WHAT
Premier professional sports car racing returns to Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course for the third consecutive year when International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) brings four racing series to Lexington, Ohio. The Acura Sports Car Challenge at Mid-Ohio showcases the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship as Sunday’s headliner.
The IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge will race on both Saturday and Sunday. The other two IMSA series to take the track are IMSA Prototype Challenge and Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA by Yokohama for a tripleheader feature, plus a doubleheader is in store from the Battery Tender Global Mazda MX-5 Cup. Nine races in total will take the green flag during the weekend.
WHEN
September 25-27, 2020
WHERE
Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio
TRACK
2.258-mile, 13-turn natural terrain road course (four left and nine right turns running clockwise)
OWNERS
Kim Green and Kevin Savoree of Green Savoree Racing Promotions
SERIES
International Motor Sports Association (IMSA), the premier sanctioning body for sports car competition in North America and was established in 1969.
RACES
Acura Sports Car Challenge at Mid-Ohio
Round 7 for IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship – 2 hours and 40 minutes timed race on Sunday
Mid-Ohio 120
Rounds 6 & 7 for IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge – 2 hours timed races on Saturday and Sunday
Round 5 for IMSA Prototype Challenge – 1 hour and 45 minutes timed race on Saturday
Rounds 7, 8 & 9 for Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA by Yokohama – 45 minutes timed races (two races on Saturday and one on Sunday)
Rounds 7 & 8 Global Mazda MX-5 Cup – 45 minutes timed races on Friday and Saturday
BROADCAST/STREAMING
Acura Sports Car Challenge at Mid-Ohio / IMSA WeatherTech Sports Car Championship
NBCSN – Sunday, Sept. 27, 11 p.m. ET – Same day delay / NBC Sports App/NBCSports.com with TrackPass on NBC Sports Gold - LIVE Flag-to-flag coverage, 2 p.m. ET in the U.S.
Mid-Ohio 120 / IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge
Race 1 is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 26 at 1:05 p.m. ET, with Race 2 set for Sunday, Sept. 27 at 10:35 a.m. ET. Both races streaming on NBC Sports App/NBCSports.com with TrackPass on NBC Sports Gold - LIVE Flag-to-flag coverage in the U.S.
IMSA Prototype Challenge
Saturday, Sept 26, 4:45 p.m. ET / NBC Sports App/NBCSports.com with TrackPass on NBC Sports Gold - LIVE Flag-to-flag coverage in the U.S.
Additional IMSA Coverage
IMSA.com/TVLive brings live streaming of qualifying Sunday, Sept. 27 at 8 a.m. ET of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, as well as the tripleheader Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA by Yokohama races on Saturday, Sept. 26 (9:50 a.m. ET and 3:35 pm. ET) and Sunday, Sept. 27 (9:20 a.m. ET). Plus, live full timing & scoring all weekend long during all practice, qualifying and race sessions for all four IMSA series on track.
IMSA Radio: Most sessions live on IMSA.com and RadioLemans.com, plus live race coverage of Acura Sports Car Challenge at Mid-Ohio begins Sunday, Sept. 27 at 2 p.m. ET on SiriusXM Radio (XM 202, SiriusXM Online 972).
Global Mazda MX-5 Cup
Livestream of all sessions on mazdamotorsports.com.
All times subject to change.
2019 RACE WINNERS
Acura Sports Car Challenge at Mid-Ohio / IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship
Overall + DPi Class: Dane Cameron / Juan Pablo Montoya (36-car field), No. 6 Acura Team Penske DPi
Time of Race: 2:41:05.736
Average Speed: 103.458 MPH
Completed 123 laps around the 2.258-mile road course (277.68 miles)
LMP2 Class: Matt McMurry / Eric Lux, No. 52 PR1/Mathiasen ORECA LMP2
GT Le Mans Class: Earl Bamber / Laurens Vanthoor, No. 912 Porsche GT Team Porsche 911 RSR
GT Daytona Class: Jack Hawksworth / Richard Heistand, No. 14 AIM Vasser Sullivan Lexus RC F GT3
Mid-Ohio 120 / Michelin Pilot Challenge
Overall + Grand Sport Class: Alan Brynjolfsson / Trent Hindman (37-car field), No. 7 Park Place Motorsports Porsche 719 Cayman
Time of Race: 2:00:31.650
Average Speed: 76.428 MPH
Completed 68 laps around 2.258-mile road course (153.50 miles)
Touring Car Class: Mark Wilkins / Michael Lewis, No. 98 Bryan Herta Autosport with Curb-Agajanian Hyundai Veloster N TCR
FIRST MID-OHIO IMSA RACE
July 9, 1972 – “Six Hours of Mid-Ohio”
Winners: Bob Beasley and Michael Keyser (49-car field) in a Porsche 911S
Time of race: 06:01:43
Average Speed: 74.445 MPH
Completed 187 laps around the 2.4-mile road course (448.8 miles)
TRACK RECORDS
IMSA WeatherTech Sports Car Championship
DPi: Oliver Jarvis, Mazda DPi, 1:10.705 / 114.967 mph, 5/2019
LMP2: Kyle Masson, ORECA LMP2, 1:14.877 / 108.561 mph, 5/2019
GT Le Mans: John Edwards, BMW M8 GTE, 1:17.853 / 104.411 mph, 5/2018
GT Daytona: Jack Hawksworth, Lexus RC F GT3, 1:19.317 / 102.484 mph, 5/2018
Michelin Pilot Challenge
Grand Sport: Chad McCumbee, Ford Mustang GT4, 1:27.908 / 92.469 mph, 5/2018
Touring Car: Britt Casey, Jr., Audi RS3 LMS, 1:29.652 / 90.670 mph, 5/2018
THE RACING SERIES
The IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship features two styles of cars – Prototype (P), which showcases the latest automotive technology and are uniquely designed for the racetrack, and Grand Touring (GT), which is based on road-going production models. These two styles of cars make up the series’ three classes – Prototype (P), GT Le Mans (GTLM) and GT Daytona (GTD).
The Prototype (P) class features the Daytona Prototype international (DPi) model and the classic Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2) model. The fastest and most technologically advanced sports cars in North America, the DPi is specifically designed and engineered for the race track. DPi cars use chassis built to international specifications powered by engines from mainstream automotive manufacturers like Acura, Cadillac, and Mazda. In addition, DPi bodywork includes styling cues that align with these engine manufacturers. The LMP2 is a closed cockpit car developed by four approved constructors. In addition to the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, LMP2 cars are eligible to compete in other global series such as the FIA World Endurance Championship, which includes the prestigious 24 Hours of Le Mans.
The GT Le Mans (GTLM) cars are the most elite and fastest GT cars on the track. They are based on production models and are engineered to extract the maximum performance possible. The class serves as a true proving ground for leading manufacturers such as BMW, Corvette, Ferrari, Ford, and Porsche.
The GT Daytona (GTD) cars are enhanced (not defined by) technology and utilize the global FIA-GT3 specification. The GTD class consists of cars from leading manufacturers such as Acura, Aston Martin, Audi, BMW, Ferrari, Lamborghini, Lexus, McLaren, Mercedes-AMG, and Porsche.
The IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge features sports cars from recognized worldwide manufacturers, consisting of GT4 and TCR homologated vehicles. The Michelin Pilot Challenge has two different classes – Grand Sport (GS) and Touring Car (TCR). GS cars produce 400 to 450 horsepower, go speeds in excess of 160 mph, and include Aston Martin Vantage GT4, Audi R8 GT4, BMW M4 GT4, Chevrolet Camaro GT4, Ford Mustang GT4, McLaren 570S GT4, Mercedes-AMG GT4 and Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport. TCR cars produce 300 to 350 horsepower, go speeds in excess of 140 mph and include cars from Alfa Romeo, Audi, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Opel, Peugeot, Renault, Subaru, and Volkswagen amongst others.
The IMSA Prototype Challenge is a multi-class platform for future IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship drivers and veteran drivers alike. It shifted to a single-class, endurance race format in 2019. The series will continue to feature the global-spec LMP3 prototypes. The endurance format pairs two-drivers per car in a six race season.
The Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA by Yokohama is a single-make racing series based in North America using Porsche 911 GT3s. The series produces intense, exciting competition for semi-professional and aspiring professional drivers in the world’s most produced and iconic race car, the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup.
The Battery Tender Global Mazda MX-5 Cup Presented by BFGoodrich Tires is the signature spec series for the Mazda Road to 24, the sportscar equivalent to the Road to Indy. The MX-5 Cup champion earns a $200,000 scholarship to be used to help elevate their career to the next level of racing competition.
