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Mid-Ohio President Craig Rust Welcomes 61st Season of Racing

The calm before the IMSA storm. (Photo: Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course)

For 61 years, many forms of racing have gathered in Lexington, Ohio to tackle the fifteen-turn Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. This weekend, Mid-Ohio welcomes the IMSA WeatherTech Sports Car Series to kick off the major event portion of the year.

It has been a very busy couple of months leading up to this weekend’s event.

“It’s always a big undertaking to kick things off with IMSA,” Track President, Craig Rust shared. “It’s been really great for us to open up this portion of the season with a new sponsor as Lexus comes on board for the first time. It’s been a lot of fun working with them.”

Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course President, Craig Rust (Photo: Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course)

Craig Rust and his team at Mid-Ohio took on the challenge to bring Lexus in after longtime partners Honda and Acura pulled out at the end of last season. “We’ve had to really change a lot of things over, getting all of the new signage up quickly. Plus we’ve had a lot of club racing early on this year,” Rust noted.

For Rust and his team, it has been a little bit of a challenge getting everything ready. “The real world impacts a lot of things, and coming out of the pandemic, getting people back to work, and getting supplies has impacted us just like everyone else.” Due to this, some things they were hoping to do in regards to fan amenities did not get as much attention for this opening weekend.

One of the major projects was the removal of a prominent walk-over bridge on the backside of the race track in the esses at turn 9. Many fans questioned this decision as it gave easy access to the infield from the backside of the racetrack.

(Photo: Stephen Conley | The Podium Finish)

The removal of that bridge was needed in order to move the barrier back from the racing surface. “IndyCar and NASCAR both addressed that section under the bridge. There was a pinch point on the drivers’ left,” Rust noted. The two series were concerned about an abrupt hit with the Armco barrier so close to the track. “It really was a safety issue that needed to be addressed. Plus the bridge was starting to deteriorate and needed a lot of work anyways,” Rust said. “With that safety improvement, that was the lion’s share of our capital improvement budget.”

These changes, plus adding a sand trap have made that section safer for drivers across all series.

However, without the bridge, some fans are left wondering about a replacement. Rust said, “It’s being talked about, but there was no way we could get it redone for this weekend in time.” Rust added that it will not likely be done this year, but assured fans that he and his team are “looking at plans for next year to see what we can do.”

The track continues to improve in every aspect. Fans are always sharing their needs, as well as the various series, drivers, and workers, so the president’s desk is always full of ways to improve.

Additional improvements to the facility at large included paving the TV compound lot in order for trucks to have an easier time negotiating the area and a nearly full overhaul of the medical center. Rust remarked, “That building was pretty dated so we really needed to focus on that with new floors, new beds, new walls, and we really upgraded that.”

Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course is a historical facility and Rust said, “We look each year at our budget and are always looking at ways to continue to improve the facility, and will certainly do that again next season.”

If it races, I'll write about it, talk about it or shoot it with a camera. I began pursuing a career in motorsports journalism immediately after attending college at Kent State University. I have hosted multiple Motorsports talk shows, worked in Country Music radio, and now i spend every day on the air in the morning with 1300 and 100.9 WMVO and in the afternoons watching the roadways around Central Ohio for 93.7 WQIO. The excitement and the fans make everything I put out there worth while, it's been an exciting 15 years having covered everything from the Daytona 500 to the Rolex 24 and you can find me at pretty much any event run at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. What I like to bring is a look behind the scenes, a look at what and who makes the sport grow. From the guy that welds pieces back at the shop to the host in the tv booth. Everyone has a story and I like to tell it. My main focus here at TPF is looking at the men and women behind the microphone and cameras. My life long goal is to become a member of MRN or PRN Radio and bring the races to you. I hope that what I share now is enjoyable and gives you a unique look in to the world of motorsports. See you at a track soon

1 Comment

1 Comment

  1. Guerrillamotorsports52@gmail.com'

    Chris Morris

    May 14, 2022 at 2:44 pm

    I’m a huge fan of the track.

    However the facilities are crippled, and the track is outright dangerous in the wet. This track is in more dire need of a repave than even Willow Springs….which has a 25 year old surface.

    I wish they’d pump some money into fixing the slick pavement. Wanna drive this track in the wet? enjoy the wall.

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