Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course facts for kids
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 Second Road Course (1990–present)
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| Location | Troy Township, Morrow County, at 7721 Steam Corners Road, Lexington, Ohio |
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| Time zone | UTC−05:00 (UTC−04:00 DST) |
| Coordinates | 40°41′21.46″N 82°38′10.94″W / 40.6892944°N 82.6363722°W |
| Capacity | Bleachers: 12,000 Open seating: 75,000 |
| FIA Grade | 2 |
| Owner | Green Savoree Racing Promotions (March 2011–present) |
| Operator | Green Savoree Racing Promotions (March 2011–present) |
| Opened | 1962 |
| Major events | Current: IndyCar Series Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio (2007–present) Trans-Am Series (1967–1972, 1982–1983, 1985–1994, 1997–1999, 2001–2002, 2009, 2012–present) MotoAmerica (1983–2014, 2024–present) Former: TCR World Tour (2024) IMSA SportsCar Championship Sports Car Challenge at Mid-Ohio (1963–1968, 1972–1979, 1981–1993, 2001–2002, 2004–2012, 2018–2022) NASCAR Xfinity Series B&L Transport 170 (2013–2019, 2021) NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series O'Reilly Auto Parts 150 at Mid-Ohio (2022–2023) ARCA Menards Series Zinsser SmartCoat 150 (1965, 2021–2024) Pirelli World Challenge (1994, 1997–1999, 2002–2017) SCCA Runoffs (1994–2005, 2016) Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series (2000–2001, 2003–2013) CART Champ Car Grand Prix of Mid-Ohio (1980, 1983–2003) |
| Second Road Course (1990–present) | |
| Length | 2.258 mi (3.634 km) |
| Turns | 13 |
| Race lap record | 1:05.2600 ( Will Power, Dallara DW12, 2016, IndyCar) |
| Original Road Course (1963–present) | |
| Length | 2.400 mi (3.862 km) |
| Turns | 15 |
| Race lap record | 1:19.984 ( Roberto Guerrero, March 87C, 1987, CART) |
The Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course is a famous place for auto racing in Ohio, United States. It's a "road course," which means it has turns and hills, not just a simple oval. Many exciting races happen here, like those from the IndyCar, IMSA WeatherTech Sportscar Championship, and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. It also hosts events for racing clubs like SCCA.
The track has seats for 12,000 people in grandstands. Plus, there are big grassy hills where over 75,000 more fans can watch the races. Mid-Ohio is a top-rated track, given a "Grade Two" by the FIA, which is a big deal in racing.
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Exploring the Race Track
The Mid-Ohio track first opened in 1962. It started with 16 turns and cars raced clockwise. After just one year, a slow section called "Oak Tree Bend" was removed. It was replaced with a fast downhill straight called "Thunder Valley," which is still there today. Since 1963, the track has mostly been a 15-turn course, about 2.4 miles (3.862 km) long. Cars can reach speeds close to 200 miles per hour (320 km/h) on the back part of the track. There are two starting lines: one on the main straight and another on the back straight for safer "rolling starts."
In 1990, the track got a big update. Workers built new walls, repaved the entire track, and made it wider. They also added a straight path through a curvy section called the "chicane." This created two different layouts: the original 2.4-mile (3.862 km) track with the chicane, and a newer 13-turn, 2.258-mile (3.634 km) track that skips the chicane. Big races like IndyCar and NASCAR usually use the shorter track without the chicane. Motorcycles and amateur racers often use the longer, original layout.
More improvements happened in 2006. The whole track was repaved again. New "short courses" were added for motorcycles and autocross (a type of timed driving event). These new layouts mean different races can happen at the same time. The updates also included a motocross area for dirt bike events.
In 2019, the ARX brought rallycross racing to Mid-Ohio for the first time. This course was about 0.7 miles (1.1 km) long and used a special part of the track called the "keyhole" section.
After the 2023 racing season, the track was completely repaved once more. In the fall of 2024, Turn 4 was updated. Its banking (the slope of the turn) was made less steep, and the runoff area (a safe zone if a car goes off track) was leveled. New roads were also added for maintenance and safety vehicles.
A Look at Mid-Ohio's History
The Mid-Ohio track opened in 1962. It was started by Les Griebling and other local business people who wanted a place for weekend sports car races. The track first had 16 turns, but one turn was removed after just a year because it made the races too slow.
In the 1970s, the track hosted popular races like Can-Am and F5000. In 1980, it held its first CART race, which was a big event for open-wheel cars. Johnny Rutherford won that first CART race.
In 1982, Jim Trueman, a famous racer and the founder of Red Roof Inns, bought Mid-Ohio. He made many improvements, like adding permanent grandstands, special seating areas, garages with balconies for spectators, and a tall scoreboard. Sadly, Trueman passed away in 1986. His wife and daughter then took over running the track. His daughter, Michelle Trueman, became the president in 1989.
The track got another big update in 1990. New walls were built, the track was repaved and widened. A new straight section was added through the chicane, creating two different track layouts. This allowed for more flexibility in racing.
In 2006, the track had even more renovations. The entire track and pit lane were repaved. New connections were added to the "Keyhole" section, allowing for three different track setups. These changes made the track faster, safer, and more exciting for drivers and fans.
In 2011, a company called Green Savoree Racing Promotions bought the track. This company also helps organize other IndyCar races. This ended the Truesports family's 29 years of owning Mid-Ohio.
Exciting Races Over the Years
Mid-Ohio has a long history of hosting many types of races. In 1963, it hosted its first sports car race, which was won by Ken Miles. This race series continued until 1968. It returned in 1972 as a 6-hour endurance race.
The track also hosted the U.S. Formula 5000 series from 1970 to 1976. Later, the Can-Am series raced there from 1977 to 1980. Sports car racing continued at Mid-Ohio for many years. In 2018, the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship started racing there.
Mid-Ohio hosted its first CART race in 1980. After a short break, the race returned in 1983 and became a 200-mile (320 km) event. CART races happened every year until 2003. The Indy Racing League brought open-wheel racing back to Mid-Ohio in 2007. Many famous drivers have raced here. In 2015, local hero Graham Rahal won at Mid-Ohio, 30 years after his father, Bobby Rahal, won his first race at the track. Scott Dixon has won the most races at Mid-Ohio, with seven victories.
In 2013, Mid-Ohio hosted its first NASCAR event with the NASCAR Xfinity Series. This race was 200 miles (320 km) long. In 2022, NASCAR moved the race to the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. Unlike most races at Mid-Ohio, NASCAR events use the main start/finish line on the pit straight.
Current and Past Events
Mid-Ohio hosts a variety of racing events throughout the year.
- Current Events
- April: Atlantic Championship, F2000 Championship Series, F1600 Championship Series
- May: SCCA Super Tour
- June: Michelin Pilot Challenge, Trans-Am Series, IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge, USF Juniors, Global MX-5 Cup, Formula Regional Americas Championship, F4 United States Championship, Sportscar Vintage Racing Association
- July: IndyCar Series Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio, Indy NXT, USF Pro 2000 Championship, USF2000 Championship, USF Juniors, AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days
- August: MotoAmerica MotoAmerica Superbikes at Mid-Ohio
- September: ChampCar Endurance Series
- Future Events
- Mustang Challenge North America (2026)
- Past Events
Mid-Ohio has hosted many other exciting races in the past, including:
- AMA Superbike Championship (1983–2014)
- American Le Mans Series (2001–2012)
- ARCA Menards Series (1965, 2021–2024)
- Can-Am (1969–1982)
- CART (1980, 1983–2003)
- IMSA SportsCar Championship (2018–2022)
- NASCAR Xfinity Series (2013–2021)
- NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series (2022–2023)
- SCCA National Championship Runoffs (1994–2016)
Fastest Laps at Mid-Ohio
A "lap record" is the fastest time a car or motorcycle has completed one full lap of the track during a race. The unofficial fastest lap ever recorded at Mid-Ohio is 1 minute, 3.8700 seconds, set by Simon Pagenaud in 2016 during qualifying. The official race lap record on the main 2.258-mile (3.634 km) course is 1 minute, 5.2600 seconds, set by Will Power in an IndyCar in 2016.
The Mid-Ohio School
The Mid-Ohio School started in 1993. It teaches licensed drivers and motorcycle riders how to drive safely and perform better on the track. Students learn in classrooms, get private lessons, and practice in groups. They test their new skills in a special area and on the race track.
The school offers 18 different programs. These include defensive driving for teens and adults, high-performance courses for car fans, and training for current and future racers. Over 50,000 people have graduated from the Mid-Ohio School, including many teenagers and motorcycle riders.
See also
In Spanish: Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course para niños
