The Infineon Raceway chapter of Speedway Children's Charities Board of Trustees met last month to review all the grant applications. We raised over $270,000 and were able to fund 38 Sonoma County non-profit organizations.

We are proud to report that our chapter of SCC has distributed more than $4 million since 2001!

We are now in the midst of getting our High-Powered Toy Drive and 7th annual Race to the Holidays Children's Christmas Party into gear. All items collected during the toy drive will be used at the Christmas Party, which we will host at the raceway for more than 250 Sonoma Valley children. Santa will be here with his elves to distribute toys. We will have face painting as well as balloon art and animals. Lunch will be served after all the festivities!

We are also hosting the third annual reception for our grant recipients in mid- December. This is an opportunity for all of our Trustees to meet the representatives from the various organizations that we have funded.

If you would like to get involved with our chapter, please feel free to contact me.

I wish you all a Happy Holiday season.

Denise Silver
Infineon Raceway
Community Events Coordinator
933-3950

It may be October, but we are still busy and ready to throw the checkered flag on 2011 with a bang.

The Classic Sports Racing Group hosted its annual Charity Challenge event at Infineon Raceway, October 1-2, with a full weekend of vintage car racing on the road course. This group has generated close to $500,000 over the past seven years for Speedway Children’s Charities, and all proceeds from this year’s event will also come to the charity.  

We do not have a final amount generated from the weekend events, but I am hopeful that it will be comparable to past years. In addition to the great race weekend, CSRG also had a reception on Friday night at the Simraceway Performance Driving Center building, which included a lively auction!

Speedway Children’s Charities also hosted a reception for CSRG members and their families on Saturday evening here at the track. It was a chance for us to say thank you for their support. Needless to say, a good time was had by all!

Next on the SCC calendar is the return of 24 Hours of LeMons. They will be here over the weekend of Oct. 22-23 with their outrageous costumes and cars. So far this year, this group of wacky car enthusiasts has donated over $11,469.     

Our grant applications were due on September 30, and this year we received 54 requests for funds. This is less than in past years but, we sent a letter to all of our non-profit organizations informing them that our main priorities for this year’s funding would be health and nutrition, basic family services and leadership.

 We also will be hosting the third annual reception for our grant recipients and Trustees in early December in the raceway’s main office. This will be an opportunity for all of us to meet the representatives from the various organizations that we have funded.  

In addition, as we head towards winter, we are also planning a Thanksgiving Food Drive, which will benefit Friends in Sonoma Helping and another local food bank as well as our toy drive and holiday Christmas party, complete with Santa and toys for needy Sonoma Valley children.

 Denise Silver
Infineon Raceway
Sonoma Chapter

June begins with the Sonoma Historic Motorsports Festival. Due to the late spring rains, we had to cancel the Historic Race Car Festival in the Sonoma Plaza. In spite of the weather not cooperating, the activities at the track turned out to be buzzing. Also going on over the weekend was the 3rd annual Celebrate Sonoma Day.

Now onto NASCAR!

Kicking off the Toyota/Save Mart 350 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series weekend is the Children’s Champions Grand Marshall’s Banquet on Friday, June 24 at Cline Cellars. This year’s Grand Marshall is actor John “Cliff Clavin” Ratzenberger. In addition, the evening will include NASCAR legends Bobby Allison and Ned Jarrett as well as current drivers. Funds from the banquet will be divided between Speedway Children’s Charities and Boys & Girls Clubs of Sonoma Valley. On Sunday, the 9th annual KFOX Race-n-Rock Charity Auction will take place in the Wine Country Winner’s Circle. Items up for auction include a Dale Earnhardt Jr signed fire suit, Tony Stewart signed helmet, and signed Jeff Gordon sheet metal. SCC will also generate funds over the weekend from fans purchasing raffle tickets for a Tao Tao scooter.

Following NASCAR is the FRAM Autolite NHRA Nationals Full Throttle Drag Racing Series event weekend, July 29-31. Thursday, July 28 marks the 5th annual Autotrader.com Eric Medlen Nitro Night at the Stone Tree Golf Club in Novato. The event is named in memory of drag racer Eric Medlen who succumbed to injuries sustained from a testing accident in 2007. We also plan to have another fund raiser on Saturday, July 30, that will include special screening of the movie, “Heart like a Wheel” and will feature a Q&A session with legendary drag racers, Shirley Muldowney and Don Garlits. SCC will also be the recipient of funds donated at the Eric Medlen Ice Cream Social, which takes place on Sunday at the conclusion of the races.

Think that brings you up to date for now.

Denise Silver
Infineon Raceway

Well it is already March and things are beginning to spring up here at Infineon Raceway in the beautiful Sonoma Valley.

We began the month with Tom Franges from CSRG (Classic Sports Racing Group) bringing us a check for $33,377!

CSRG, a vintage car racing group, held their event at the track last fall and donated all proceeds from the weekend to Speedway Children’s Charities. This brings their contribution to SCC to more than $469,000 during the past seven years. I recently attended their annual meeting and was able to personally thank them for their generosity.

March is proving to be busy as we have two exciting events scheduled. The 9th annual Tour de Charity will be held on Saturday, March 26. This is our first SCC event of the season and has always been a sell out. The day includes a full day of karting on our 16 turn three quarter mile kart track, instruction, equipment and lunch plus a chance to “hang out” with NHRA drivers Ron Capps and Jack Beckman.  Also on the same weekend will be the first 24 Hours of LeMons event of the season. This is a new and rather unique group of cars that come out to race and also donate to SCC. Their slogan is “where Halloween meets Gasoline”. You might want to check out their website: 24HoursofLeMons.com since you have to see it to believe it!

We continue to receive many requests for the S.H.A.R.E.S. (Supporting Humanities, Arts, Recreation, & Sports) card program. In fact, our 2010 totals are over double from 2009. All you have to do is give the card to the checker at any Lucky, SaveMart, or Food Max store and 3% of your qualified purchases are donated to SCC each quarter. I would be happy to send you more cards for your friends and family, just let me know.

This brings you up to date for now!

Denise Silver
Infineon Raceway
Community Events Coordinator
707-933-3950

The Race to the Holidays Children’s Christmas Party features caroling, balloon animals, face painting and gifts from Santa Claus. We will host two parties at 10:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. in the Driver’s Lounge.

Hard to believe that it’s December and 2010 is almost over!

We are in the midst of getting our High-Powered Toy Drive and 6th annual Race to the Holidays Christmas Party into gear.

All items collected during the toy drive will be used at the Christmas Party this Saturday, December 11, which we will host at the raceway for more than 275 Sonoma Valley children.  New, unwrapped toys or cash donations can be dropped off during regular business hours here at the raceway.

We are also getting ready for our 3rd annual SCC recipients reception on December 16. It will give us a chance to meet the directors from many of the organizations that we have funded for 2010.

This year the Sonoma chapter was able to distribute $ 225,983 to 34 qualified youth organizations in Sonoma County. Our chapter has raised more than $3.7 million since 2001.

We are well into planning for the 2011 season with over a dozen events on the calendar. Our first event will be the 9th Tour de Charity karting event on March, 26 as well as the 24 Hours of LeMons on the same weekend.

Hope you have a happy holiday and all the best for 2011.

Denise Silver
Director
Sonoma Chapter

Photo Caption: The Race to the Holidays Children’s Christmas Party features caroling, balloon animals, face painting and gifts from Santa Claus. We will host two parties at 10:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. in the Driver’s Lounge

It may be October, but we are still busy and ready to throw the checkered flag on 2010 with a bang.

The Classic Sports Racing Group hosted its annual Charity Challenge event at Infineon Raceway, October 1-3, with a full weekend of vintage car racing on the road course. This group has generated more than $480,000 over the past six years for Speedway Children’s Charities, and all proceeds from this year’s event will also come to the charity.

Our grant applications were due on September 30, and this year we received 47 requests for funds. This is considerably less than in past years since the Trustees decided to focus our priorities on health and nutrition, basic family services and leadership programs. Our Trustees will meet in November to discuss all the requests and make decisions on funding.

We will be hosting the third annual reception for our grant recipients and Trustees in early December. This will be an opportunity for all of us to meet the representatives from the various organizations that we have funded. 

In addition, as we head towards winter, we are also planning a Thanksgiving Food Drive, which will benefit Friends in Sonoma Helping and another local food bank as well as our holiday Christmas party, complete with Santa and toys for needy Sonoma Valley children. 

Think that brings you up to date for now.

Denise Silver
Infineon Raceway

This year our IndyCar banquet, Grand Prix Salute, took place on Friday, August 20, at the beautiful Andretti Winery in Napa. SCC partnered with the Michael Andretti Foundation for a wonderful evening.

Legendary driver Mario Andretti attended this year, which made the evening even more exciting. The event was a sell-out with a waiting list and funds raised will benefit the Michael Andretti Foundation, Hanna Boys Center, and Valley of the Moon Teen Services through SCC and the Boys & Girls Club of Napa Valley. Also, on Sunday August 22, we held a charity auction in the Wine Country Winner’s Circle that gave high bidders a chance have their picture taken and take a ride around the track with their favorite driver during pre-race festivities.

Next on the calendar is the Classic Sports Racing Group (CSRG) Charity Challenge, October 1 - 3. This organization will once again donate all proceeds from the weekend at Infineon Raceway to Speedway Children’s Charities. Since 2004, CSRG has donated over $480,000 to SCC!

More good news...... we have formed a new relationship with a unique organization called the 24 Hours of LeMons. They are locally based and race all around the country; they have decided to donate proceeds from many of their events to our chapter of Speedway Children’s Charities. To learn more, check out their website: www.24hoursoflemons.com.

Think that brings you up to date for now!

Denise Silver
Infineon Raceway
SCC Director

June began with the Historic Race Car Festival at Sebastiani Winery during our Sonoma Historic Motorsports Festival weekend. Due to the late spring rains, we decided to move the event from the Sonoma Plaza, as to not further damage the lawn. It turned out to be a wonderful event with a record turn out.

Funds from this event will be divided between the Sonoma Valley Education Foundation and the Sonoma Valley Visitors Bureau. Also going on over the weekend was the Sonoma Historic Motorsports Festival and the 2nd annual Celebrate Sonoma Day.

Kicking off the Toyota/Save Mart 350 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series weekend was the Children’s Champions Grand Marshall’s Banquet on Friday, June 18 at Cline Cellars. This year’s Grand Marshall was legendary San Francisco 49ers running back, Roger Craig. In addition, the evening also featured NASCAR drivers David Ragan, Clint Bowyer, and Boris Said. Funds from the banquet will be divided between Speedway Children’s Charities and Boys & Girls Clubs of Sonoma Valley. On Sunday, the 8th annual KFOX Race-n-Rock Charity Auction generated $35,000. Top selling items included a Jeff Gordon signed fire suit which sold for $2,500, a Dale Earnhardt Jr signed helmet ($2,200) plus a Brooks & Dunn signed guitar ($2,050). SCC also generated funds over the weekend from fans who made a donation to ride the new Ferris Wheel at the track, as well as the sale of tickets for the Kasey Kahne guitar raffle. All combined, the weekend events raised more than $130,000!

Coming up next is the FRAM Autolite NHRA Nationals Full Throttle Drag Series from July 16 – 18. Thursday, July 15 marks the 4th annual Autotrader.com Eric Medlen Nitro Night at the Stone Tree Golf Club in Novato. This is a new location for the event which is named in memory of drag racer Eric Medlen who succumbed to injuries sustained from a testing accident in 2007. SCC will also be the recipient of funds donated at the Eric Medlen Ice Cream Social, which takes place on Sunday at the conclusion of the races.

A bit of sad news, Bob Burke from Bob Burke’s Kids in Guerneville passed away on June 10th. His sister plans to continue the program, which SCC has funded, that helps kids with terminal illnesses.

Think that brings you up to date for now………….

Denise Silver
Director, Sonoma Chapter
Infineon Raceway

Things are moving very fast here in the Wine Country as we get ready for the Toyota/SaveMart 350 from June 18-20. You won’t want to miss our Race-n-Rock Auction in the Wine Country Winner’s Circle on Sunday, June 20, at 10 am.

Right now you have a chance to be part of our auction as twenty-three lucky race fans will get the chance for a “Ride of a Lifetime” with their favorite NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver.

The best part is all proceeds from the “Ride of a Lifetime” will benefit Speedway Children’s Charities, the charitable arm of Infineon Raceway, as well as participating driver charities.

You can take part in the festivities on race day in Sonoma by placing the top bid in an online charity auction at www.nascarfoundation.com. Once on the site, click on the “online auction” button to join the fun.

If you are the top bidder, you will receive two tickets to the Toyota/Save Mart 350 on Sunday, June 20, plus you (one person) will get to take a slow-speed lap with your NASCAR driver around the 10-turn, 1.99-mile road course during driver introductions. Both the driver and the top bidder will be in the back of a Toyota Tundra as it navigates the road course. You’ll also get to enjoy pre-race ceremonies from the racetrack itself.

The bidding closes the afternoon of June 13 (Pacific time). Check the Web-site for exact times. Some of the drivers up for bid include:

• Jeff Gordon
• Dale Earnhardt Jr.
• Jimmie Johnson
• Tony Stewart
• Mark Martin
• Kasey Kahne, defending race champion
• Carl Edwards
• Denny Hamlin
• Kyle Busch
• More!

For more information, visit www.nascarfoundation.com and click on the “online auction” button. The Sonoma Chapter of Speedway Children’s Charities has distributed more than $3.3 million to qualified Sonoma County youth groups since 2002.

Denise Silver
Director, Infineon Raceway SCC

The Sonoma Chapter of Speedway Children's Charities has 11 events lined up for the 2010 race season.  From the Grand Marshal's Banquet to a memorial ice cream social.  We are gearing up for one of our busiest seasons yet.  AND for the extreme race fans  - an  EXTRA  BONUS . . .

The weekend of April 9^th is sure to be something special. The Classic Sports Racing Group (CSRG), which donates all of their race weekend proceeds to the Sonoma Chapter of Speedway Children's Charities, will host their first of two race weekends at Infineon Raceway. The HISTORIC RACE CAR weekend will celebrate the 100^th Anniversary of Alpha Romeo with a display featuring many of these one of a kind classics. CSRG has donated more than $425,000 to our chapter since 2002.

Our first charity event of the season will be the 8^th Annual NHRA Tour de Charity Karting Event on Saturday, April 24th.   NHRA drag racing fans will have the opportunity to battle on the Infineon Raceway 16-turn, three-quarter mile karting track against top NHRA drivers including well-known funny car driver Ron Capps. 
**And as an EXTRA BONUS - The first 50 fans who register will have a reserved seat in the action packed day, which includes a full day of karting with the drivers, classroom instruction, autographs, lunch and the chance to compete in a 10-lap timed race for the grand prize. Contact me to sign up. 

Next on the calendar will be the 3J's Motorcycle Track Day on Wednesday, May 12th.
- Bring your bike and enjoy a full track day on our road course!
- You will also receive an event T-shirt, catered lunch and enjoy a reception at the end of the day.
- Also included will be the chance to win some great raffle prizes.
For more information, visit http://www.3jsmotorcycledays.com/. 

Listed below is the complete list of events lined up for the 2010 Race Season at Infineon Speedway.   We look forward to seeing many of you out at the track!

Sonoma Chapter Calendar of Events

APRIL
- NHRA Tour De Charity Karting Day   - Saturday, April 24th at 9:00am
MAY
- 3J's Motorcycle Track Day   - Wednesday, May 12th at 8:00am
- "Ride of A Lifetime" Pre-Race Parade Lap Online Auction  - beginning Sunday, May 30th and ending Sunday, June 13th
JUNE                                           
- Historic Race Car Festival   - Saturday, June 5th
- Wine Country Pavilion  - Saturday, June 5th thru Sunday, June 6th
- Children's Champions NASCAR Grand Marshal's Banquet   - Friday, June 18th
- Race-n-Rock Charity Auction at NASCAR Weekend   - Sunday, June 20th 
- Speedway Children's Charities Toyota / Save Mart 350 Track Walk   - Sunday, June 20th
JULY
- AutoTrader.com Eric Medlen Nitro Night  -  Thursday, July 15th   
- 4th Annual Eric Medlen Ice Cream Social   -  Friday, July 18th at 1:00pm
AUGUST              
- IndyCar® Grand Prix Salute   - Friday, August 20th
- IndyCar® Sonoma Charity Auction   - Sunday, August 22nd
OCTOBER
- Classic Sports Racing Group Charity Challenge   - Friday, October 1st  thru  Sunday, October 3rd             

I think that gets us to June and NASCAR.............STAY TUNED!  More on that in my next chapter chatter!

Denise Silver
dsilver@infineonraceway.com
707-933-3950