The Sonoma Speed Festival announced several additions to its race operations team in an effort to ensure focus on safety, authenticity and vehicle provenance at its inaugural event. Steve Earle, considered the founding father of American vintage auto racing, has been appointed as Senior Consultant to the Race Committee, while Dan Radowicz and Tim Pendergast have been appointed Race Directors for the event.
Earle was the founder of both the Wine Country Classic and the Monterey Historics, helped create what is now known as “Monterey Car Week” and is considered by many a pinnacle of vintage racing the U.S. and around the globe. Radowicz’s credentials include overseeing the California Mille, along with working in race operations for the Wine Country Classic and Monterey Historics. Pendergast serves as the Director of Operations for the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance, has run race operations for the Porsche-centric Rennsport Reunion IV, V and VI events and has organized the Daytona Heritage Exhibition at the Rolex 24 at Daytona. Together, this team will scrutinize every competing entry to ensure the vehicles are as accurate to their original time period as possible and that race groups will be sorted for both vehicle competitiveness and class. They will also enforce safety standards on both competitors and the event venue.
“Our primary goal is to bring the greatest authentic historic race cars to the track where they belong,” said Jeff O’Neill, Founder of the Sonoma Speed Festival. “We want to showcase the evolution of speed in real time and create an environment where people can enjoy these cars in their element without worrying about safety or authenticity issues. With these gentlemen at the helm we are confident that the Sonoma Speed Festival stands among the best racing events in the world.”
Set against the backdrop of California wine country, the Sonoma Speed Festival will feature food, wine and a variety of interactive displays, along with ten competing historic race groups ranging from the dawn of motorsports to the modern day. Specialty vehicle displays, including cacklefests and passes by vintage dragsters, will also be featured.
The inaugural Sonoma Speed Festival will be staged May 31 to June 2, 2019 at Sonoma Raceway Sears Point in Sonoma, California. For more information, visit SonomaSpeedFestival.com.
[Source: Sonoma Speed Festival; photo: Dennis Gray]
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