Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course is a road course
auto racingAutomobile racing is a motorsport involving racing cars. It is one of the world's most watched television sports.- The beginning of racing:...
facility located in
Troy TownshipTroy Township is one of the sixteen townships of Morrow County, Ohio, United States. The 2000 census found 1,190 people in the township.-Geography:Located in the northeastern corner of the county, it borders the following townships:...
,
Morrow CountyMorrow County is a county located in the state of Ohio, United States. Shawnee people used the area for hunting purposes before white settlers arrived in the early 1800s. Morrow County was organized in 1848 from parts of four neighboring counties and named for Jeremiah Morrow, Governor of Ohio from...
,
OhioOhio is a Midwestern state of the United States. The thirty-fourth largest state by area in the U.S., it is the seventh-most populous with nearly 11.5 million residents...
,
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, just outside of the village of
LexingtonLexington is a village in Richland County in the U.S. state of Ohio. It is part of the Mansfield, Ohio Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 4,165 at the 2000 census....
. (Mid-Ohio has also colloquially become a term for the entire north-central region of the state, from south of
SanduskySandusky pronounced [suhn-duhs-kee, san-] is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Erie County. The municipality is located in northern Ohio and is situated on the shores of Lake Erie, almost exactly half-way between Toledo to the west and Cleveland to the east.The population was...
to north of
Columbus.Columbus is the capital and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. It is the county seat of Franklin County, although parts of the city also extend into Delaware and Fairfield counties...
)
The track opened as a 15-turn, 2.4 mile (3.86 km) road circuit run
clockwiseA clockwise motion is one that proceeds 'like the clock's hands': from the top to the right, then down and then to the left, and back to the top. In a mathematical sense, a circle defined parametrically in a positive Cartesian plane by the equations x = sin t and y = cos t is traced clockwise as...
. The back portion of the track allows speeds approaching . A separate starting line is located on the backstretch to allow for safer rolling starts.
Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course is a road course
auto racingAutomobile racing is a motorsport involving racing cars. It is one of the world's most watched television sports.- The beginning of racing:...
facility located in
Troy TownshipTroy Township is one of the sixteen townships of Morrow County, Ohio, United States. The 2000 census found 1,190 people in the township.-Geography:Located in the northeastern corner of the county, it borders the following townships:...
,
Morrow CountyMorrow County is a county located in the state of Ohio, United States. Shawnee people used the area for hunting purposes before white settlers arrived in the early 1800s. Morrow County was organized in 1848 from parts of four neighboring counties and named for Jeremiah Morrow, Governor of Ohio from...
,
OhioOhio is a Midwestern state of the United States. The thirty-fourth largest state by area in the U.S., it is the seventh-most populous with nearly 11.5 million residents...
,
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, just outside of the village of
LexingtonLexington is a village in Richland County in the U.S. state of Ohio. It is part of the Mansfield, Ohio Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 4,165 at the 2000 census....
. (Mid-Ohio has also colloquially become a term for the entire north-central region of the state, from south of
SanduskySandusky pronounced [suhn-duhs-kee, san-] is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Erie County. The municipality is located in northern Ohio and is situated on the shores of Lake Erie, almost exactly half-way between Toledo to the west and Cleveland to the east.The population was...
to north of
Columbus.Columbus is the capital and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. It is the county seat of Franklin County, although parts of the city also extend into Delaware and Fairfield counties...
)
The Track
The track opened as a 15-turn, 2.4 mile (3.86 km) road circuit run
clockwiseA clockwise motion is one that proceeds 'like the clock's hands': from the top to the right, then down and then to the left, and back to the top. In a mathematical sense, a circle defined parametrically in a positive Cartesian plane by the equations x = sin t and y = cos t is traced clockwise as...
. The back portion of the track allows speeds approaching . A separate starting line is located on the backstretch to allow for safer rolling starts. The regular start/finish line is located on the pit straight. In 1990, the track underwent a refurbishment. A new retaining wall was built, the entire track was resurfaced, widened, and
concreteConcrete is a construction material composed of cement as well as other cementitious materials such as fly ash and slag cement, aggregate , water, and chemical admixtures...
was paved in the apexes of the turns to prevent asphalt deterioration. In addition, a straightaway was paved through the chicane, allowing for two different track layouts, the original circuit, and a new 13-turn, 2.25 mile (3.62 km) circuit. In 1990, the
CARTChamp Car was the name for a class and specification of cars used in American Championship Car Racing for many decades, primarily for use in the Indianapolis 500 auto race...
series began utilizing the layout. In 2006, a second major refurbishment saw several improvements. The entire circuit was repaved, and the concrete patches in the turn apexes were removed. A new motorcycle "short course" was created by connecting turn one with the backstretch, and another motocross oval was created by connecting the chicane straight with the backstretch. The additional layouts allow simultaneous use of the multiple course, for instructional and competitive uses. The improvements also include a new motocross facility to be opened in the future. There is grandstand seating for 10,000 spectators, and three observation mounds alongside the track raise the capacity to over 75,000.
History
The track was opened in 1962 by Les Griebling and several Mansfield-area businessmen as a location for weekend sports car racing. In 1982, Mid-Ohio was purchased by
Jim TruemanJames R. Trueman was an American businessperson and automobile racing team owner. His most successful business ventures were Red Roof Inn motels and the Truesports racing team. Bobby Rahal won the 1986 Indianapolis 500 for the team...
, a renowned road racer and the founder of Red Roof Inns. Trueman added permanent grandstands, amphitheater-style seating, garages with spectator balconies, a five-story media and hospitality center, underground tunnels and an updated paddock area. In 1990, the track underwent a refurbishment. A new retaining wall was built, the entire track was resurfaced, widened, and
concreteConcrete is a construction material composed of cement as well as other cementitious materials such as fly ash and slag cement, aggregate , water, and chemical admixtures...
was paved in the apexes of the turns to prevent asphalt deterioration. In addition, a straightaway was paved through the chicane, allowing for two different track layouts, the original circuit, and a new 13-turn, 2.25 mile (3.62 km) circuit. In 2006, the track again underwent extensive renovation. The track and pit lane were completely resurfaced and connectors were added to the track's famed Keyhole section to allow for three separate road course configurations. Also completed was the removal of concrete patches from the track, the relocation of the wall and guardrail at Turn 1, the expansion of gravel traps at the exits of Turn 1 and the keyhole, the replacement of all remaining old-style catch fencing, and the standardization of curbing throughout the circuit. These changes have resulted in a faster, safer, more competitive and attractive facility for drivers, riders and race fans.
The sports car course operates from April through November each year. During this time, the facility is host for a number of nationally sanctioned race weekends, all of which are open to the public. Additionally, on site motor home and tent camping spaces are available
2009 Spectator Schedule
EMCO Gears Classic (Grand-AM Rolex Sports Car Series and KONI Challenge)
presented by Key Bank June 19-21
Vintage Grand Prix of Mid Ohio (Sportscar Vintage Racing Association) June 26-28
Honda Super Cycle Weekend presented by Dunlop Tire (AMA Pro Racing) July 17-19
AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days July 24-26
Acura Sports Car Challenge and The Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio presented by Westfield Insurance (American LeMans Series and Indy Racing League) August 7-9
AMA Road Race Grand Championships September 11-13
The Mid-Ohio School
Since 1993, TrueSports, Inc., the parent company of The Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course has owned and operated The Mid-Ohio School. The schools offers licensed drives and motorcycle riders programs in defensive driving, high performance driving and performance track riding programs. Students in each course enjoy classroom and private instruction and group drills. Participants test their newly-refined skills in the controlled environment of the facility's Vehicle Dynamics Center and, in some cases, lap the same track that challenges the world's top racers. The Mid-Ohio School boasts a team of instructors made up of professional, winning drivers that is unmatched by any other school
The Mid-Ohio School has helped thousands of people, from teenagers to licensed racing professionals, become better drivers. It has also earned an endorsement and accreditation from SCCA, National Auto Sport Association and the Sportscar Vintage Racing Association.
In 2006, The Mid-Ohio School expanded even further, launching four motorcycle riding programs. The courses offered in 2009 are offered to riders all skill levels, from novice to advanced and allow riders to get their bikes on track at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. The addition of this discipline makes The Mid-Ohio School the first and only school in the nation that caters to both driving and motorcycling enthusiasts.
External links