Longest Day of Nelson

The Longest Day of Nelson was conceived in 1980, when a group of racing enthusiasts, led by John McGill, Grover Griggs and Ann McHugh, came up with the idea to hold an amateur 24-hour endurance race for purely showroom stock vehicles^[1] at the Nelson Ledges Road Course in Ohio, which would take place on or near the summer solstice each year. Sanctioned by the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA), the host of the event was the Northeast Ohio Region of the SCCA.

In 1981, Popular Mechanics called the race "the second most important 24-hour race in the country." That year, Popular Mechanics raced a Porsche 924 to first place, covering 1,838 miles.^[2]

Originally operating as a stand-alone event, it became a stop for the SCCA Playboy Endurance Cup and the subsequent Escort Endurance Series during the mid-eighties, attracting large fields of factory-backed professional race teams. In 1987, the Longest Day returned to its low-key amateur roots and ran yearly until 1996.

It was one of three events that comprised the Triple Crown of SCCA amateur endurance racing. The second event in the Triple Crown, The 12 Hours at the Point, was held at Summit Point Raceway in West Virginia. The final member of the crown is often disputed; the Charge of the Headlight Brigade, held at Virginia International Raceway in Virginia or the , held at Homestead-Miami Speedway in Florida both lay claim to the event. In 2004, 2005, and 2006, 12-hour races were held.

Nelson Ledges currently hosts a 24-hour race for the ChampCar Endurance Series, for production-based race cars.

Plans were announced to revive the Longest Day of Nelson in 2021 as an SCCA sanctioned event, but the race was postponed to 2022.^[3]

Related Events[]

In 1968, the 24 Hours of Nelson Ledges began as the only 24-hour motorcycle race in the United States, finally ceasing in 1993.

References[]

^ http://www.nelsonledges.com/about-us/
^ Magazines, Hearst (October 1981). "Popular Mechanics October 1981". Google Books. Hearst Magazines. Retrieved 15 October 2021.
^ "The Longest Day of Nelson– POSTPONED TO 2022". Nelson Ledges. 1 February 2021. Retrieved 15 October 2021.

External links[]

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[1] ttp://www.nelsonledges.com/about-us/

[2] Magazines, Hearst (October 1981). "Popular Mechanics October 1981". Google Books. Hearst Magazines. Retrieved 15 October 2021.

[3] "The Longest Day of Nelson– POSTPONED TO 2022". Nelson Ledges. 1 February 2021. Retrieved 15 October 2021.

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v t Automobile endurance races
24 hours	24 Hours of Le Mans 24 Hours of Daytona Nürburgring 24 Hours Spa 24 Hours Dubai 24 Hour [fr] [jp] Longest Day of Nelson 24 Hours of Zolder 24H Silverstone – European Touring Car Edition 24 Hours of Portimão 2CV 24 Hour Race Willhire 24 Hour Bathurst 24 Hour Tokachi 24 Hours
12 hours	12 Hours of Sebring Bathurst 12 Hour Coppa Florio 12 Hours of Sicily Gulf 12 Hours 12 Hours at the Point 12 Hours of Brno 12 Hours of Reims Rothmans 12 hours Sepang 12 Hours
7-11 hours	Petit Le Mans (10 hours) Suzuka 10 Hours Kyalami 9 Hours 8 Hours of Bahrain 8 Hours of Portimão California 8 Hours
6 hours	6 Hours of Fuji 6 Hours of Monza 6 Hours of Nürburgring 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps 6 Hours of Watkins Glen Bathurst 6 Hour Monterey 6 Hours 6 Hour Le Mans 6 Hours of Atlanta 6 Hours of Donington 6 Hours of Estoril 6 Hours of Imola 6 Hours of Mexico 6 Hours of São Paulo 6 Hours of Shanghai 6 Hours of Silverstone 6 Hours of Vallelunga 6 Hours of Zhuhai LA Times GP Lone Star Le Mans Mid-Ohio 6 Hours Mosport 6 Hours
1000 miles	Mil Milhas Brasil 1000 Miles of Sebring Mille Miglia
1000 km	1000 km Paul Ricard Bathurst 1000 Baja 1000 1000 km Algarve 1000 km Brands Hatch 1000 km Buenos Aires 1000 km Catalunya 1000 km Istanbul 1000 km Jarama 1000 km Le Mans (Bugatti) 1000 km Mosport 1000 km Okayama 1000 km Paris 1000 km Zeltweg Fuji 1000 km Race of a Thousand Years Sepang 1000 km
Other	Carrera Panamericana Targa Florio TCR Spa 500 Laps or 23 Hours 25 Hours of Spa Charge of the Headlight Brigade 25 Hours of Thunderhill
Defunct races are indicated in italics