“I t’s your last lap. Make it spicy,” Kindred’s Head of People Operations Veronica Wong told her pro driver, when she climbed in the Sonoma Raceway pace car for Hot Laps and Happy Hour one recent Friday evening. The driver obliged, accelerating onto the track with the San Francisco executive riding shotgun. With NASCAR approaching, the moment captured the high-speed, almost weightless
view of the 2.52-mile track’s notorious hairpin turn No. 11. The raceway bills Turn 11 center as a success, hosting an average of 230 corporate events and 100 companies a year. At least 20% are repeat clients. The racetrack, which was resurfaced a few years ago, is used 350 days of the year. “It has exceeded all our expectations. You kind of don’t know what to think until you see the action,” said Connor Figone, a business development executive at Sonoma Raceway.
The corporate retreat center spans 19,000 square feet. [Courtesy: Sonoma Raceway]
sensation drivers often describe as a flow state. Sonoma Raceway has accelerated into high gear with its VIP business hospitality offerings, catering to corporate retreats and special events that for the personal thrill go far beyond spectating. Sonoma Raceway’s signature annual event represents TNT Sports’ inaugural broadcast of the NASCAR Cup Series, but the North Bay auto racing venue marks a milestone of its own. Five years have passed since the 1,600-acre raceway broke ground on the Turn 11 corporate retreat center. The 19,000-square-foot marquee facility, designed for corporate team building outings, provides a front-and-center
Among the Turn 11 hospitality center’s retreat offerings, Hot Laps offers a taste of the high-speed flow state professional drivers experience. Even at speeds of up to 120 mph, the front- seat ride is not for the faint of heart. “It was a blast. I think the driver did a really good job pushing the car without making me feel uneasy,” said Garrett Olson, senior vice president of Partnerships and Business Development at Pixly LLC, an influencer marketing firm. Olson, who joined Wong on the experience, explained that the program offers a unique taste of the extreme speeds professional drivers experience during races. The duo agreed it’s a good thing happy hour comes after the
22 NorthBaybiz
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