Mid-Ohio’s Turn 9

Having raced at “Mid-O” in karts and cars since 1964, the track’s site picture is indelibly scribed on the inside of my skull, where, naturally, there’s little else to get in the way. I grew up (ok, that’s an exaggeration) in Mansfield, Ohio. In 1958 my parents, Doris and John, were instrumental in forming what became the Dart Kart Speedway Club, which today continues to sponsor major enduro karting events at tracks including Mid-Ohio.

In 1962 Les Griebling carved the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course out of a corn field on Steam Corners Road near Lexington, and we began racing karts there in 1964. Driving my tricked-out ’57 Chevy on the back roads, I lived 18 minutes from Mid-O. By removing the rear seat cushion I could put my tools and fuel in the back and place my kart (a Bug Kart newly reconfigured into a lay-down aero version with the top of my helmet 17 inches off the ground!) in the trunk with the front wheels hanging out and a spring holding the trunk lid down.