Throwback Thursday: IMSA at Pocono in 1981

Pocono's "Tricky Triangle" is best known for its 500-mile IndyCar and 400-mile NASCAR events, but the legendary 2.5-mile oval has also played host to sports car racing during its 46-year history. For this week's Throwback Thursday, we take a quick look at a different 500-miler held using Pocono's infield road course and portions of the oval – run in reverse – when 35 cars took the start for IMSA's Kenwood Stereo 500 Grand Prix.

Held on Sept. 27, 1981, the field was mostly comprised of IMSA GTX, GTO, and GTU entries. Two of the brand-new GTP cars also took part in the race.

Lasting four hours and two minutes, the rain-shortened contest put 420 miles of racing and 11 lead changes into the record books before the father and son duo of John Paul Jr. and Sr. were declared the winner in his family's fearsome No. 18 JLP Porsche 935.

Second overall was captured by Brian Redman and Ralph Kent-Cooke in a Lola T600 prototype – the car that accelerated IMSA's transformation from a GT series to the heights it would soon achieve once multiple manufacturers began producing GTP machinery.

GTO honors went to Kenper Miller and Dave Cowart in their BMW M1, and GTU was won by Walt Bohren and Rick Knoop in a venerable Mazda RX-7.

Click on the thumbnails below to view larger images.

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