Ozarks International Raceway, Racing Circuit

Ozarks International Raceway is Missouri's only permanent road course, set on a former turkey and livestock ranch near the Lake of the Ozarks, roughly 130 miles from Kansas City. It is the project of racer and team owner JR Pesek, who wanted a top-tier circuit in a destination region underserved by motorsport, and who drew on his relationship with Multimatic Motorsports for design input. Construction began in 2020, and interest from the racing world accelerated the original three-phase plan so that the first laps were turned late in 2021, with a full season following in 2022. The layout deliberately hugs the natural terrain to minimise forest clearance, producing a demanding circuit with blind crests, off-camber sections and around 150 feet of elevation change across the lap. Its longest configuration runs about 3.97 miles through 19 corners, while shorter outer and inner loops of roughly 2.5 and 1.4 miles serve racing schools and private rentals. The course is widely regarded as one of the most challenging in North America, with some comparing its character to the Nurburgring Nordschleife. Renovated turkey barns now serve as garages able to hold up to 58 vehicles, alongside a two-storey race control tower, media centre and classrooms. The venue quickly drew strong club-racing attention, though a planned 2022 SRO GT World Challenge America debut was cancelled when the circuit was judged not yet ready for top-level GT3 cars.