-round.
The main attention-grabber in this track is The Carousel, a set of high-speed turns starting from turn four, a tight right-hand corner going into a light, high-speed sweeping turn five, only for turning heavily to the left in six and ending right into a hairpin in the opposite direction at turn seven. That segment is so difficult to maneuver with regular stock cards that NASCAR bypassed it from 1998 until 2019 and only brought it back to life for the circuit's 50th-anniversary celebrations. The new (or old) configuration was so exciting to see that it stayed ever since, and nowadays is the signature feature of Sonoma Raceway.
See our Sonoma Raceway Track Guide for more information on getting the most performance out of this track.
The WTCC configuration at Sonoma Raceway represents the World Touring Car Championship specific layout used when the series visited California's wine country circuit, creating a variant distinct from NASCAR's Chute configuration and the full 12-turn road course. The WTCC layout optimized corner flow and runoff areas for touring car racing characteristics, where close door-to-door competition demanded specific safety considerations and overtaking zone optimization. This configuration served international touring car events requiring FIA-approved layout specifications.
Operating the WTCC configuration showcased Sonoma's adaptability to international championship requirements, with the layout meeting FIA standards for World Touring Car competition while maintaining the circuit's signature elevation changes and technical character. Northern California's climate creates ideal racing conditions across much of the season. The WTCC variant demonstrates modern circuit philosophy where facilities offer series-specific configurations matching particular championship requirements, allowing Sonoma to host diverse events from NASCAR to international touring cars by adjusting track layout to suit different racing disciplines.
