2026 Velocity Invitational will have some very special guests

The 2026 edition of Velocity Invitational is continuing its wonderful tradition of turning Sonoma Raceway into a kind of rolling carnival for gearheads. Yes, there’s historic racing demonstrations; million-dollar race cars screaming through wine country. It would be hard to call this a typical car event. But the event has increasingly become as much about the people orbiting the automotive world as the machinery itself. This year’s latest addition to the guest list is Yuki Tsunoda.

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Tsunoda will spend time meeting fans in the paddock before taking part in some hot demonstration laps around Sonoma Raceway in several historic cars from the event’s collection. For F1 fans used to seeing him rip at a billion miles per hour, watching him throw something old, loud, and analog around Sonoma should be a very different kind of fun than Tsunoda fans are used to. Tsunoda seemed genuinely excited about the opportunity, saying in a statement that he had always wanted to drive Sonoma Raceway and was looking forward to experiencing the track in some of the cars lined up for the weekend. For American fans, appearances like this are relatively rare. Formula 1 drivers have become more visible in the U.S. over the last decade, but usually in heavily managed environments surrounded by sponsor walls and hospitality suites. Velocity Invitational works differently. The whole appeal of the event is proximity. You can wander through the paddock, hear mechanics working on historic race cars, and end up standing a few feet away from somebody you normally only see through a TV screen.

In addition to racing and celebrity appearances, the event will include car displays, paddock access, ride-alongs, food, camping, and a Friday night meet-up event featuring Sung Kang and Larry Chen. Kang is scheduled to attend the weekend and preview his upcoming film, DRIFTER, during a Friday evening screening. The mix of events and guests says a lot about what Velocity Invitational has become over the last few years. The paddock now feels less like a traditional vintage race weekend and more like a collision point between motorsport, film, photography, collecting, and enthusiast culture in general.

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That atmosphere is part of why Sonoma Raceway fits the event so well. The track rises and falls through the hills with organic corners, camber changes, and just enough rough edges, giving the track some personality. It's multidimensional. Watching a modern F1 driver experience it in completely analog machinery feels perfectly on-brand for an event that thrives on blending generations of car culture.

Tickets and event information are available through Velocity Invitational.