From a press release:

Sears Point Raceway Sells Out of Suites Above New Permanent Grandstand

SONOMA, Calif. (IMMEDIATE RELEASE) – Sears Point Raceway has sold out of its new corporate luxury suites that are being built above the new permanent grandstand at start-finish on the road course for the 2002 racing season, track officials announced.

The 16 suites will feature an indoor-outdoor design, as well as upgraded furniture, telephones, wet bars, padded outdoor seats, air conditioning and private restrooms. Some extra amenities include internet access and a menu of fine Sonoma and Napa valley wines.

The suites are being built directly above pit road on the road course, offering corporate clients views unparalleled in motorsports to one of the most exciting aspects of a road race: pit stops. The suites will also provide a breathtaking view of NHRA POWERade drag racing on the refurbished Sears Point Raceway quarter-mile drag strip.

“The layout and design of these suites is going to be unlike any other in the Bay Area,” said Steve Page, president and general manager of Sears Point Raceway. “We are delighted to see such an immediate and positive response from the marketplace.”

The sales continue a trend in motorsports in the San Francisco-Sacramento markets as Sears Point Raceway experienced attendance gains at every major event during the 2001 season, including the Dodge/Save Mart 350 NASCAR Winston Cup. Moreover, NASCAR television ratings saw a 17-percent gain in San Francisco over 2000, while Sacramento experienced a 20-percent gain over 2000. Sears Point also experienced gains in television ratings for its NHRA POWERade FRAM Autolite Nationals.

Sears Point Raceway was able to target both corporate sponsors at the regional and national levels for suite sales, including DuPont, UPS and Budweiser. At the local level, Big O Tires, Rombauer Winery, Slakey Brothers and Frank Howard Allen Realty are a few of the businesses that purchased suites.

“We’re flattered at the response of our corporate customers,” said Tim Schuldt, vice president of sales and marketing at Sears Point. “We’re thrilled that we will be able to provide our customers with the world-class amenities they demand.”

The suites are part of Sears Point Raceway’s comprehensive $50 million Modernization Plan that will transform the facility into one of the premier motorsports and entertainment venues in the country. The two-year project began in September, 2000, and will be nearly complete by the Dodge/Save Mart 350 NASCAR Winston Cup, June 20-23. During the two years, more than 8,000,000 cubic yards of dirt has been moved.