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 MID-OHIO
SPORTS CAR COURSE
Location
Located in Lexington, Ohio, Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course is
approximately 60 miles north of Columbus, Ohio, 75 miles south
of Cleveland, Ohio, and just 7 miles from downtown Mansfield,
Ohio, in Richland County.
History
Mansfield, Ohio, businessman Les Griebling founded Mid-Ohio
Sports Car Course in 1962 as a place where he, his associates
and friends could indulge their passion for sports cars. When
Columbus-based entrepreneur James R. Trueman purchased the
facility in 1981, he set about transforming the track into
an international showplace for road racing and the benchmark
for competitor and spectator amenities. The track recently
celebrated 40 Years of Racing and annually plays host to thousands
of race fans and some of the finest amateur and professional
racing anywhere in the world.
Track
Widely known as the ²most competitive in the U.S, Mid-Ohio
Sports Car Course is a permanent road course with both a 2.4-mile,
15-turn configuration and a 2.25-mile, 13-turn layout. Among
the track's signature turns are the Keyhole, the Esses, Thunder
Valley and the Carousel.
Specifications
- Track length: 2.25 or 2.4 miles
- Track width: 40³
- Pit lane length: 1,160³
- Pit lane width: 40³
- Pit stalls: 28
- Pit wall height: 3³
Paddock
The competition paddock features three permanent garage buildings
housing a total of 28 individual stalls and parking for an
equivalent number of support vehicles. Each garage stall is
equipped with water, electricity, compressed air and a fire
extinguisher. Also in the paddock are a permanent concession
stand with an adjacent picnic area, a permanent souvenir stand
and a permanent restroom building. Rising five stories above
the paddock is the Goodyear Tower, which houses the track³s
media center and permanent hospitality suites. Facilities
for The Mid-Ohio School, including a permanent building and
enclosed Vehicle Dynamics Center, also are located in the
paddock.
Events
Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course features all types of two- and
four-wheeled motorsport. Hundreds of amateur and professional
drivers and riders pilot both contemporary and vintage racing
cars and motorcycles during more than a half-dozen spectator
and club events held at the track each season. When it³s not
playing host to racing competition, Mid-Ohio is utilized by
automotive manufacturers and suppliers and racing competitors
alike for research and testing exercises. The remaining dates
are dedicated to The Mid-Ohio School³s many driver training
programs.
Attendance
Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course attracts approximately 500,000
spectators, competitors and guests to the facility each year.
Sixty-eight percent of event spectators come from within the
State of Ohio, with most traveling between 50 and 100 miles
to the track.
Economic Impact
According to the Mansfield and Richland County Convention
and Visitors Bureau, Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course and its events
contribute more than $86 million annually to the central Ohio
economy.
Ownership
Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course is owned and operated by TrueSports,
Inc. under the direction of president Michelle Trueman Gajoch,
and is the only privately owned and operated racing venue
of its magnitude in the United States.
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Grounds
Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course is set on 330 tree-lined acres
of contoured countryside. In addition to the race track itself,
the facility features three permanent grandstands; several
spectator viewing mounds; concessions and souvenir stands;
restroom, shower and camping facilities; two walk-over bridges
and one drive-over bridge; a ticket office; administration
building; security office; maintenance building; communications
building; and medical facility. A number of additional temporary
facilities are erected for larger events. Approximately 190
acres are used for parking, and an additional 75 adjacent
acres are leased for parking for larger events.
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 Paddock
The competition paddock features three permanent garage buildings
housing a total of 28 individual stalls and parking for an
equivalent number of support vehicles. Each garage stall is
equipped with water, electricity, compressed air and a fire
extinguisher. Also in the paddock are a permanent concession
stand with an adjacent picnic area, a permanent souvenir stand
and a permanent restroom building. Rising five stories above
the paddock is the Goodyear Tower, which houses the track³s
media center and permanent hospitality suites. Facilities
for The Mid-Ohio School, including a permanent building and
enclosed Vehicle Dynamics Center, also are located in the
paddock.
Events
Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course features all types of two- and
four-wheeled motorsport. Hundreds of amateur and professional
drivers and riders pilot both contemporary and vintage racing
cars and motorcycles during more than a half-dozen spectator
and club events held at the track each season. When it³s not
playing host to racing competition, Mid-Ohio is utilized by
automotive manufacturers and suppliers and racing competitors
alike for research and testing exercises. The remaining dates
are dedicated to The Mid-Ohio School³s many driver training
programs.
Attendance
Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course attracts approximately 500,000
spectators, competitors and guests to the facility each year.
Sixty-eight percent of event spectators come from within the
State of Ohio, with most traveling between 50 and 100 miles
to the track.
Economic Impact
According to the Mansfield and Richland County Convention
and Visitors Bureau, Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course and its events
contribute more than $86 million annually to the central Ohio
economy.
Ownership
Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course is owned and operated by TrueSports,
Inc. under the direction of president Michelle Trueman Gajoch,
and is the only privately owned and operated racing venue
of its magnitude in the United States.
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