The Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, which hosts IndyCar, its feeder series, and a variety of other racing events, has completed a full track repaving project.
Green Savoree Racing Promotions, which owns and operates the track, announced the completion of the project just as events were wrapped up for the winter season.
The two-week project needed nearly 100 people to complete, and utilized 30 semi-trucks to replace 6,000 tons of asphalt along the 2.258-mile course.
The old track material will be repurposed to create additional paved paddock and parking areas behind the iconic media tower that sits next to pit lane.
“We were blessed with outstanding weather last week for the crews to complete this major project in a relatively short amount of time,” said Kevin Savoree, co-owner, president COO of Green Savoree Racing Promotions.
“It was a tremendous accomplishment and collaboration between Kokosing Construction, Kokosing Materials, Advanced Materials Services and our own track operations team to make it happen. We look forward to getting race cars on it for the first time next spring!”
Plans for the repaving project began in 2022, and the new surface laid down in Turn 1 for the 2023 season served as a test of the durability of the asphalt mixture ahead of the larger project.
The last time the track received a new surface was ahead of the 2006 season.
Green Savoree has been putting effort and funding into Mid-Ohio’s ageing infrastructure in recent years, with new grandstands and camping ground upgrades helping make a better fan experience.
Even before the recent upgrades, the rural track has consistently been a fan-favorite for its camping atmosphere and the close racing its elevation changes help to create.
An army of steam rollers flattened the new asphalt as fall colors marked the end of the racing season. Photo: Green Savoree
The new track surface should help to decrease lap times for next season, with Simon Pagenaud’s 2016 IndyCar qualifying record of 1:03.8700 potentially in danger.
A few other tracks on the IndyCar calendar have received repaving recently, notably Road America and Laguna Seca, with events run on the fresh tarmac putting drivers’ strength to the test on account of the grippy surface.
A full racing schedule for Mid-Ohio has not been announced yet for 2024, but IndyCar is locked into the July 7 date, when the series will visit for the 41st time.
Source: Read More