Mid Ohio Sports Car Course: The First Three Decades (Race Tracks of North America)

The complete history of the first three decades of the Mid Ohio Sports Car Course, The track opened in 1962 by Les Griebling and several Mansfield Ohio area businessmen as a location for weekend sports car racing, a 16-turn road course run clockwise. After only one year, the "Oak Tree Bend" series of turns (in the northeast corner) was removed due to being too slow. It was replaced by the "Thunder Valley" downhill straight, which remains to the present day. For 1963 and beyond, a 15-turn, 2.400 mi (3.862 km) layout was established. The back portion of the track allows speeds approaching 200 mph (320 km/h). A separate starting line and flagstand is situated on the backstretch to allow for safer and more competitive rolling starts. The regular start/finish line is located on the pit straight.Racing included the USRRC, Can-Am and F5000 through the 1960’s and, 70’s and in 1980, it would host its first CART race with Johnny Rutherford taking victory with Chaparral. Other racing included motorcycles and go karts and it was an early adopter of showroom stock endurance racing, holding its first 24 hour race in 1984In 1982 Mid-Ohio was purchased by Jim Trueman, 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, tunnels and an updated paddock area. In addition, a tall, three-sided scoreboard tower was constructed in the infield, strategically placed such that it was visible from nearly all spectator areas around the track. In 1986 Trueman had died from cancer, his wife and daughter taking over management for the facility. In 1989 Truman's daughter, Michelle Trueman, was named the president of the circuit in 1989 and oversaw day-to-day operations of the track. Read more