Runoffs leave MidOhio

[The Doctor]

Saw where SCCA is moving the runoffs from M-O to Heartland Park. Quite a shame. Attended the patriotic runoffs in 2001 and the weekend was an absolute blast. M-O and the runoffs were a perfect fit. I doubt Heartland Park will have a tenth of the atmosphere Mid-Ohio ever had.

SCCA -- :thumdown:

[Opposite Lock]

Wow. I've watched a lot of runoffs just because it was M-O.

CCWS HQ to M-O anyone? :)

[FCYTravis]

Mid-Ohio's facilities were crap, it held massive home-track advantage for the CenDiv locals and it was a 2,300 mile tow for anyone not living in Ohio.

Topeka is smack dab in the middle of the country. Fair tows, less "home-track" advantage with Runoffs-only sections, and it's still The Runoffs.

Plus, no more ****ty dirt paddock that Michelle was too cheap to pave. :gomer:

[nrc]

Plus, no more ****ty dirt paddock that Michelle was too cheap to pave. :gomer:

I think I'd rather see them lose the run-offs than pave all the way to Lexington to keep the club racers happy.

Heartland Park has all the charm of a go-kart track.

[FCYTravis]

All the way to Lexington? No, just a couple acres of dirt and mud that pretend to be a paddock every year.

It's pathetic - every track on the West Coast has an all-paved paddock - even the "club" tracks like Thunderhill Park. How can Mid-Ohio claim to be world-class when they won't even get the club racers out of the gravel pit? :shakehead

It came down to a willingness to invest in the future of club racing, and Michelle apparently said shove it.

HPT will have all-new garages, two paved paddocks for upwards of 800 cars and multiple restroom and shower buildings by the time 2006 rolls around. Mid-Ohio's facilities are rustic by comparison.

[nissan gtp]

another big hit for M-O... can they survive on fHonda driving school alone ?

[RTKar]

another big hit for M-O... can they survive on fHonda driving school alone ?


Condos and a golf course....the future of natural terrain road courses ????

[Sean O'Gorman]

Supposedly there are going to be $15 million worth of improvements done to Heartland Park. I've heard several club racers say they don't even think they'll be able to recognize the track come 2006.

Clearly I don't like the decision, but then again, I'm obviously biased since I get to drive a mere 80 miles to see the Runoffs, and that wont happen anymore.

Despite management's obvious promotional cluelessness, I'm sure Mid-Ohio will survive just fine, this gives them an entire week open now to rent out to HPDEers and car clubs.

[Racewriter]

HPT is 55 minutes from my front door. Been saying I want to go to the Runoffs for years, looks like '06 is the year.

Irwin has been sinking a ton of money into HPT since he bought it a year and a half ago. For those who don't know, the new owner of HPT (Raymond Irwin) is also the owner of Blackhawk Farms, near Chicago.

[pchall]

Condos and a golf course....the future of natural terrain road courses ????

I predicted this after the 2003 race. Now it seems one step closer. Michelle is an idiot.

[gerhard911]

Yep, MGT is an idiot and her dad is undoubtedly spinning at 15,000rpm. BUT Heartland Park cannot be turned into a MO, RAtla or RAm no matter how much money is spent. Just think about what it will look like on TV, not to mention how inhospitable it will be to competitors and spectators (spectators? what spectators???).

I'm sure there were good business reasons for the change but 2005 will be MY last Runoffs until it returns to a real road course (proximity not required).

[nrc]

All the way to Lexington? No, just a couple acres of dirt and mud that pretend to be a paddock every year.

It's pathetic - every track on the West Coast has an all-paved paddock - even the "club" tracks like Thunderhill Park. How can Mid-Ohio claim to be world-class when they won't even get the club racers out of the gravel pit? :shakehead

I've been saying for a while that MidOhio was in danger of devolving into a club racing track. But of all the facilities improvements that they need, enough paved paddock to accomidate a number of competitors that they probably only see once a year really isn't anywhere near the top of the list.

[mueber]

I'm guessing that Michelle is aiming for being a club track, more or less. A lot less work; a lot less agro. I love going there, but it's hard to get excited about driving to the Mid-Ohio to see empty ALMS fields, and I couldn't care less about historics.

Too bad.

[RichK]

Sucks.

[montlhery]

Sigh. I feel old. I still miss the run-offs at Road Atlanta! :(

[Napoleon]

Mid-Ohio's facilities were crap, it held massive home-track advantage for the CenDiv locals and it was a 2,300 mile tow for anyone not living in Ohio.

Maybe, but look at the participation levels in the various divisions and I bet M-O comes very close to being at "center" of the country when you take into account where participants come from (some what like the population, not geographic, center of the country is somewhere near St. Louis).


Heartland Park has all the charm of a go-kart track.

I have heard nothing but bad things about it. The facilities stink and if you set out to design the least challenging track you could, that would be it.


For those who don't know, the new owner of HPT (Raymond Irwin) is also the owner of Blackhawk Farms, near Chicago.

And that is a positive? Of the US Road Courses I have been to, Summit Point, Watkins Glen, Beaver Creek, Nelson Ledges, Mid Ohio, Gingerman, Gratten, IRP, Route 66 (the road course at Chicago Land), Road America and Memphis only Nelson Ledges is clearly worse then Blackhawk on upkeep and improvements. They actually have trees at Blackhawk in areas cars naturally run off at which they haven't even cut down but instead put tires in front of, sometimes, and at others there is simply no walls.

http://www.blackhawkfarms.com/

http://tobinschuster.net:5432/2004/ShootOut/images/05020074.jpg

http://tobinschuster.net:5432/2004/Rennen/images/06050015.jpg

http://tobinschuster.net:5432/2003/2003TriRegionNational/images/05240043.jpg

Any way, I think its a great loss.