The Raceway at Sonoma is popular with the fans and the IZOD IndyCar Series drivers, who love the technical challenge of this 12-turn, 2.385-mile permanent road course that overlooks the vineyards and valley.

There have been three modifications to the road course in an attempt to improve the racing, which increases the “Hot Spots” for the GoPro Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma.

TURN 7

Instead of the looping right-hander, drivers will now encounter a U-turn. The new turn will force drivers to out-brake each other, similar to Turn 11, and create a passing zone. Previously, drivers could maintain speed as they made the looping right-hander.

“Steve Page (president of the Raceway at Sonoma) has been very proactive in including the drivers in making this track a more reaceable track,” said Will Power of Team Penske, who starts on the pole. “That is why we love coming here. It’s about making the race better and more entertaining for the fans. The drivers came up with alterations for Turn 7, turned it into a hairpin, which opens up the entry a bit more and makes you slow the car that creates passing. It makes it more fun as a driver.”

Power knows how to wheel his way about the Raceway at Sonoma as the winner of the past two races here has led 114 of a possible 150 laps the past two years.

“I don’t mind change,” Power said. “For me, the old track was really good to me but I love a challenge and see if we can do it with the new track as well.”

TURNS 3 AND 3A ARE LIKE A ROLLER COASTER RIDE

The race course features impressive changes in elevation from 16 feet on the main straightaway to a steady climb of 120 feet in Turn 2. But the climb gets even higher, hitting 135 feet in Turn 3 and peaking at 153 feet in Turn 3A before a 13-foot drop in Turn 4, a hard right-hander.

“Turn 3 and 3A is an unbelievable complex of corners because you go over this massive dip and then you go up and your car gets light as you go over the crest of hill and it’s very hard to get right,” Power said. “That is the case for the rest of the track. In the Carousel you go down into a bowl (Turns 5, 6 and 7). I think it’s a very cool layout what they have done here. I really enjoy it.”

Power’s teammate agrees.

“This place is awesome,” Helio Castroneves said. “This up and down elevation is really fun. Certainly Team Penske knows the way around here.”

TURN 11

The entrance into Turn 11 will be extended by 200 feet before drivers encounter the hairpin. This will give drivers more space to out-brake each other and set up a passing opportunity before the right-hander into Turn 12. The geometry of the modified Turn 11 will mirror the shorter turn used for INDYCAR in previous years.

“I think there will be more risk taking going on in Turns 7 and 11 than on the regular course,” predicted Andretti Autosport driver Ryan Hunter-Reay, who is second in points trailing Power by six and starts seventh. “I don’t think they are necessarily the most opportune passing areas, but the big braking zones like that will leave it more wide open. You will see more yellow flags going into those turns than last year. There are options here and that is a good thing so let’s try them and see if we get more passing. It’s worth experimenting with.”

TURN 9

The exit of Turn 9 (aka The Bus Stop) was widened by 10 feet on drivers' left, giving competitors additional width in what was already a passing zone. The exit of the turn will now be 50-feet wide.

“They have opened up the exit of the corner more than the entry of the corner and that can give you a better run going into Turn 11,” said Scott Dixon.

TEN MORE LAPS CAN CHANGE THE STRATEGY

In the past, this race has been 75 laps in distance but this year it will be 85 laps before the checkered flag waves.

“With the change of the race being 10 laps longer strategy will be a key,” Dixon predicted. “If we had more separation in the tires that might make a big difference.”