When you mention North Bay tourism, it’s easy to focus on wine tasting, fine dining and spa visits. But let’s not forget Sonoma is also home to Infineon Raceway, which welcomes more than half a million visitors annually to a wide variety of professional motorsport events, as well as more homegrown happenings including the Cougar Mountain Classic bicycling weekend.
Infineon President/GM Steve Page isn’t what you’d expect. For one, he’s not a “car guy”: “I attended a few events at Laguna Seca when I was growing up, but otherwise had no experience or knowledge of motor racing before taking this job,” he says. “I attended my first NASCAR race the week after coming to work here, and I still don’t know how a car works.”
So how’d he end up running the show for the last 15 years? Page, whose prior experience includes 11 years in marketing and special events with the Oakland A’s and three years on a congressional staff in Washington, D.C., says, “I’d been interviewing with other sports teams around the country—including then-Texas Rangers owner George W. Bush—when I was contacted about the track position. A job that let me live in Sonoma was too good to pass up.”
Are your more of a rule breaker or rule keeper? Why? Hard as I may fight it, I’m afraid I’ve evolved from virulently anti-authority to shaking my head over why kids today can’t show a little respect.
At what time of day do you feel your best? When I hit the button on my coffee grinder each morning.
What was your college major?I managed to grind out a four-year college degree in only eight years, starting at UC Santa Barbara as a drama major and ultimately graduating from UC Berkeley in political science.
How are you like your mom? Your dad? From my mother I learned an appreciation for the arts and the value of savoring the moment. From my father, the ability to reason and a tendency to be opinionated. From both, a commitment to community.
How has your birth order affected you? Being the oldest of four boys has probably inflated my sense of being in charge.
If you could be invisible for a day, what would you do?I’d try to use my powers to achieve peace in the Middle East and end world hunger. Failing that, I’d go rearrange the prices in the Sonoma Market wine department.
If you could have a dinner party with three people from history, who would they be and what would you talk about? Mark Twain, Leonardo da Vinci and Hunter S. Thompson. I’d likely say very little.
In what situations are you most uncomfortable? When I’m being singled out for praise, because I’m usually receiving credit for the work of others.
What brings out your critical side? People who take themselves too seriously.
What cartoon character are you most like and why? Dudley Do-Right or Bullwinkle. They each have a thin veneer of certainty and self-confidence masking a confused inner goofball.
What did you want to be when you grew up? I still haven’t decided.
What does your office look like? A cluttered mess with a spectacular view.
What has frustrated you in the recent past? Anything involving our screwed-up medical system.
What do you love to do outside of work? Recently, I’ve been mentoring a fifth grader through Sonoma Valley Mentoring Alliance. Lucas is a terrific kid who moved here from Florida last year to live with his aunt. He’s bright, personable and a huge sports fan. I may be getting more out of the experience than he is!
What spells adventure for you? Why? Exploring an unfamiliar road on my bicycle.
What are some of your happiest moments?The birth of our son [now a student at UC San Diego], the 1982 Big Game win over Stanford and looking out my kitchen window each morning and realizing I live in the most beautiful place in the world.
What word or phrase do you overuse the most? “Should I open another bottle?”
