Mid-Ohio announces fan appreciation weekend for U.S. Road Racing Classic
11 May 2000
WAVE THE GREEN FLAG OR RIDE IN THE PACE CAR DURING MID-OHIO'S FAN APPRECIATION WEEKEND DUBLIN, Ohio (May 8, 2000) - The 2000 season begins in less than a month with the U.S. Road Racing Classic, June 2-4, at the 2.4-mile, 15-turn Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio. The U.S. Road Racing Classic will be the site of a unique Mid-Ohio Fan Appreciation Weekend. Tickets to the U.S. Road Racing Classic, which showcases racing action from the brand new Grand American Road Racing Series, are available two-for-one. For every event ticket purchased by Friday, May 26, fans will get another of the same ticket for free. This applies for all U.S. Road Racing Classic event tickets. The U.S. Road Racing Classic will also feature driver autograph sessions, fan forums for race fans to talk one-on-one with drivers, and unique fan experience giveaways. These once-in-a-lifetime prizes include pace car rides, a chance to watch a race from the trackside "Esses" announcer's booth, a Sunday VIP luncheon for 25 race fans and a guest, and a chance to wave the green flag at one of Saturday and Sunday's races. "This is a great opportunity for Mid-Ohio race fans to do something very few ever get a chance to experience in their lifetimes, such as wave the green flag to begin a race," Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course President Michelle Trueman Gajoch said. "Our fans have always been a big part of the Mid-Ohio racing experience, and we want to reward that enthusiasm with unique racing experience prizes." Fans ages 18 and over and in attendance on Friday, June 2 and Saturday, June 3, are eligible for the giveaways. Prize items take place on Saturday, June 3, and Sunday, June 4. Winners must be present to be eligible to claim prizes. On-track action is highlighted by the Grand American Road Racing Series. Grand-Am is the professional sports car racing sanctioning body that also runs the historic Daytona 24 Hours event. SportsRacer, GT and American GT classes will all make up the weekend competition. SportsRacers are open-cockpit formula machines featuring chassis from Cadillac, Ferrari, Riley & Scott and Kudzu among others. They are powered by Chevrolet, Cadillac, Ferrari, Ford, Judd and Mazda engines. These vehicles are similar to the Can-Am machines that were prevalent at the track from 1970 to 1982. Two divisions make up the GT class: GTO and GTU. The GTO division features Chevrolet Corvettes, Dodge Vipers and Turbo Porsches. The GTU division showcases BMWs, normally aspirated Porsches, Porsche GT3s and Ferraris. The American GT class is comprised of Chevrolet Camaros, Pontiac Firebirds, Dodge Daytonas and Ford Mustangs ... the true "Muscle Cars." The rest of Mid-Ohio's 2000 season will continue the excitement started by the U.S. Road Racing Classic. The Sprint Vintage Grand Prix, June 23-25, showcases machines from over five decades of racing with on-track action and off-track activities, such as the 2nd Annual British Car Showdown on Saturday, June 24, and the Historic Stock Car Racing Group race on Sunday, June 25. July celebrates motorcycling in America with the AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days, July 7-9, and Honda Super Cycle Weekend presented by Dunlop Tire, the AMA Superbike Tour event, on July 14-16. The CART FedEx Championship Series comes to Mid-Ohio for The Miller Lite 200 on August 10-13. October 2-8 features the Valvoline Runoffs®, the SCCA's National Championship event for 24 classes of amateur road racing. Mid-Ohio Sports Car course is a 2.4-mile, 15-turn permanent road course located in Lexington, Ohio, 60 miles north of Columbus and 75 miles south of Cleveland. Commonly referred to as the "Most Competitive in the U.S.," Mid-Ohio hosts six major motorsports events in 2000, including amateur, professional and international racing of the two- and four-wheel variety. Mid-Ohio is also home to The Mid-Ohio School, featuring 10 different driving programs. For event information or to order tickets, call 1-800-MID-OHIO or (419) 884-4000, or visit Mid-Ohio online at www.midohio.com.