Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course
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Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course is a road course auto racing facility located in Lexington, Ohio.
The Track
The track opened as a 15-turn, 2.4 mile (3.86 km) road circuit run clockwise. The back portion of the track allows speeds approaching 180 mph. A separate staring line is located on the backstrech 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 concrete 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 2.4 mile circuit, and a new 13-turn, 2.25 mile (3.62 km) circuit. In 1990, the CART series began utilizing the 2.25 mile layout. In 2006, a second major refurbishment saw several improvments. 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 backstrech, and another motorcross oval was created by connecting the chicane straight with the backstrech. The additional layouts allow simultaneous use of the multiple course, for instructional and competetive uses. The improvements also include a new motorcross 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.
This course also hosts AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days[link].
History
The track was opened in 1962, by Les Griebling. In 1981, Mid-Ohio was purchased by Jim Trueman, a renowned road racer and the founder of Red-Roof Inns. Trueman put a lot of money into the facility, building the garage area and three spectator mounds. In 1982, CART added the Mid-Ohio track to their yearly circuit. The American Le Mans Series and Grand-Am series also compete at the track. The Sports Car Club of America hosts regional events at Mid-Ohio, and from 1994 through 2005, held its national championships, the "Runoffs", at the track. Mid-Ohio also hosts an annual vintage automobile race weekend during the summer.CART race history
| Season | Winning Driver | Chassis | Engine |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | Johnny Rutherford | Chaparral | Cosworth |
| 1983 | Teo Fabi | March | Cosworth |
| 1984 | Mario Andretti | Lola | Cosworth |
| 1985 | Bobby Rahal | March | Cosworth |
| 1986 | Bobby Rahal | March | Cosworth |
| 1987 | Roberto Guerrero | March | Cosworth |
| 1988 | Emerson Fittipaldi | Lola | Chevrolet-Ilmor |
| 1989 | Teo Fabi | March | Porsche |
| 1990 | Michael Andretti | Lola | Chevrolet-Ilmor |
| 1991 | Michael Andretti | Lola | Chevrolet-Ilmor |
| 1992 | Emerson Fittipaldi | Penske | Chevrolet-Ilmor |
| 1993 | Emerson Fittipaldi | Penske | Chevrolet-Ilmor |
| 1994 | Al Unser Jr. | Penske | Ilmor |
| 1995 | Al Unser Jr. | Penske | Mercedes Benz-Ilmor |
| 1996 | Alex Zanardi | Reynard | Honda |
| 1997 | Alex Zanardi | Reynard | Honda |
| 1998 | Adrian Fernandez | Reynard | Ford-Cosworth |
| 1999 | Juan Montoya | Reynard | Honda |
| 2000 | Helio Castroneves | Reynard | Honda |
| 2001 | Helio Castroneves | Reynard | Honda |
| 2002 | Patrick Carpentier | Reynard | Ford-Cosworth |
| 2003 | Paul Tracy | Lola | Ford-Cosworth |
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