Napa Valley's Bennett Lane is the First California Winery to sponser a Nextel Cup Car in NASCAR

P.J. Jones Burns up the Track at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma

Take a Napa Valley vintner with a passion for racing and pair him up with the son of one of America's most famous drivers, Parnelli Jones, and you've got a recipe for California wine on the fast track. That's what happened on Sunday, June 27, when Parnelli's son, P.J., climbed into his Bennett Lane Winery Dodge to join 42 of America's top drivers in the grueling, high-speed, 110-lap Nascar race at Infineon Raceway, located at the gateway to northern California wine country.

Bennett Lane owner Randy Lynch is in good company when it comes to vintners who race. Mario Andretti and the late Gil Nickel are among the highest profile winemakers in the category. But until Sunday's race, no California winery had ever sent a car to the biggest race in the wine country. Several hundred thousand fans turned out for the spectacle at Infineon, and some 70 million reportedly tuned in via television.

Lynch, who purchased Bennett Lane Winery in Calistoga nearly three years ago, is a long time racing aficionado who used to race cars himself. He owns his own race car team that tours the Western United States, with its cars proudly sporting his winery logo. The car driven by Jones was also is emblazoned with the Bennett Lane moniker and was recently featured in Sports Illustrated. The Nascar race carried a $5.2 million dollar purse to be shared among the drivers.

"Wine is something I came to love later in life," Lynch said." But racing is something I've been involved with since I was a teenager. It gives me a sense of great personal accomplishment along with the thrill of the race. It's also very exciting to blend my two passions right here among the vines."

The race started off well for P.J., who quickly moved into 5th position. But then on lap 6, another driver spun out and created a smoke cloud that temporarily blinded all the nearby drivers, causing them to collide with each other. The Bennett Lane car sustained some damages but was soon back on the track with an ugly gash in the hood and other undetected problems.

Despite the handicaps, P.J. continued to improve his positioning until lap 71, when his Dodge lost the rear-end gear and was forced to retire. "That damage really hurt us," Jones said. "Not only did it take away track position, but the repairs we were able to make couldn't get the car where it needed to be. At the start the car was really good and we were moving up. I thought we had the beginnings of a good day. But you just never know what lies ahead, especially at a place like Infineon. It's a shame and I feel for Bennett Lane because we all wanted to give them a good show," he added.