(February 22, 2019) – For the very first time Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course will host rounds of Americas Rallycross (ARX) in 2019, with the first event on June 8-9, also the first round of the second year for America’s top rallycross Championship.
With work to create the new 0.7-mile, 10-turn asphalt and dirt rallycross circuit about to get underway, President of Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, Craig Rust, has given an insight into how progress is going at the Midwest venue.
“Obviously, the rallycross track won’t use the entire two plus mile track, so we had to find a part of the course that could accommodate the racing. Right now, a lot of what we’re doing is planning to make sure that we have the right people to actually construct the track, discussing the makeup of the track, the dirt, making sure we’re all set to go, so when we pull the trigger to do the build, everything’s in place. We’re using the ‘Keyhole’ section of Mid-Ohio, which is really good. Of course, there’s going to be some challenges, but we put on major events all the time. We’ve got an operations team that I’d put them up against anybody, and we’ll be in good shape.”
Rust says the historic road course mixed with one of the newest high-profile motor sports in the U.S. will be an exciting combination.
He continued, “There’s a lot of history at Mid-Ohio especially as one of the few permanent road courses around the country, and we’re matching the new with the old. We’re constantly out there looking for content for the track. We’re known for our Sports Car and INDYCAR races, but several years back we were able to add NASCAR. We’ve got a really diverse schedule, especially in 2019.
“One of the things we’re really looking forward to is ARX, I think it brings a whole new fan base to Mid-Ohio that may not have ever been here before. Any time you can showcase your facility to a new fan base, it’s wonderful. We’re hoping that our INDYCAR fans, our NASCAR fans, our motorcycle and Sports Car fans who may not have ever seen a rallycross event, that it will peak their interest, and they’ll come on out and check it out. And vice versa, there’s some folks that are rallycross fans who maybe have never seen a NASCAR or INDYCAR race and now Mid-Ohio is on their radar.”
Fans have the opportunity for tailgating and camping at Mid-Ohio for the first and last rounds of ARX. Something that Rust thinks will help give the fans a fantastic experience at the Midwestern circuit.
“I think they’re going to love it. We’ve got a very loyal fan base, especially when you consider we’re between Cleveland and Cincinnati. You can include parts of Indiana, parts of Michigan, Pennsylvania and Kentucky - that’s where we draw from,” said Rust. “They have supported us all along the way for all different forms of racing, so you know I really do think they’re going get excited about it. Our season ticket sales are up this year, and those are the people that basically buy a season pass because they want to come out to everything. They’re going to like it, especially with the shorter race format and intense style of it.”
Based in nearby Findlay, the two rounds will be a true homecoming events for Mid-Ohio’s partner Cooper Tires, which supplies all of the tires used in ARX and ARX2.
“We couldn’t be more excited about Cooper Tires, you know there’s no secret within motorsport, your partners are critical. To have a partner like Cooper Tires that has stepped up and said ‘hey we will support you in this’, they’ve made a long-term commitment and quite frankly without them, I don’t know if we’d be where we are today. They’ve been with us for several years now, and we’re very thankful and looking forward to working with them further,” Rust explained.
Get your tickets to the Cooper Tires ARX of Mid-Ohio for both June and October by visiting midohio.com.
