Lumbermen's 500

Three, maybe four events per summer. Mid Ohio was growing into a World renowned track, and races became more and more exciting. Les Griebling was the fellow who owned the track in the seventies, and he had made major improvements to it (it was opened in '62). The "Golden Age of Mid-Ohio" had come, and it would last well after Jim Trueman purchased it in 1982. The latter would pour millions into it, making some great improvements to the track and adding some great features. Les Griebling, along with some businessmen, had done the best he could do, and he did it very well. Earlier, ever innovating Les Griebling had pulled another rabbit out of hid bag of tricks for the 1977 Mid Ohio 3 Hour race. He came with a purse of $50000 and $10000 for the winner. The race was to feature a set of cars that never ran in the US, giving the Lumbermen's 500 an original look. The group 5 cars were allowed to run in this race, and they would be eligible for the next season, in the new GTX class. It was a unique occasion(along with Mosport) to see those cars in 1977. The group 5 cars were invited to run for money but not for Camel points. Peter Gregg won this very first race in his newly acquired Porsche 935, ahead of two Vasek Polak 935s. No Lumbermen's in 1978, and the 1979 event was again a special one. The purse had raised to $100000 and the winner would take $34250, which was very attractive, indeed! The major difference with the first opus was that it really was a unique set of classes. Group 8 cars(Can Am), Group 6(Prototypes) along with Group 5 and 4 cars. The usual Winston GT field was dispatched within those two classes, and again, everyone ran for prize money, not for points. Brian Redman and Tony Cicale won the race in a Group 6 Ralt RT1 Hart, beating the first Group 5 car, a Porsche 935 which was driven by the Whittingtons. In 1980, same scheme, but the distance went down to 500 kilometers with Brian Redman and David Hobbs winning the race driving a Lola T333CS Chevrolet entered by Roy Woods. The two Englishmen garnered $44000 and won over Vern Schuppan and Howdy Holmes, in an Elfin Chevrolet. Gianpiero Moretti and Jim Busby took third place and first in the Group 5 class. In 1981, same cars, same classes but it was a Porsche 935M16, driven by Rolf Stommelen and Derek Bell who took the overall over John Fitzpatrick and Jim Busby in another Porsche 935K3. The first Group 6 car, a Cicale March driven by Richard Guider and Bertil Roos, took third. By 1982, things went back to a normal state, with a 6 Hour race scheduled, with the IMSA GTP, GTO and GTU again running for points as well as for prize money. The race retained the name, and became the Lumbermen's 6 Hour.

Race results

• Lumbermen's 500 1979
• Lumbermen's 500 1980
• Lumbermen's 500 1981

Brian Redman and Tony Cicale won the 1979 race in a tiny Ralt RT1 Hart.