New Scoreboard and Victory Circle also Make their Mid-Ohio Debut

LEXINGTON, Ohio (May 3, 2018) — A professional sports car weekend returns to Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course’s schedule this weekend for the first time since 2013, sanctioned by the International Motorsports Association (IMSA). The Acura Sports Car Challenge sets the 57th season of racing in motion at the 2.258-mile, 13-turn road course, May 4-6. 

The return is marked by the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and IMSA Continental SportsCar Challenge headlining the weekend, supported by Lamborghini Super Trofeo and Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA by Yokohama. Along with the six races in total set to take the green flag during the weekend, the historic road course is debuting a new scoring tower in the popular “esses” turn and a new victory circle in the garage area next to pitlane.

“Mid-Ohio was born out of a love for sports car racing.  To add IMSA - the tier one sports car series in North America – allows us to deliver another great weekend of races to our fans,” said Craig Rust, president of Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.  “As a race promoter, you always want to deliver best in class events and the Acura Sports Car Challenge gives us the opportunity to do that this weekend.”

Among the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship’s 34 entries is a host of teams and drivers who have seen tremendous success at Mid-Ohio across several racing disciplines. Hot off of Action Express Racing Cadillac’s second win of 2018, including the Rolex 24 at Daytona, Joao Barbosa enters the race weekend as the course’s defending sports car winner from its last race in 2013.

Seeking its first win in the Prototype class, iconic motorsports organization Team Penske brings their Acura ARX-05 DPi program to Mid-Ohio with a wealth of experience at the track. Its driver lineup includes two-time Mid-Ohio IndyCar race winner Helio Castroneves as well as multi-discipline motorsports legend Juan Pablo Montoya, whose professional North American racing career began at the course in 1993.

Chip Ganassi Racing is looking for its second win of the season, having claimed the team’s 200th overall victory across all disciplines at the Rolex 24 in the Grand Touring LeMans (GTLM) class. Carrying a breadth of experience at Mid-Ohio in both IndyCar and sports car racing, Ganassi’s lineup includes Ryan Briscoe, winner of the 2008 Honda Indy 200 and at the course.

Columbus, Ohio-based teams, Meyer Shank Racing and Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, will be looking to make an impression in front of their hometown crowd. Meyer Shank Racing brings two Acura NSX entries to the Grand Touring Daytona (GTD) class in Sunday’s Acura Sports Car Challenge. It will mark the first of two appearances for the team during Mid-Ohio’s 57th season, as they will return with an IndyCar entry in July’s Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio. Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing will also be field BMWs in the GTLM class this weekend and also return in July with its Honda-powered Indy cars.

Sunday’s two-hour, 40-minute Acura Sports Car Challenge race will be televised live on FS2 at 1 p.m. ET, with live IMSA Radio coverage also available on IMSA.com, RadioLeMans.com and SiriusXM Radio. Tickets are on sale at midohio.com up to Friday.

Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course offers an exceptional family value. Children 12 and under are admitted free (not the grandstands) when accompanied by a ticketed adult, plus free parking is available. General admission is $75 for the weekend, and Grandstand seating is $85 for the weekend ($5 additional for tickets purchased at the gate.). Garage paddock access is free for all spectators during the Acura Sports Car Challenge to get an up close view of the cars and drivers. Visit midohio.com or call 419-884-4000, 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. ET, to purchase tickets in advance.

ABOUT MID-OHIO SPORTS CAR COURSE

A comprehensive motorsports facility in Lexington, Ohio, Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course sits on 330 acres and features a permanent road-racing circuit with two primary configurations: 2.4-mile, 15-turn or 2.258-mile, 13-turn layout. Located 60 miles north of Columbus and 75 miles south of Cleveland near Mansfield, the natural terrain road course is commonly referred to as the “Most Competitive in the U.S.” and annually hosts a diversity of locally, regionally and nationally sanctioned racing events for amateur, club and professional drivers and riders.  It is also home to The Mid-Ohio School, featuring over 20 driving and riding courses, for teenagers to professional racers using Honda vehicles. Opened in 1962, Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course is owned and operated by Green Savoree Racing Promotions, just the facility’s third private ownership group in its history.

For more information, visit midohio.com, ‘like’ its Facebook page @MidOhioSportsCarCourse or follow updates on Twitter @Mid_Ohio and Instagram @officialmidohio.

Media Inquiries:

Steve Bidlack, Manager Marketing and Communications

419-884-4000 Ext. 4623 (office) or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.