NASCAR Nationwide Series added to schedule for first time
Contact: Jesse Ghiorzi, 513.461.1514 (cell), jghiorzi@midohio.com
Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio announced its full 2013 major event schedule today, headlined by the debut of the NASCAR Nationwide Series. VIP Race Passes and tickets for all events go on sale Monday, December 3.
The 52nd season in Mid-Ohio history begins with a visit from GRAND-AM Road Racing. The Mid-Ohio Sports Car Classic on June 14-16 marks the 13th appearance for the Rolex Sports Car Series and the 12th for the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge. Scott Pruett and Memo Rojas have dominated lately with two wins and a pair of 2nd place finishes in the main event since 2009. However, even with the pair’s back-to-back wins in 2009-10, there have been four different driver pairs on the top step of Daytona Prototype in the last five years.
The Sportscar Vintage Racing Association comes to Mid-Ohio for the 31st time on June 28-30 for the Vintage Grand Prix of Mid-Ohio. Cars on display in the infield and in their natural habitat on track, make for a thrilling historic weekend.
AMA Pro Racing returns on July 12-14 to commence bike month. Josh Hayes has won five of the last eight Wiseco Superbike 100 doubleheader races and is tough to beat on a track he calls one of his favorites. Along with the Vintage Grand Prix, at 31 years, this is the longest consecutively running event in track history.
AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days on July 19-21, continues the two-wheeled portion of the schedule. History will flood the track and grounds – and even be for sale in North America’s largest motorcycle swap meet. Off-road racing occurs in a number of formats for the only time all year during this event.
Since the IZOD IndyCar Series’ debut in Lexington in 2007, The Honda Indy® 200 at Mid-Ohio has been dominated by Scott Dixon. With four wins in six years and two top-fives, the Kiwi has earned the nickname Mr. Mid-Ohio. On August 2-4, Dixon will be joined by Ryan Hunter-Reay, Will Power and Dario Franchitti as the favorites to win. This weekend also marks the return of Firestone Indy Lights for the first time since 2010.
August 16-17 is a monumental weekend for Mid-Ohio, NASCAR and motorsports fans across the U.S. as the NASCAR Nationwide Series competes in the inaugural Nationwide Children’s Hospital 200. The debut of stock cars cements the twisty track’s schedule as the most diverse in all of American road racing. Brian Vickers, Elliot Sadler and Sam Hornish lead the series regulars who may be joined by other big names during the final race of the Mid-Ohio season.
“We have over 50 years of excellent races and major series at Mid-Ohio, but it’s safe to say 2013 is our best schedule ever,” said Mid-Ohio President Craig Rust. “With AMA Pro, GRAND-AM, IndyCar and vintage races returning plus the addition of NASCAR, our fans have a lot to look forward to next season.”
Tickets for all events are on sale at midohio.com beginning at 12:01 a.m. on Monday, December 3 or 8:30 a.m. that same day by calling 800-MID-OHIO (643-6446). VIP Race Passes are specially priced for the holidays through December 31 and all tickets are eligible for lower advance pricing through Friday, May 3. General parking is free and children 12 and under are also admitted free.
A comprehensive motorsports facility, Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course features a permanent road-racing circuit with two primary configurations: a 2.4-mile, 15 turn, and a 2.25- mile, 13-turn circuit. The park-like, 330-acre complex is located in Lexington, Ohio, near Mansfield, 60 miles north of Columbus and 75 miles south of Cleveland. The track has been called the most competitive course in the U.S. and annually hosts a diverse lineup of locally, regionally and nationally sanctioned racing events for amateur, club and professional drivers and riders. Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course opened in 1962 and is owned and operated by Green Savoree Mid-Ohio, LLC.
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