Indy Car pre-practice at Sonoma.

[jimrankin]

This is from friday 8-17-'12 at Sonoma (Sears Point-Infineon) at the Indy Car "pre-practice" so the drivers can get a look at the reconfigured track. A few changes since I ran it earlier this year but relatively minor and mostly to open up more passing areas.

Almost no one came to watch as it wasn't advertised. Free and really spectator friendly, parked right up against the haulers and as long as you didn't get in the way they didn't care if you watched them work right from the next pit stall. Note the complete lack of spectators in the photos.

No video, shot some with my gopro but it sucked. LOL. Did take a bunch of stills though that came out OK.

Only real area on the track that seemed to be giving the drivers fits were the reconfigured 9 and 10 corners. Hard right-left after a downhill straight out of the S's and if you braked even a hair too late it was over.

Reconfigured corner 7 has so much run off even a spin was just a slide/loop and back on the attack.

11 is still the "same" corner, just moved it 200' down towards the pit exit to make a longer passing straight.

I'll load a few pictures and them do a second post as I don't have much luck with getting big post to load.

[jimrankin]

As if the cars weren't enough fun someone had to start a fire right behind the track. LOL.

Most of the photos are of the 9-10 corners, the "U" turn is the new corner "7".

[jimrankin]

maybe...

[jimrankin]

:deadhorse:First two photos are displays of the "casual friday" attitude everyone seemed to have.

Third is the "U" turn #7 corner I miss posted last set.

Fourth photo is an idea of the "crowds" I had to deal with. LOL.

Last one is just somewhere up by the 3-4 corner area where I was just sitting there enjoying the smell of hot rubber and race fuel.