Mid-Ohio to host inaugural championship event

TOP AMATEUR RACERS TO DESCEND ON MID-OHIO SPORTS CAR COURSE FOR NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS

DUBLIN, Ohio (September 12, 2006) -- Four hundred competitors from across the United States will head to Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course this weekend to battle in nine groups comprised of 51 classes, and compete for over half a million dollars in contingency sponsorship during the National Auto Sport Association (NASA) Championships, September 15-17.

The inaugural NASA Championships will feature three days of action-packed racing at the demanding 2.25-mile, 13-turn road course, in what is expected to become one of the largest amateur road racing weekends in the country. A variety of disciplines will be featured including road racing, time trials, autocross, and drifting competitions.

"We are thrilled at the number of competitors and the level of enthusiasm these racers have about this inaugural event," said Bryan Cohn, National Competition Manager at NASA. "To be able to hold this event at a facility as beautiful and challenging as Mid-Ohio, we couldn't be more excited. We're looking forward to continuing this tradition in amateur motorsports for years to come."

Competitors from California are leading the assault at Mid-Ohio, with the highest number of racers traveling from that region. For most drivers, the NASA Championships is a unique opportunity to measure their skills against the best of the best from across the country.

"We've competed all over the west, so this is an opportunity for us to compete against a broader range of competitors," said Bud Harris of Seattle, Washington. "Essentially, we've embarked on a 2,500-mile adventure to take our racing to the next level. What NASA is offering here is phenomenal and the nostalgia and history of Mid-Ohio really adds to the experience. We're excited to be here."

Though the NASA Championships is technically an amateur event, the series itself has proved to be a breeding ground for future stars, namely Marco Andretti who made history in May by being the first-ever NASA driver to run in the Indy 500. Marco ran with NASA in 2004 in the Formula TR series where he won his first championship.

While the talents of NASA's amateur road racers are enough to make the NASA Championships presented by Toyo Tires an unprecedented display of motorsports, the wide variety of automobiles present during the weekend event sets it apart from other race weekends. The 51 different classes that will be racing range from American muscle machines to single-seat, open-wheel race cars.

Drifting will also take center stage during the NASA Championships presented by Toyo Tires when U.S. Drift, the country's largest drifting organization, will crown the 2006 U.S. Drift Champion.

The burgeoning Cooper Tires Formula Ford 2000 Championship will see track time as the key support race during the NASA Championships. The series entered into a new sanctioning agreement in 2006 with NASA and represents one of the first rungs on the professional open-wheel auto racing ladder in North America. It features modern, purpose-built, single-seat race cars powered by either four-cylinder, double-overhead cam, fuel-injected 2.0-liter Ford Zetec engines, which produce around 170 hp, or the older, slightly less powerful, carbureted 2.0-liter Ford "Pinto" engines. The cars employ "slick" (treadless) Cooper Zeon racing tires and are capable of speeds in excess of 140 mph.

For tickets or more information on the NASA Championships presented by Toyo Tires, contact Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course at 1-800-MID-OHIO or www.midohio.com.

The National Auto Sport Association or "NASA," is the fastest growing amateur road racing sanctioning body in the United States, tripling membership in the last three years. Currently, NASA boasts 10,000 members from 13 regions across the country. In addition to the Championships, NASA annually hosts 150 road racing weekends nationwide, including three regional race weekends at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.

Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course is a permanent road racing circuit with two primary configurations: a 2.4-mile, 15-turn, and a 2.25-mile, 13-turn circuit in Lexington, Ohio. Located 60 miles north of Columbus and 75 miles south of Cleveland near Mansfield, the track has been called the most competitive in the U.S. and annually hosts a diversity of locally, regionally and nationally sanctioned racing events for amateur, club and professional riders and drivers.

Founded in 1981 and headquartered in Dublin, Ohio, TrueSports, Incorporated is a privately held motorsports entertainment enterprise. The company owns and operates Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course and The Mid-Ohio School, and promotes a wide variety of motor racing, driver instruction, corporate, and family entertainment events throughout the year.

-credit: moscc