While at Sears Point for NASCAR, I ran into an executive with Sonoma Raceway. This highly placed and informed source told me that Genesee & Wyoming, owner of Cal Northern, charge an outrageous trackage rights fee to allow the train to operate over its tracks from the Suisun Wye to Lombard, a distance of just 16 miles. The fee was $40,000 ! By contrast, SMART acting as an agent for NWP, charged just $750.00 for the ten miles from west end of Lombard to Sears Point. The $40,000 not only eliminated any profit for the operator and Sonoma Raceway, but caused the train to to run at a lost despite being sold out. Needless to say, officials at Sonoma raceway, who were
planning to run trains for the Indy car and the motorcycle races are discussing their next move. The official was not at liberty say what the raceway's position would be next year regarding the AMTAK charter unless the fee can be reduced. For those that have not seen the train at Sonoma Raceway, the first image looking east from the entrance at Gate one, shows the train directly across from Highway 37. The walk is no more then 200 feet to get into the Raceway. The 2nd shot shows the very efficient ramp that was constructed to get the passengers off. Maybe someone can help me on this but I don't think that there is any closer passenger drop off point to any of the other NASCAR venues.