3GT Racing driver Kyle Marcelli visited Columbus, Ohio on Tuesday to promote the return of IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship racing to Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course next month. Marcelli attended Tuesday’s Columbus Blue Jackets game against the Detroit Red Wings where he got a behind-the-scenes tour of Nationwide Arena and interacted with Blue Jackets fans in the Lexus Lounge. The highlight of the evening for Marcelli was a ride around the ice during the first intermission of the game in a black Lexus LC 500 to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Lexus F performance brand. The LC 500 debuted last May and is a performance luxury coupe that signals a new era of uncompromising design and performance.
Marcelli played ice hockey as a kid before focusing on racing and the Barre, Ontario native still plays pickup games to stay in shape.
The driver of the 3GT Racing No. 14 Lexus is looking forward to the return of sports car racing at Mid-Ohio May 4-6, which will mark the debut of the RC F GT3 at the 13-turn, 2.258-mile road course.
“Mid-Ohio is a beautiful facility and race track,” said Marcelli. “They do a nice job taking care of the grounds and I’m looking forward to getting on track with the Lexus RC F GT3 next month.”
The 28-year-old was victorious at Mid-Ohio in the Prototype Challenge class of the American Le Mans Series in 2011. Marcelli considers Mid-Ohio like a home race after getting his professional start for a race team based in Columbus and having family in nearby Dublin, Ohio.
“I’d say Mid-Ohio is the probably the next closest thing to a home race for me,” added Marcelli. “It’s eight hours from home, but I have family in the area so I’ll have friends and family come out and support me at the event next month, so you get a bit of that home race atmosphere when I race there.”
Take a ride on-ice with @KyleMarcelli courtesy of @LexusRacingUSA! pic.twitter.com/NMIyWLPGpf
— Columbus Blue Jackets (@BlueJacketsNHL) April 4, 2018