Ohio’s deep-rooted motorsport legacy

The state of Ohio has a very long history of innovation in sports, especially motorsports. Home to some of the most iconic moments in American racing, the current state and popularity of motorsport racing owes a lot to Ohio for allowing it to develop the way it has.

Here are some of the most important ways in which the legacy of motorsport racing has been impacted by this state:

The Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course

One of the crown jewels of motorsports is the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. It has been home to some of the most important races and championships in motorsports history, including IndyCar and NASCAR tournaments. It’s also one of the most iconic racecourses on the planet despite being located in the humble abode of Lexington, Ohio.

Built and opened in 1962, this car course can seat 12,000 people and has played a major role in increasing the popularity of motorsports over the past 60 years. This car course has also played a big role in helping out Ohio’s gambling culture.

Many wagers have been placed on races that took place at this course, oftentimes while using licensed and regulated websites like those you can find at https://www.wsn.com/bonuses/ohio/. The top motorsports websites all support races from this track. With lenient gambling laws, people from all over the country have placed bets on races taking place at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.

The Fremont speedway

Ohio is also home to another one of the most important car courses in the country: the Fremont Speedway. It is also responsible for popularizing motorsports across the country thanks to its exciting races and unique track design.

Located in Fremont, Ohio, this speedway has been home to some of the biggest races in the country, including the United States Auto Club and the All Star Circuit of Champions. The Fremont Speedway opened in 1936, making it considerably older than the Mid-Ohio Sports course.

The Fremont Speedway also has its very own Hall of Fame, which has played a huge role in cementing the legacy of many of American motorsports’ finest racers since its inception in 2009. Some of the inductees include Johnny Auxter, Paul Strasser, George Miller and Bobby Sears Jr.

Ron Thomas’ Porsche collection

Though a bit eccentric for some, the legendary Porsche collection owned by Ron Thomas is undeniably one of Ohio’s greatest claims to fame as far as motorsports history is concerned. Though this collection is a personal and private one rather than a public museum, it has gained more than enough notoriety to continue keeping Ohio on the map in terms of motorsports legacy.

Located in the state capital of Columbus, this impressive collection is so large that Thomas presumably owns more vehicles than any other race car driver! Thomas’ collection includes Formula 1s, IndyCar Porsches, an F2000 and more.

This famous Ohio collection doesn’t just contain functional vehicles, but important memorabilia as well. In his collection room are posters, historical documents and other press tour and media kits that detail through words and images the rich history of motorsports across the country. This includes official team promotional posters and apparel displayed on mannequins.

Ohio’s famous racers

If Ohio has done anything to make it one of the most important states in the country regarding the legacy of motorsports, it has to be the large number of exceptional race car drivers it has produced over the decades.

There are so many success stories that have come out of Ohio that it can be hard to know where to begin. Wyatt Gooden is a very notable example, not just because he is from Ohio but because his origins were in iRacing before he became a formidable racer in the real thing. He’s a shining example that proves that dedicated iRacers can learn enough skills and techniques that translate over to a real steering wheel and engine.

Many of the finest NASCAR champions hail from Ohio themselves. Tim Richmond, with his impressive record, hails from Ashland. Jimmy “Shirtless” Florian, a NASCAR Grand National Series and Ford Motor Company champion, was born in Cleveland. Dave “Buckeye Bullet” Blaney, one of the greatest stock car drivers of his era, comes from Trumbull County.

Large number of racetracks

Though Ohio isn’t the state with the highest number of race car tracks, it is still in the top 10 in the country. Tied for seventh place alongside Wisconsin and Illinois, Ohio has 15 race car tracks in total, which is considerably more than the average state. This is even more impressive when you consider that Ohio is smaller than both Wisconsin and Illinois.

The density of race car tracks in the state means that Ohio residents typically have easy access to a race car track. Many of them are only two hours away from most major cities, so motorsport fans in Ohio always have an opportunity to spectate, and even compete. Thanks to this proximity, Ohio’s culture embraces motorsports much more openly than most states. This has helped explain why the state has been so important to the development of the legacy of motorsports in America.