A big welcome to all 102, 000 race fans at Infineon Raceway in the beautiful Sonoma Wine Country near San Francisco, CA.     We are in for a treat today as the GGW “Show Your Moon” Open Late Model Tour sponsored by “Hooters” and “Show Your Moon Moonshine” are here to put on a show…and what a show it will be with all 21 superstar GGW racers on the track.   The Miller Lite 150 is almost set to go green.  But first lets pause for our National Anthem sung local rockers GREEN DAY!

Ok, now that we are ready to have the time of our lives, lets take a look at the early favorites.   Tez99gm driving his No. 99 Jasper Racing Engines Late Model and jbroomy in his No. 76 Marlboro Late Model have the most extensive knowledge of road racing and look to capitalize on their V8 and F1 knowledge all race long.   The wildcard pick of the race is probably Frank driving her No.69 Union 76 machine because she very well might be the only one able to afford enough gas if it comes down to a fuel mileage race.  Don’t expect a boring race, as we have learned, anything and everything can happen during these GGW races.

Most fans are familiar with Infineon Raceway from watching the NASCAR race every June, but today the GGW Late Model drivers will be competing on the original 2.52 mile track configuration.  There will be no “chute” to bypass turns 5 and 6 so expect a lot of action and wrecks out there today as these drivers have to negotiate all 12 turns and lots of elevation changes.

To help us understand what the GGW drivers will be up against, Michael Skeen, a local racer, described how to run each turn at Infineon Raceway on www.trackpedia.com : 

Turn 1

“Past the Start/Finish line, stay track right before turn-in. Leave a little bit of room at the first apex at the pit wall, and drift back out towards the outside of the corner. Going under the bridge, you should be under the FRAM sign (a car width or two from the left side). Brake in a straight line over the curbs on the left.”

Expect  Moseby in his No. 75 Steelers Ford Fusion to get distracted in Turn 1 by the shiny steel the Fram bridge is made of.   He will have to really focus to keep up with the pack.  Perhaps he will keep his eyes on the rear bumper of California beauty, LisaH in her No. 9 USC Dodge.

Turn 2

“Turn-in at the end of the left-side curb and use the flatter part of the apex curb. Track all the way out to the left. “

Turn 2 involves cresting the first hill and turning, and we all know HootfootLori in her No. 20 Monte Carlo SS has trouble doing two things at once, so look for her to run klvalus in her UR8UP #8 machine through the dirt as the No. 20 likes to do to the No. 8 just for kicks on this part of the track.

Turn 3

“Meet the right side of the track at the kink and turn in for a late apex. DO NOT use the inside curb. Apex at the end of the curb and quickly (but smoothly) turn in for Turn 3A. Use the flatter part of the apex curb at 3A and look ahead, visualizing the blind track out. “

The elevation changes and turns around turn 3 are quite challenging, we might be asking “Oh Brother Where Art Thou” if Hanahan in his No 18 Late Model misses his marks and uses that inside curb.   Expect Gerrel in her No.14 Penguin Lumina to stay cool and smooth through this stretch.

Turn 4

“Pretty standard turn in for Turn 4, apex on the first few feet of the inside curb. If you can't get to the apex, back up your turn-in mark 1 foot at a time. Track out onto the exit curbing. “

Here is where the track will start to get tricky, as the GGW drivers head into the section of track not run by the NASCAR stars.  Expect Photogr in his No. 13 Monroe Ford Thunderbird to miss this turn as he is distracted by the Hooters hospitality tent at the apex of the corner.  Hey, isn’t that long lost GGW racer TexasCudaGuy in the tent covered with Hooters Girls?

Turn 5

“Stay tight to the inside and track out on the center line to crest the hill for Turn 6.”

The elevation changes will cause problems as the GGW superstars will have to power up and over these hills.   Sweetkena in her No 44 Late Model will have to have her engine purring like a kitten as she tries to keep up with the field but rumor has it she has some extra special ponies under the hood.

Turn 6

“Enter center track and be very patient. Slowly feed in the power and apex at the curb down the hill. Be sure to keep "maintenance throttle" throughout to keep the rear end planted. Track out all the way across the dragstrip.”

Notice Michael gives the advice to be very patient as the GGW racers head into the 180 onto the drag strip.  We know it is not possible for Frevr3fan in his No. 3 Chevy Wranger to be patient, so watch for him to punt Charrit in his No. 22 Gatorade car out of the way, just for old time sake…

Turn 7

“Enter track left. Do not use the inside curb at either apex in Turn 7. Get on the power as soon as you can. If you're using the NASCAR extension, get out over the yellow line and try to avoid the bump at turn-in.”

It will be a drag race to get to Turn 7.  Look for the big cats to be clawing this one out with YeeMum in her No. 12 Detroit Lions machine and the first race winner, Jon464 in his No. 464 Carolina Panthers car go head to head until they hit the “Budweiser Bottleneck” where they will have to get single file to avoid the sand pit.

Turn 8

“At the entry, straddle the yellow line that marks off the cutoff road, but miss both curbs. Keep maintenance throttle all the way through the esses. Use a little curb in the left hander. Stay in the gas and look for the blind track out in 8A.”

Look for 24x2’s No. 48 Peafowl Roadrunner to make a move as she gets some clear running room down hill through the esses.

Turn 9

“Let the car drift a little to the outside mid-corner so that you can be back on the left-hand curb for the entry to Turn 10.”

Look for rookie Meandovine to try to flex his muscles on the fastest part of the track in his No. 37 Under-Armor Lumina but watch for Tsfanpc in her No. 33 Bad ####e machine to try to raise a stink ‘under that armor’ as they move through the esses.

Turn 10

“Use all of the left-side curbing on entry. Brush the brakes/downshift as necessary for your car and immediately go back to maintenance throttle. Turn in smoothly and feed in the power as you approach the apex. Look way ahead and make sure you're on your marks for the track out. Use curb at the exit if you have to; do not try to pinch the car back onto the track. Straighten it up and put two wheels in the dirt if necessary.”

Here is where we find out who has the brakes working (ahem, Denny) as the drivers speed down from the esses into turn 10.  Look for JokersWild in is No. 10 machine and Forensic2 in his No. 02 car to be laughing maniacally and monkeying around as they try to get their cars whoa’ed up in time for the tight turn 11.

Turn 11

“Stay right next to the separator line for the pits. Turn in a little bit late so that you can get on the power hard on the exit. Straddle the painted curb on the inside and don't be afraid of the wall at the exit. Drift back to center-track and turn in for the kink on the pit straight.”

Turn 11 is the slowest, tightest turn on the track as the drivers pull a tough 180 near the pits but it is one of the best places on the track to pass.  Look for da’ kid, Tylerhead24 in his No. 24 Green Bay Packers car to run hard and out brake rookie Dwindy1 in his No. 1 Seattle Seahawks machine and get under him to make the pass.

Turn 12

The GGW drivers will all be working back up through the gears to get to full speed as they come towards the start finish line and back up the hill.   

Like I said folks, it will be a challenging and exciting race today for the GGW Late Model drivers who will have to work their gear boxes, finesse their pedals and turn both left and right to make it to the checkers.   Looks like we are ready to go green, may the best mon.key win!