Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course
Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course at a glance
- Location
- Lexington, Ohio
- Type
- road course
- Length
- 2.4 mi (3.862 km)
- Turns
- 15
- Direction
- clockwise
- Surface
- asphalt
- Opened
- 1962
- Owner
- Green Savoree Racing Promotions
- Capacity
- 75,000
- Address
- 7721 Steam Corners Road
- Phone
- +1 419-884-4000
- Website
- midohio.com
Track map and layout
Mid-Ohio winds through rolling farmland between Columbus and Cleveland, and the terrain does most of the work: the 15-turn, 2.4-mile Full Course climbs and dives through blind crests and off-camber sweepers that punish drivers who brake late without seeing the exit. It opens with a genuinely blind, 100-plus-mph Turn 1, then works into the tightening Esses known as Madness before the track drops down Thunder Valley to the Keyhole hairpin. The lap closes with the near-360-degree Carousel, a long, decreasing-radius bend that rewards patience on throttle. A shorter 13-turn Club Course, bypassing the final chicane, is used by many pro series and most club events, while the layout's blend of high-speed sections and technical corners has made it a benchmark test track for IndyCar and IMSA regulars alike.
Named corners and sections
- Turn 1. A blind, 100-plus-mph opening corner that sets the tone for the lap.
- Madness. A roller-coaster sequence of esse bends through the middle of the course.
- Thunder Valley. The downhill run on the back half of the circuit leading toward the Keyhole.
- Keyhole. A tight, technical corner at the bottom of Thunder Valley, one of the track's two signature corners.
- Carousel. A near-360-degree, decreasing-radius corner that closes out the lap.
Configurations
| Layout | Length | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| Full Course | 2.4 mi | 15 turns, includes the closing chicane; used for club racing and driving schools |
| Club Course | 2.258 mi | 13 turns, bypasses the chicane; used by IndyCar, IMSA, MotoAmerica and other pro series |
Events and race weekends
Mid-Ohio's headline weekend is the NTT IndyCar Series' Honda Indy 200, held in July as one of the series' few true road-course stops. IMSA's Michelin Pilot Challenge and Trans-Am Series visit in June, and MotoAmerica brings its full national superbike paddock in August for one of the season's most popular rounds. The Sports Car Vintage Racing Association (SVRA) and ARCA Menards Series also hold seasonal events, and the track's club racing calendar (SCCA Ohio Valley Region, NASA Great Lakes) runs from spring through fall.
| Event | Series | When | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio | NTT IndyCar Series | July | one of IndyCar's marquee road-course events |
| Mid-Ohio MotoAmerica round | MotoAmerica Superbike | August | national motorcycle roadracing |
| Michelin Pilot Challenge / Trans-Am weekend | IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge, Trans-Am | June |
Getting there and parking
Mid-Ohio sits in rural Morrow County roughly midway between Columbus and Cleveland, off County Road 37 (Steam Corners Road). Most visitors fly into John Glenn Columbus International or Cleveland Hopkins International and drive in, with Mansfield Lahm Airport available for smaller private aircraft closer to the track.
- John Glenn Columbus International (CMH)
- Cleveland Hopkins International (CLE)
- Mansfield Lahm Airport
Parking
General parking is complimentary for standard passenger vehicles; oversized vehicles may be turned away or charged. Limited infield parking passes are available for major events (IMSA, IndyCar, MotoAmerica) and are included with a season race pass.
Arrive early on major event weekends, since parking fields fill and access roads around Lexington back up before green flag.
Hotels and camping near Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course
The track offers on-site tent and RV camping for ticketed guests, which is the most popular option during IndyCar and MotoAmerica weekends. Visitors who prefer a bed generally stay in Mansfield or Bellville, a few miles from the gates, and book well ahead of the July and August event weekends since regional hotel stock is limited.
Where to look
Bellville and Mansfield, Ohio, both within about 10 miles of the track; the track's preferred partner hotel is the Quality Inn and Suites Bellville-Mansfield, roughly 7 miles away.
Camping
Tent camping and motorhome/RV spaces are available on-site; requires a Weekend General Admission ticket plus a separate camping or motorhome pass.
RV
On-site RV spaces have no water or electrical hookups; dump stations are located near the maintenance building and North Woods area. Quiet hours run 10pm-6am with no generator use permitted.
Track days, driving experiences and lap records
Mid-Ohio is one of the busier club-racing and HPDE venues in the Midwest. The track itself runs Open Test & Tune days for both race cars (competition license required) and street cars (drivers must have completed the venue's lapping program or hold equivalent SCCA/NASA credentials), and outside organizers add dozens more dates across the season. Regulars include SCCA Ohio Valley Region club racing and Track Night in America, and NASA Great Lakes Region HPDE and club-racing weekends.
Who runs days here
Lap records
| Category | Time | Driver | Car | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IndyCar (Club Course) | 1:05.260 | Will Power | Dallara IR-12 | 2016 |
| CART (Club Course) | 1:06.788 | Juan Pablo Montoya | Reynard-Honda | 1999 |
Spectator guide
Mid-Ohio's rolling terrain gives spectators natural vantage points rather than flat grandstand-only sightlines. Permanent grandstands hold roughly 12,000, but the track's three large observation mounds add capacity for over 60,000 more fans who can walk the hillsides overlooking the Keyhole, Carousel and back straight.
Seating
Permanent grandstands seat around 12,000; three observation mounds provide general-admission hillside viewing for the bulk of the crowd.
Best places to watch
The mounds overlooking the Keyhole and the Carousel give sweeping views of several corners at once, while the hill above the front straight is popular for watching the start.
Weather
- Jul: warm and humid, highs typically in the low-to-mid 80s°F
- Aug: similar summer heat and humidity for the MotoAmerica weekend
History of Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course
Origins
Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course opened in 1962 in the rolling farm country of Morrow County, Ohio, the project of local businessman Les Griebling and a group of Mansfield-area investors who wanted a permanent road-racing home in the region. The circuit's first major sports car race followed in 1963, a 168-mile event won by Ken Miles, and the track quickly built a reputation among drivers for its blind crests and elevation changes rather than raw straight-line speed.
Growth under Trueman
The track's modern identity took shape after IndyCar owner and businessman Jim Trueman bought the facility in 1982. Under Trueman and later his family, Mid-Ohio became a fixture of the CART/Champ Car and, later, IndyCar calendars, hosting its first CART race in 1980 with Johnny Rutherford taking the win. A major refurbishment in 1990 widened and resurfaced the circuit, and further repaving in 2006 sharpened the layout and added a dedicated motorcycle short course.
Present day
Green Savoree Racing Promotions took over ownership and operation in 2011 and has continued to grow the schedule, which now anchors around the July IndyCar weekend, IMSA's Michelin Pilot Challenge and Trans-Am races in June, and MotoAmerica's national superbike round in August. Alongside its professional calendar, Mid-Ohio remains one of the busiest club-racing and driver-education venues in the Midwest, hosting SCCA and NASA events most weekends of the season and drawing road-course enthusiasts from across Ohio, Michigan, Indiana and Pennsylvania for its combination of technical corners, elevation change and a genuinely blind opening turn that has humbled professionals and amateurs alike for more than six decades.
Frequently asked questions
How long is Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course?+
The Full Course is 2.4 miles (3.862 km) with 15 turns. A shorter 13-turn, 2.258-mile Club Course, used by most professional series, bypasses the closing chicane.
Can the public drive Mid-Ohio on a track day?+
Yes. The track runs its own Open Test & Tune days for street cars and race cars, and hosts frequent HPDE and club-racing events through SCCA Ohio Valley Region and NASA Great Lakes Region.
Where is Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course located?+
At 7721 Steam Corners Road in Lexington, Ohio, roughly midway between Columbus and Cleveland.
Can you camp at Mid-Ohio?+
Yes, on-site tent and RV camping is available with a valid event ticket plus a camping or motorhome pass, though sites have no water or electrical hookups.
What is the Keyhole at Mid-Ohio?+
The Keyhole is a tight, technical corner at the bottom of the Thunder Valley downhill section, considered one of the track's two signature corners along with the Carousel.
What is the biggest race at Mid-Ohio?+
The Honda Indy 200, an NTT IndyCar Series road-course race held every July, is the track's marquee professional event.
Other tracks nearby
- Nelson Ledges Road Course · 95 mi · road course
- Detroit Grand Prix · 115 mi · street circuit
- Pittsburgh International Race Complex · 121 mi · road course
- Michigan International Speedway · 126 mi · oval
- Kentucky Speedway · 183 mi · oval
- Grand Bend Motorplex · 186 mi · road course & oval
Facts checked against 5 sources including the official circuit website. Last reviewed 2026-09-09.