The Pit Window by Mike Silver

Push to Pass Test at IMS Tomorrow

March 25, 2021 thepitwindow

Indycar just released the following information. To my knowledge this is not open for public viewing.

NTT INDYCAR SERIES Drivers To Test Friday
at Indianapolis Motor Speedway

Dixon, Newgarden, O’Ward, Rossi To Use Push-to-Pass System in Choreographed Session
As part of preparations for the introduction of a new engine package in 2023, the 2.4-liter, twin-turbocharged V6 with hybrid technology, the NTT INDYCAR SERIES will host a four-car test Friday, March 26 on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval. Drivers will use the series’ Push-to-Pass system, which delivers increased power to the current 2.2-liter engine. In 2023, the new engine with hybrid technology will feature the ability of a 100-horsepower boost for use on ovals, as well as street and road courses. INDYCAR will help guide the hybrid Push-to-Pass simulation starting at 10 a.m., with choreographed group sessions lasting from 1-4 p.m. Drivers testing include six-time NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion Scott Dixon of Chip Ganassi Racing, two-time series champion Josef Newgarden of Team Penske, 2016 Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge winner Alexander Rossi of Andretti Autosport, and 2020 Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year Pato O’Ward of Arrow McLaren SP.

Second Mass Vaccination Clinic at IMS; 36 Cars for 500?

March 25, 2021 thepitwindow

Photo: Indystar

Indianapolis Motor Speedway will have another mass vaccination clinic in April. The on e in early March lasted four days and administered more than 16,000 doses of the COVID vaccine. In April the speedway will have clinics on 16 days and hopes to vaccinate 96,000 people. Clinic hours are 9 am -7 pm. Clinic dates are April 1-3, 13-18, and 24-30.

Indiana residents age 16 and up become eligible on March 31. The current eligible age range is 40 years and over. Registration for the speedway clinics is open, but those under 40 cannot register until March 31.

April will be busy at IMS. An open test for Indianapolis 500 entrants is scheduled for April 8 and 9. No word yet if spectators will be permitted.

500 Car Count: Bumping Returns

The car count for the 105th running of the Indianapolis 500 will be more than 33 cars, assuring the return of bumping. Cars currently confirmed:

Chevrolet

Team Penske (4)-Josef Newgarden, Will Power, Simon Pagenaud, Scott McLaughlin

A. J. Foyt Racing (3)- Sebastien Bourdais, Dalton Kellett, Charlie Kimball

Carlin Racing (1)- Max Chilton

Arrow McLaren SP (3)- Pato O’Ward, Felix Rosenqvist, Juan Pablo Montoya

Ed Carpenter Racing (3) – Ed Carpenter, Rinus VeeKay, Conor Daly

Paretta Autosport (1)- Simona De Silvestro

Honda

Andretti Autosport (5)-Colton Herta, Alexander Rossi, Ryan Hunter-Reay, James Hinchcliffe, Marco Andretti

Chip Ganassi Racing(4)- Scott Dixon, Marcus Ericsson, Alex Palou, Tony Kanaan

Dale Coyne Racing (2)- Ed Jones, Pietro Fittipaldi, 1 TBD, possibly James Davison

Meyer Shank Racing (2)- Jack Harvey, Helio Castroneves

Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing (2)- Takuma Sato, Graham Rahal

Other possible entries- Dreyer and Reinbold Racing, Top Gun Racing, additional cars cars from Foyt, Raha, and possibly Andretti.

I anticipate 35-36 cars. In 2019 there was drama as two cars had to go home. What there wasn’t was the fastest 33 starting the race. I of course have a fix for that which I will discuss closer to qualifying day.

ROKiT Sponsorship Gives Boost to Foyt and Bourdais

March 23, 2021 thepitwindow

Images from A, J. Foyt Racing

A friendship that began seven years ago resulted in a major sponsorship for A. J. Foyt Racing. Larry Foyt met Joinathan Kendrick and they stayed in touch. Kendrick, a co-founder of ROKit, a new business incubator, has always been a race fan. He worked for Goodyear Tire’s racing Division as a teenager, and became aware of A. J. Foyt.

Foyt lost long time sponsor ABC Supply after the 2019 season and in 202 struggled to find sponsorship. This new deal brings stability to the team as they look to put together a better year in 2021. All the elements are in place for improvement.

The news release:

WALLER, Texas (March 23, 2021)–AJ Foyt Racing and Sebastien Bourdais will be rockin’ with ROKiT this year!

The global conglomerate ROKiT signed as the primary marketing partner of the No. 14 Chevrolet to be driven by Bourdais in the NTT INDYCAR Series this season. The striking livery design embodies ROKiT’s disruptive approach to challenging conventional business. In addition to branding on the car, the agreement allows for a variety of activation opportunities.

#14 Sebastien Bourdais, A.J. Foyt Enterprises Chevrolet

Entrepreneur Jonathan Kendrick, ROKiT’s co-founder along with partner John-Paul DeJoria, is utilizing the Foyt team’s iconic heritage to raise brand awareness globally and showcase the company’s broad range of services and products.

Commenting, Jonathan Kendrick said “When I was 17 years old and working for Goodyear Tires racing division, I was aware of AJ Foyt and what an incredibly talented driver he was, so I am hugely excited to have partnered with the legendary AJ Foyt Racing team for the 2021 INDYCAR Series. I’m looking forward to cheering-on the fabulous looking No.14 Chevrolet as it roars around the circuits this year. All our ROKiT companies will be actively involved in this partnership and we wish Larry, Sebastien and all the team at Foyt Racing the very best of luck.”

ROKiT is a new business incubator with a diverse portfolio of companies involved in innovative technology and services including mobile phones, WiFi deployment, beverages, pioneering 3D content production and distribution of movies and music.

The partnership is the evolution of a discussion which began seven years ago when the two companies started exploring opportunities to work together.

Larry Foyt anticipates the new partnership will give his team and the INDYCAR series additional exposure to a younger audience as the team mounts a competitive campaign to vie for victories with 4-time INDYCAR champion Bourdais.

“I met JK several years ago and we have stayed in touch,” said Larry Foyt, team president of AJ Foyt Racing. “He is a true racing enthusiast and it has been great to see him use many forms of motorsport in his growth strategy for ROKiT. We had expressed interest in working together when the time was right, and I must say it feels like everything came into alignment perfectly for this opportunity. I think this partnership will reward ROKiT’s partners and consumers with some exciting programs that take advantage of the great access our team can provide. I’m enthused about our promising testing results, and this is another shot of awesome momentum heading into the season.”

The NTT INDYCAR series opens its 17-race season April 18 at Barber Motorsports Park.

ROKiT on!

Image Courtesy Of A.J. Foyt Racing

Penske Plays a Numbers Game; Another Clinic at IMS ?

March 22, 2021 thepitwindow

As always, Roger Penske is aiming high. He is aiming for 250,00 in fact. In a zoom conference today, the owner of Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Indycar said that 170,000 tickets for the 105th running of the Indianapolis 500 have “been accounted for.” Whether more tickets, including general admission, go on sale depends on the situation with COVId-19. Numbers in Indiana have been moving ina positive trend. Penske hopes to have a full house of 250,000 on race day.

Penske would not commit to a number because he does not have the final say on it.

“Our goal is to have 250,000,” Penske said. “That’s what we want to have. It’s outside. We’ve got the biggest stadium in the world here, and it’s a matter of where we’re going to be with the CDC and the governor and the mayor, so I don’t have any number that I’d want to hang my hat on.

“We’re not making any predictions at all, because anything I would say today could be completely wrong.”

Last year before the decision was made to hold the race without fans in August, the Speedway had planned to have 50% of capacity, which would be around the 170,000 fans that now have tickets.

A lot depends on the aftermath of the NCAA Men’s basketball tournament which Indianapolis is hosting. If the city doesn’t see a spike in COVID cases over the next few weeks, it is possible that the race could have a large crowd with COVID protocols in place.

Penske did say the race will run May 30 with however many fans that are allowed.

A Second Mass Clinic at IMS?

Penske also said that he is working out details with state and local governments to conduct a second mass vaccination clinic. The Speedway had a four day clinic march 5-8 and more than 16,000 people received the one shot Johnson and Johnson vaccine. Indiana is approaching 1 million fully vaccinated residents.

Foyt Announcement Tomorrow

A. J. Foyt Racing will have announcement billed as an “update on their 2021 plans.” I am hearing it is a major sponsor announcement. I will have a report on the Foyt news after 2 pm Eastern tomorrow. As usual, the news will break during my writing class. If you’re a regular reader, you need I need the class.

Thoughts on Sebring: Broken Wing Victory in a Race of Bumper Cars

March 21, 2021March 21, 2021 thepitwindow

I have a dream that one day in an IMSA race the entire DPi class will fall out and the overall winner will be an LMP2 or GTLM car. Last night my dream nearly came true. The DPi cars seem to have a way of making things difficult for themselves, whether it’s squeezing each other into barriers, penalties for excessive drive time, pit mistakes, or on track collisions, the top class always entertains.

The result was unlikely winner, the number 5 Mustang sampling DPi Cadillac driven by Sebastien BGourdais, Loic Duval, and Tristan Vautier. Bourdais drove the anchor leg and led the final hour and 10 minutes. The car finished the race with a broken rear wing to edge out the Mazda of Harry Tincknell.

It was an improbable win for a team that had struggled to find speed all weekend, but the car and the race came to them, with an assist from the rest of the class.

Notes

Porsche swept the GT categories with victories in GTLM and GTD. The GTLm win by the 79 resembled the follies of DPi, with a late collision of the BMW and Corvette allowing Matheiu Jaminet to grab the lead from what appeared to be a third place finish.

The GTLM winner Pfaff Motorsports benefitted from the expertise of Laurens Vanthoor, who piloted the Canadian team to the win.

A good run by Simon Pagenaud in the 48 DPi topped a difficult day for the team. Jimmie Johnson spun and made contact with another car in the foirst hour of the race. The team climbed back into contention later in the day, Pagenaud stayed in the cat 50 seconds too long, disqualifying the car, which was third on the track at the end. I don’t understand why IMSA allows a car to keep running after it is known that car will be disqualified.

Katherine Legge had a great run in the 88 Hardpoint car. She was in line for a podium until a penalty for contact dropped her to 5th in class. The team, co-driven by Christina Neilsen and Bia Figuerado, still had a good run in just their second outing.

I understand IMSA’s desire to have as many cars in a race as possible, but when GTLM cars are faster than LMP3’s, it’s a bit concerning.

I hope but I doubt that NBC is over their Jimmie Johnson love fest. I admire him that after his success in NASCAR that he is trying a completely different motorsports discipline, but NBC’s coverage of him is overkill. The nice thing about Indycar is that he will be in the car the entire race and unavailable for interviews during the races.

The final results from the IMSA website:

POS	ST POS	CAR NO	CLASS POS	DRIVERS	TEAM/CAR/SPONSOR	NO LAPS	FASTEST LAP	STATUS
1	6	5	1	Loic Duval Sebastien Bourdais Tristan Vautier	Mustang Sampling / JDC-Miller MotorSports Cadillac DPi	349	01:46.679	Running
2	4	55	2	Oliver Jarvis Harry Tincknell Jonathan Bomarito	Mazda Motorsports Mazda DPi	349	01:46.841	Running
3	5	60	3	Olivier Pla JuanPablo Montoya Dane Cameron	Meyer Shank Racing w/Curb-Agajanian Acura DPi	349	01:46.641	Running
4	2	10	4	Alexander Rossi Ricky Taylor Filipe Albuquerque	Konica Minolta Acura ARX-05 Acura DPi	349	01:46.654	Running
5	3	01	5	Rengervander Zande Kevin Magnussen Scott Dixon	Cadillac DPi	347	01:46.151	Running
6	9	52	1	Scott Huffaker Ben Keating Mikkel Jensen	PR1 Mathiasen Motorsports ORECA LMP2 07	344	01:48.474	Running
7	10	18	2	Ryan Dalziel Dwight Merriman Kyle Tilley	Era Motorsport ORECA LMP2 07	344	01:48.944	Running
8	24	79	1	Matt Campbell Cooper MacNeil Mathieu Jaminet	WeatherTech Racing Porsche 911 RSR – 19	334	01:55.732	Running
9	22	25	2	ConnorDe Phillippi Philipp Eng Bruno Spengler	BMW Team RLL BMW M8 GTE	333	01:55.727	Running
10	23	24	3	Augusto Farfus John Edwards Jesse Krohn	BMW Team RLL BMW M8 GTE	333	01:55.861	Running
11	20	3	4	Antonio Garcia Jordan Taylor Nicky Catsburg	Corvette Racing Chevrolet Corvette C8.R	333	01:55.642	Running
12	21	4	5	Tommy Milner Nick Tandy Alexander Sims	Corvette Racing Chevrolet Corvette C8.R	330	01:57.236	Running
13	16	54	1	Colin Braun Jonathan Bennett George Kurtz	Core Autosport Ligier JS P320	329	01:56.166	Running
14	17	91	2	Dylan Murry Jeroen Bleekemolen Jim Cox	Riley Motorsports Ligier JS P320	329	01:56.281	Running
15	15	74	3	Scott Andrews Gar Robinson Spencer Pigot	Riley Motorsports Ligier JS P320	329	01:56.183	Running
16	14	7	4	Oliver Askew Austin McCusker Stevan McAleer	Forty7 Motorsports Duqueine D08	328	01:56.589	Running
17	18	33	5	Joao Barbosa Yann Clairay Lance Willsey	Sean Creech Motorsport Ligier JS P320	328	01:56.340	Running
18	36	9	1	Laurens Vanthoor Lars Kern Zacharie Robichon	Pfaff Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3R	320	02:00.835	Running
19	25	16	2	Patrick Long Trent Hindman Jan Heylen	Wright Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3R	320	02:00.808	Running
20	32	23	3	Ross Gunn Ian James RomanDe Angelis	Heart of Racing Team Aston Martin Vantage GT3	320	02:01.402	Running
21	35	44	4	Spencer Pumpelly John Potter Andy Lally	Acura NSX GT3	320	02:01.923	Running
22	33	88	5	Katherine LeggeBia FigueiredoChristina Nielsen	Porsche 911 GT3R	320	02:01.484	Running
23	28	12	6	Zach Veach Robert Megennis Frankie Montecalvo	VasserSullivan Lexus RC F GT3	319	02:01.450	Running
24	27	14	7	Jack Hawksworth Kyle Kirkwood Aaron Telitz	VasserSullivan Lexus RC F GT3	313	02:01.000	Running
25	29	96	8	Bill Auberlen Robby Foley Aidan Read	Turner Motorsport BMW M6 GT3	313	02:01.298	Running
26	31	75	9	Maro Engel Mikael Grenier Kenny Habul	SunEnergy1 Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3	304	02:01.125	Running
27	1	31	6	Felipe Nasr Mike Conway Pipo Derani	Whelen Engineering Racing Cadillac DPi	292	01:46.151	Running
28	7	48	7	Kamui Kobayashi Simon Pagenaud Jimmie Johnson	Cadillac DPi	349	01:46.424	Running
29	34	99	10	Earl Bamber Trenton Estep Rob Ferriol	Porsche 911 GT3R	280	02:01.325	Running
30	12	8	3	Gabriel Aubry Tim Buret John Farano	ORECA LMP2 07	266	01:49.084	Running
31	19		6	Matthew BellRodrigo SalesNiklas Kruetten	WIN Autosport Duqueine D08	265	01:57.106	Running
32	30	1	11	Bryan Sellers Madison Snow Corey Lewis	Paul Miller Racing Lamborghini Huracan GT3	255	02:01.353	Running
33	13	38	7	Rasmus Lindh Dan Goldburg Mateo LLarena	Performance Tech Motorsports Ligier JS P320	177	01:56.981	Running
34	26	28	12	Michaelde Quesada Billy Johnson Daniel Morad	Alegra Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT3	91	02:01.960	Running
35	37	19	13	Tim Zimmermann Stephen Simpson Franck Perera	GRT Grasser Racing Team Lamborghini Huracan GT3	91	02:01.501	Running
36	8	11	4	Thomas Merrill Steven Thomas Tristan Nunez	WIN Autosport ORECA LMP2 07	90	01:49.619	Running
37	11	22	5	Guy SmithJames McGuireWayne Boyd	ORECA LMP2 07	333	01:48.673	Running

Sebring Preview: Derani on Pole

March 19, 2021 thepitwindow

Photo: Michael levitt/Motorsport Images

Pipo Derani will start on pole for the 69th running of the Sebring 12 hour race tomorrow morning. His number 31 Cadillac edged the Acura of Ricky Taylor 0.09 seconds. in LMP1 qualifying. Jimmie Johnson spun in turn 16 coming to the checkered flag of the session. Johnson was not hurt, but the car suffered damage.

In GTLM Antonio Garcia put the number 3 Corvette on the pole. The Corvettes sport shades of silver this weekend. It will be strange not seeing a yellow Corvette in an endurance race.

Indycar Drivers Tune Up for Season

The race will feature a smattering of Indycar drivers. The shrinking IMSA fields mean fewer Indycar drivers than in past years. Ryan Hunter-Reay, who was with the number 55 Mazda last season, does not have a ride since the team cut back to one car for 2021.

Indycar drivers participating are mainly in the DPi class. They are:

01 Cadillac- Scott Dixon

5 Cadillac- Sebastien Bourdais

10 Acura- Alexander Rossi

48 Cadillac- Simon Pagenaud; Jimmie Johnson

60 Acura- Juan Pablo Montoya

The 01 is Chip Ganassi’s entry and the 60 is a Meyer Shank entry.

Former Indycar drivers Oliver Askew and Spencer Pigot are running cars in the LMP3 class.

Indy Lights driver Kyle Kirkwood will drive the number 14 Vasser-Sullivan Lexus in GTD.

TV Schedule: Fire Up Track Pass

While the race begins and ends on NBCSN the middle seven hours are on NBC Track Pass. You can also watch on IMSA TV and I highly recommend listening to Radio LeMans. The broadcast time, all Eastern:

.I hope that unlike the Rolex 24 Hour coverage we don’t have to sit through a Jimmie Johnson interview every 10 minutes. I’d rather watch the racing.

Portland Sets Fan Limit; Notes

March 18, 2021March 18, 2021 thepitwindow

Photo from Portland International Raceway website

Portland International Raceway announced a fan limit of 25% for all their events this season. This is great news. It means that the Indycar race scheduled for September 12 is a go. Fans who had tickets for the cancelled 2020 race had the option to defer tickets to 2021. Portland is the third track to announce a track spectator limit.

Barber Motorsports Park didn’t set a specific limit, but will only admit fans who park inside the facility. St. Pete has a 20,000 fan limit per day. Mid Ohio is limited by the state of Ohio to 30% of capacity. That should be around 20,000 or so fans.

Still waiting for a figure from Indianapolis Motor Speedway about the fan limit for the Indianapolis 500.

All announced limits are subject to change as the COVID situation changes. Let’s hope all changes point in the direction of more fans allowed.

Indycar iRacing Tonight

The first of three Indycar iracing events takes place tonight at 6:30 pm Eastern time. Tonight’s track is Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal. this should be a fun track for Indycar. The live stream is on Indycar.com/iRacing.

Sebring Broadcast Times

Broadcast times and channels for the 12 Hours of Sebring Saturday:

I’m disappointed at the small amount of over the air television time, but that is less time to hear about Jimmie Johnson. At least the final three hours is on. After sunset is when this race gets crazy. More on Sebring tomorrow.

Firestone GP of St. Petersburg Tickets on Sale Tomorrow; Super Trucks Return

March 17, 2021 thepitwindow

Green Savoree promotions announced that tickets for the Firestone GP of St. Petersburg go on sale tomorrow, March 18 for the April 23-25 race weekend. The promoter also said that Robby Gordon’s Super trucks will return to the weekend.. The event earlier announced that attendance is limited to 20,000 spectators each day. the number of tickets available depends on the number of tickets sold during the ticket renewal period which just ended. The release:

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (March 17, 2021) – Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg 3-Day Reserved Grandstand and General Admission tickets go on sale to the public starting tomorrow (March 18) at 2 p.m. ET. The 17th annual event is set for April 23-25, in downtown St. Petersburg racing on the picturesque 1.8-mile, 14-turn temporary waterfront street circuit. Tickets are available online at gpstpete.com with pricing starting at $115 for 3-Day Reserved Grandstand seats and $60 for 3-Day General Admission tickets. Junior pricing is also available for those fans ages 12 and under. Based on remaining availability in order to maintain social distancing measures on site, a limited number of Single-Day tickets will be released for sale on Thursday, April 1. Green Savoree St. Petersburg (GSSP), organizers of the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, are also announcing today the much-anticipated return of a fan favorite to the weekend schedule. The SPEED Energy Stadium SUPER Trucks will be a part of the on track action again. These high-flying trucks will showcase doubleheader races jumping across ramps, rumbling and rolling through the corners. Eleven races in total across six different racing series will hit the track for race fans. “We’re really excited to feature Robby Gordon’s Stadium SUPER Trucks series again for our fans. They asked for them, so they are back to provide even more thrills to a great Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg weekend,” said Kim Green, co-owner, chairman and CEO of GSSP. “We also thank our race fans for their continued support and cooperation in following all the necessary protocols again as we run a safe, fun weekend during this pandemic doing so the ‘St. Pete Way’.”
Alongside the headlining NTT INDYCAR SERIES race on Sunday and the SPEED Energy Stadium SUPER Trucks, the additional racing series featured during the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg are all three open-wheel development levels of the Road to Indy Presented by Cooper Tires, which includes the return of Indy Lights this year, and the Idemitsu Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by BFGoodrich adding some fender-to-fender, showroom stock racing thrills. Each of these four series will also hold doubleheader races. As announced earlier this month, City of St. Petersburg Council approved a resolution for 20,000 spectators to attend per day. Using an approved event plan built in collaboration with local health officials and INDYCAR, GSSP will operate the event with specific health and safety protocols for COVID-19. Fans should visit gpstpete.com/covid19 before attending to review all these protocols. Competitors, spectators and all associated with the event will be subject to a health screening and temperature check before entry is permitted. All attendees will be required to wear masks or facial coverings at all times unless when eating or drinking with the “No Mask, No Entry” plan. Those who don’t have one will be issued a mask at the entry gates. Hand sanitizer and hand washing stations will be prevalent across the venue.
For complete ticket pricing and customer FAQs, visit gpstpete.com. Also, follow the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on social media using #FirestoneGP for additional updates and news. The complete weekend schedule will also be posted next week on the event website.

About Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg: The 17th annual Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg is a race event held during Florida’s spring break season each March. Traditionally the site of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES’ season-opening race, St. Pete is a destination city hosting this annual motorsports tradition and offering a festival atmosphere with its downtown location. The temporary circuit is a 1.8-mile, 14-turn configuration using the streets circling Pioneer Park, the Duke Energy Center for the Arts, The Dali Museum and extending onto the runways at Albert Whitted Airport, which overlooks the waterfront of Tampa Bay and picturesque St. Petersburg Harbor and Marina. Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg is owned and operated by Green Savoree St. Petersburg, LLC. Green Savoree St. Petersburg, LLC is owned by Green Savoree Racing Promotions 2, LLC whose other subsidiaries also promote three additional INDYCAR races, The Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio (July 2-4, 2021), Honda Indy Toronto (July 9-11, 2021), and Grand Prix of Portland (Sept. 10-12, 2021).
For more information, visit gpstpete.com, ‘like’ its Facebook page at@GPSTPETE or follow the event on Twitter@GPSTPETE and Instagram@GPSTPETE using #FirestoneGP.

Mid Ohio Ticket Sales Begin Next Week

March 16, 2021 thepitwindow

Mid Ohio Sports car Course announced today that ticket sales will begin next week for their racing season, which includes the July 4 NTT Indycar Series Honda Indy 200. season renewals begin next Tuesday and two weeks later sales to the general public start. The release did not state spectator limits for any events. Last year the Indycar weekend was limited to 6,00 fans per day. I hope that limit can be raised a bit for this year.

The release:

Ticket sales dates announced for 60th season of racing at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course

The Mid-Ohio School opens 2021 course enrollments today

LEXINGTON, Ohio (March 16, 2021) – The 60th season of racing at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course will feature its five traditional events in 2021. The legendary road course in Lexington, Ohio, will showcase some of the premier series in all of motorsports for fans as it returns to a full slate of racing starting in May. On Tuesday, March 23, the renewal period begins for Mid-Ohio Season Race Pass and Season Motorhome spaces for 2020 customers. Then, on Tuesday, April 6, event tickets will go on sale at advance pricing at a savings before standard pricing begins on Tuesday, April 27. Renewal customers on file will be notified directly with further details.
“We sincerely thank our fans for their patience and understanding as our team worked tirelessly during the 2020 season to host as many events as possible,” said Craig Rust, president of Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. “Now with the 2021 season and our 60th season of racing upon us, we are looking forward to getting back to a full schedule of racing and look forward to seeing the fans back at the track.
“Things will kick off in April with The Mid-Ohio School as today we open enrollments for our 2021 classes for teenage drivers, racers and our sportbike enthusiasts,” Rust continued.
Starting in 1993 at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, The Mid-Ohio School offers defensive driving, high performance, racing, and corporate entertainment programs plus performance track riding for motorcyclists. Its range of course dates and pricing are posted at midohioschool.com.
The Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course schedule for its 60th season follows:
May 14-16 – Acura Sports Car Challenge (IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship event) June 4-5 – B&L Transport 170 at Mid-Ohio (NASCAR Xfinity Series / ARCA Menards Series) June 25-27 – Vintage Grand Prix of Mid-Ohio (Sportscar Vintage Racing Association / Trans Am) July 2-4 – The Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio (NTT INDYCAR SERIES event) July 23-25 – AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days (AMA’s annual motorcycling celebration)
All courses and events will continue to be held based on the ongoing guidance of the CDC and mandates of national, state and local authorities regarding public gatherings surrounding COVID-19. All the necessary protocols for race fans and course participants can be found at midohio.com/covid19.
Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course offers one of the best family values in all of live sports and entertainment. Children 12 and under always receive free general admission when accompanied by a ticketed adult. All the ticket options and pricing are posted online at midohio.com.