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.
The final member of the crown is often disputed; the Charge of the Headlight Brigade, held at Virginia International Raceway in Virginia or the Tropical 12 Hour, held at Homestead-Miami Speedway in Florida both lay claim to the event.
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] The Longest Day of Nelson was held July 16 and 17, 2022, and sanctioned by ChampCar Endurance Series.
In 1968, the 24 Hours of Nelson Ledges began as the only 24-hour motorcycle race in the United States, finally ceasing in 1993.