Vintage Grand Prix gets a sponsor

LEXINGTON — A venerable event on the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course calendar will get a fresh look in 2012.

The Vintage Grand Prix of Mid-Ohio, one of the track’s longest running events, is getting a title sponsor as Mechanics Bank has agreed to come aboard.

“Vintage racing is not a national draw, but there are a lot of car people who love coming out to the event,” track president Craig Rust said Tuesday. “Mechanics Bank is a perfect local partner that will help us get the word out. That’s how that event is going to grow is locally.”

When the event was at its peak was when it was being sponsored by Sprint which had headquarters in Mansfield and thousands of employees in the region.

The aptly named Mechanics Bank is Richland County’s only home-owned bank. It was founded in 1886.

» MID-OHIO MOTORCYCLES: Motorcycles, Mid-Ohio and Mothers Day.

On Sunday, The Mid-Ohio School will host its first performance track riding session of the year, the first of 21 dates this season.

“Our performance track program has continued to grow each year and has increasingly become a larger part of The Mid-Ohio School,” Rust said. “This year we expect to have well over 1,000 enthusiasts of all skill levels come through our gates and take advantage of our diverse schedule.”

For more on the offerings and the schedule, check out MidOhioSchool.com or call 877-793-TMOS.

Rob McCurdy covers motor sports at the News Journal and can be reached at rmccurdy@gannett.com or 419-521-7241. On Twitter follow him @McMotorsport.