Lime Rock Park – Page 2 – Syndication Server

IROC set to return at Lime Rock Park in July

IROC Holdings LLC, the group formed by former NASCAR team owners Ray Evernham and Rob Kauffman who acquired the rights to the IROC brand earlier this year, has announced that the first IROC event to be held in nearly 20 years is set to take place July 19-20 at Lime Rock Park as part of the SpeedTour All-Star Race weekend. Featuring both an on-track racing exhibition and static display, the event will reunite original IROC competitors with cars actually raced in the legendary series.

IROC (International Race of Champions) held races from 1973 to 2006 (pictured above: the 2004 IROC field at Daytona), bringing together some of the greatest drivers from all forms of motorsport to race identical cars on historic tracks for an all-star extravaganza.

“We are thrilled to announce the first IROC event since 2006 will take place at historic Lime Rock Park,” said Evernham. “I began my professional racing career at IROC, so to be part of the team bringing the brand back to life and to the fans is extremely gratifying.”

“The event at Lime Rock Park will serve as a great way to kick off what is sure to be an exciting journey to reignite the magic IROC had during its original 30+ year run,” said Kauffman, a venture capitalist as well as former NASCAR team owner. “We hope this is just one of many announcements for IROC in 2024.”

The IROC event at Lime Rock Park will feature original IROC cars on track and on display in the IROC paddock throughout the weekend. Fans will have the opportunity to see nearly every generation of IROC race car with many being driven by former IROC drivers. A fan-forward display, the IROC paddock will feature appearances by some of the original IROC racers, Q&A sessions and IROC-branded merchandise.

IROC has also opened entry applications for anyone who owns IROC race cars and would like to display or drive them in the event. Those interested in applying can visit iroc-racing.com for more information. In addition, IROC has simultaneously launched their official webstore at shop.iroc-racing.com.

IROC’s return will take place during the SpeedTour All-Star Race weekend at Lime Rock Park, hosted by Parella Motorsports Holdings (PMH). The event will also feature the 60-minute SpeedTour All-Star Race, which gathers icons from Formula 1, NASCAR, IndyCar and IMSA, and pairs them with competitors from the Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli’s CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series to compete as co-drivers in a race that airs live on MAVTV.

“We are thrilled to add IROC to our lineup for the SpeedTour All-Star Race weekend,” said Tony Parella, CEO of PMH. “This is quickly shaping up to be one of the most exciting motorsports events in recent memory — we already have 16 legends committed to race in the SpeedTour All-Star race, with a field that includes Daytona 500 and Indianapolis 500 champions, IROC winners and drivers who have stood atop the podium at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Nürburgring, and Daytona. IROC adds even more star power to an already exciting event. IROC was where the best-of-the-best drivers went to race and prove themselves among their competitors. As Ray and Rob relaunch the IROC brand, we’re thrilled to be a part of this first outing.”

World Challenge group joins Lime Rock Park Historic Festival 42 roster

For its 42nd edition, Lime Rock Park’s Historic Festival (Aug. 30-Sept. 2) will expand to include an all-new class – the Turn of the Century World Challenge. The Turn of the Century World Challenge group will showcase production-based street stock …

For its 42nd edition, Lime Rock Park’s Historic Festival (Aug. 30-Sept. 2) will expand to include an all-new class — the Turn of the Century World Challenge.

The Turn of the Century World Challenge group will showcase production-based street stock race cars from the 1995-2005 era prepared for SCCA World Challenge. Vehicles from Motorola Cup and various other period-appropriate national and international categories will also be considered, including Escort Endurance, Playboy Series, IMSA Firehawk and other showroom stock-based competitions.

The inclusion of World Challenge adds a more contemporary dynamic to Historic Festival 42, offering spectators a unique blend of classic charm and contemporary competition, while providing competitors a reunion opportunity for both cars and drivers of a golden era of big grids and great racing at Connecticut’s Lime Rock Park.

“The huge fan response that events like GRIDLIFE and MiataCon have generated shows there is a real nostalgia and emotion connected to some of these cars from the more recent past,” said Historic Festival Committee Chair Skip Barber. “This new class reflects that, and I think it should prove very popular for fans and participants alike. Lime Rock Park has a storied history with World Challenge and we are excited to reintroduce this era of racing to our fans.”

The SCCA street stock series stepped up in 1990 to become World Challenge, moving from the club to pro racing ranks. In the period between 1995-2005 the big stories were the number of teams who began and built their business in World Challenge that continue to win races today, including Turner Motorsports, RealTime Racing, Bimmerworld and Blackdog Motorsports.

Drivers such as Peter Cunningham, Bill Auberlen, Roger Foo, Charles Espenlaub, Will Turner and James Clay cut their professional teeth in the series. Builders and tuners representing BMW, Ford, Chevy, Dodge, Volvo and others fiercely participated for overall wins, and factory supported teams from Acura, Nissan and Mazda battled for supremacy alongside privateers in the Touring Car category.

The first World Challenge race at Lime Rock Park was in 1992, won by Kim Baker in a Corvette and Lou Gigliotti in a Camaro. In the years immediately following, entries far exceeded the number of cars allowed on track, staging races through 2008.

Highlights over the years included Acura sweeping the respective classes in 1998, with Peter Cunningham taking T1 in an Acura NSX and Pierre Kleinubing winning T2 in an Acura Integra R; the debut of the SpeedVision World Challenge with an enhanced television package in 1999 with Bobby Archer winning in a Viper and; and Bill Auberlen doubling up in 2003 for Massachusetts-based Turner Motorsport, winning both GT races in a BMW M3, and returning in 2004 and 2005 to take TC honors in a BMW 325i.

Lime Rock Historic Festival 42 launches into action over Labor Day weekend with a 17-mile tour through the area on Thursday, Aug. 29 with the Historic Festival Parade presented by NBT Bank. Friday, Saturday and Monday feature non-stop, on-track competition across a diverse set of historic racing classes. On Sunday (Sept. 1), the Lime Rock Concours and Gathering of the Marques will display nearly 1,000 enthusiast cars and motorcycles arranged around the Lime Rock circuit for “Sunday in The Park.”

Historic Festival 42 is now accepting competition applications. Registration information can be found here.

Historic Weekend for Lime Rock Park Historic Festival 41

A sea of green trees climbing the Berkshires met with cascading clouds and blue skies setting the perfect backdrop to showcase the final day of Historic Festival 41 at Lime Rock Park on Monday. Celebrating Chrysler Performance and 100 years of MG …

A sea of green trees climbing the Berkshires met with cascading clouds and blue skies setting the perfect backdrop to showcase the final day of Historic Festival 41 at Lime Rock Park on Monday.

Celebrating Chrysler Performance and 100 years of MG alongside featured race groups Formula Junior and Sports 2000, the Festival featured nearly 1,500 rare and historic cars over the five-day event. From the parade to the grids and Sunday in The Park, the Festival saw the largest participation in its 41-year history.

The race groups were particularly exceptional, with drivers representing 29 states and three countries driving cars from nine different countries ranging from the early 1910s to the early 2000s.

Nearly 20 races were staged during the Labor Day finale, with the first nine dubbed as the Autodromo Sprints.

Autodromo, the Official Watch of the Historic Festival 41, presented nine drivers, one from each race group with an Autodromo Prototipo Chronograph during a special recognition ceremony held on the front straight at lunch. Sanctioning partners, Vintage Racing Group (VRG) and Vintage Sports Car Club of America (VSCCA), chose the winners based on the drivers’ Vintage Spirit showcased during the entire festival. In addition, Autodromo also presented Santo Spadaro with the “Spirit of Lime Rock Award” which was voted on by his fellow drivers, the Historic Festival Committee and representatives from VSCCA and VRG. Spadaro also won Best in Show Sport during Sunday in The Park: Lime Rock Concours for his 1953 PBX H Modified entry.

Read the full story, with additional photos and event results, at VintageMotorsport.com.

Lime Rock Concours attracts more than 1000 cars

Lime Rock Park played host to a spectacle of automotive excellence on Sunday, with more than 1000 cars descending upon its grounds. While Friday, Saturday and Monday of Historic Festival 41 celebrate the power and performance of vintage racing, …

With cars ranging from the eclectic and fun to the distinguished and rare, visitors had the chance to take a stroll around the 1.5-mile circuit to get an up-close look of cars that were parked all around the Connecticut track.

The Lime Rock Concours was once again headed by an esteemed panel of judges that evaluated more than 200 cars, selecting 17 for drive-up awards. The Best in Show d’Elegance was awarded to Paul Gould’s 1954 Desoto Adventurer II while Santo Spadaro’s 1953 PBX H modified took Best in Show Sport.

Representatives from Hagerty, Autodromo and Marsh McLennan were all part of the prestigious award ceremony.

The presence of MGs in the Concours was also diversely represented as examples spanning some 100 years were brought to life during the new Concours in Motion. As the procession of MGs cruised down the Sam Posey Straight through Turn 1, Barn Find Hunter host Tom Cotter shared the captivating history of each car over the PA.

A special moment happened on the Concours as Sam Posey was reunited with his 1971 Ferrari 512 M that he drove with Peter Revson and Swede Savage in two of America’s biggest races: the Daytona 24 Hour and Sebring 12 Hour. The car was part of Lawrence Auriana’s collection of 17 rare cars and motorcycles featured on the Concours.

At the heart of the Concours were the 11 Chrysler Concept cars that included the 1960 Plymouth XNR & the 1963 Chrysler Turbine Car.

The five-day event will conclude on Monday with the final competition outings as all nine race groups will stage a total of 18 races to close out the 41st edition of the event.

Gates open at 7:00am with racing starting at 9:00am. Tickets are available at the gate. Children under 12, active military and vets are free.

Glimpse of Historic Festival live stream begins at 9:00am at www.limerock.com/live and VintageMotorsport.com.

Diverse field of vintage cars highlights Saturday at Historic Festival 41

Grand Marshal and Stellantis Chief Design Officer Ralph Gilles waved the green flag to kick off a perfect day of racing at Lime Rock Park on Saturday during the Historic Festival 41. The longstanding Lime Rock Park Labor Day weekend tradition …

An overwhelmingly diverse field of cars from a 1931 Bugatti Type 37 Special, to a 1959 Elva Courier and 1963 Hillman Imp highlighted the record-breaking event entry with more than 300 cars taking to the Classic Course for 18 total races between nine different race groups. The spirited competition during the 20-minute races entertained a large crowd.

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Nathan Thompson, driving in Group 7 Sports Cars (Over 2L), had a standout day, setting the fastest lap of the race of 57.843s in his 1963 Lotus 23c. For reference, in 1963, the all-time track record was 102.9-seconds set by Jim Haynes in a Formula Libra.

Haynes’ legacy was honored this weekend as the Jim Haynes Memorial opened the day with the largest running of Formula Juniors on the East Coast. Haynes, sometimes better recognized for his ownership and promotion of Lime Rock Park, was an outstanding driver before he moved to the business side of racing. In 1959 he won his first SCCA National Championship in a temperamental Formula 3, but he could see where the future was headed and soon thereafter jumped into Formula Junior.

Criss-crossing up and down the East Coast and into the Midwest, Jim pursued SCCA National races in earnest. His efforts paid off with the SCCA’s 1963 Formula Junior National Championship. This was Jim’s crowning achievement as a driver. He would continue to drive in various categories for several more years, but taking over the ownership and promotion of Lime Rock Park became his primary focus. Haynes passed away earlier this year but the mark he made on Lime Rock Park will live forever in history.

MG’s centennial celebration continued through Saturday with two very spirited races that saw more than 50 MGs spanning all decades take the green. Alan Tosler crossed the line first piloting a 1964 MG B.

Featured race group Sports 2000 also put on an amazing show featuring 25 cars in both the morning and afternoon races. Two different winners emerged with Colin Thompson (No. 11 1988 Lola T88/90) claiming the checkered in Race 1 followed by Ben Sinnott (No. 5 1991 Lola T90/91) in Race 2.

At lunch, multiple car corral and hot laps were held along with an on-track event that offered fans a unique Historic Festival experience. The Sounds of Lime Rock presentation featured a symphony of engines from rare vintage cars, including the 1963 Chrysler Turbine, taking a lap around the track.

The day concluded with a dinner overlooking the Sam Posey Straight as VIP festival-goers enjoyed great food from Park Provisions while listening to special guests speakers: HF41’s Honored Collector Lawrence Auriana, veteran historic racer Joe Colasacco and Stellantis Chief Design Officer Ralph Gilles.

On Sunday, the track will host The Lime Rock Concours as well as the Gathering of the Marques car show. Monday will feature the final day of race activity. Tickets for both days are available at the gate.

You can get a glimpse of the action with a live stream direct from Historic Festival 41 including Greg Ricks, the voice of Lime Rock Park, hosting each day’s track action. Catch a glimpse of the activity Monday, September 4, with a view from the Sam Posey Bridge overlooking the front straight at limerock.com/live or at VintageMotorsport.com.

Your bridge-view seat for Historic Festival 41 at Lime Rock Park

For the first time, Lime Rock Park is offering a live stream direct from Historic Festival 41 including Greg Ricks, the voice of Lime Rock Park, hosting each day’s track action. Catch a glimpse of the activity Friday, Saturday and Monday, September 1-4, with a view from the Sam Posey Bridge overlooking the front straight at limerock.com/live or at VintageMotorsport.com. Stream starts at 9am each day.

Full event schedule

Entry list

Garg, Dubets both double up in VP Challenge at Lime Rock

Bijoy Garg picked the perfect time to put together the perfect weekend in the IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge. The 21-year-old Californian won the multi-class sprint series’ second race of the day Saturday afternoon to finish off an impressive …

Bijoy Garg picked the perfect time to put together the perfect weekend in the IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge.

The 21-year-old Californian won the multi-class sprint series’ second race of the day Saturday afternoon to finish off an impressive sweep that included sitting on the pole position for both 45-minute competitions. The twin victories unofficially propelled Garg back into the Le Mans Prototype 3 (LMP3) class championship points lead by 10 points with two rounds and four races remaining.

Piloting the No. 3 Jr III Racing Ligier JS P320, Garg led every lap in both races. His margin of victory in Saturday’s finale was 4.021s over Dan Goldburg, the driver of the No. 73 JDC MotorSports Duqueine D08 and the LMP3 points leader heading into the weekend.

“Feels amazing!” Garg said after earning his fourth win of the season and second weekend sweep following Sebring International Raceway in March. “Two-for-two today, big margin of win in both races. I’m really happy with that and we’re back in the points lead. I think we have the speed for the rest of the year, so time to go chase the championship.”

Courtney Crone (No. 99 Forty7 Motorsports Duqueine) made a daring pass on Dennis Dupont (No. 18 Muehlner Motorsports America Duqueine) with 20 minutes to go to take third place and held on by less than a half-second at the finish line to secure her third podium finish of the season.

GSX class sees Dubets finish off sweep in series debut

John “JCD” Dubets, competing in the GSX class for GT4-specification cars, raced to his own weekend sweep in the No. 26 Auto Technic Racing BMW M4 GT4 (G82). Like Garg in LMP3, Dubets started from the class pole both times Saturday and led every race lap for the team based in nearby New Milford, Connecticut.

The 2022 co-champion in the ProAm class of Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America, Dubets was elated with the results from his VP Racing Challenge debut.

“This is the day you dream about, right?” he said. “I think we got a track record, a pole and two wins, and it’s the (team’s) home track, so it’s a very special day. I know my team’s very proud and I’m just honored to be a part of the program. They did the work and it showed out on track. It was an absolute blast to be in that thing up front. It’s an absolute rocket ship.”

Dubets’ teammate Jake Walker finished second for the second time Saturday in the No. 24 BMW. Auto Technic Racing took five of the six podium spots in the two races, with Dubets citing “perfect execution from everybody involved” to make it happen.

“I feel like we were in sync,” he said. “Everything was in rhythm, the team was driving, there was all positive energy, didn’t ever feel stressful. I think the results were a reflection of the energy that the camp had.”

Francis Selldorff finished third in the No. 95 Turner Motorsport BMW. Coupled with his fourth-place showing in the morning race, Selldorff took control of the GSX standings, unofficially 90 points ahead of Sebastian Carazo in the No. 27 Kellymoss with Riley Porsche 718 GT4 RS Clubsport.

The VP Racing Challenge returns to action Aug. 25-27 at VIRginia International Raceway.

RESULTS

Filippi takes BHA Hyundai to stunning Lime Rock MPC win

Mason Filippi was fastest when it counted, dominating the late stages of the Lime Rock Park 100 at the picturesque Connecticut road course of the same name. Filippi took over the No. 98 Bryan Herta Autosport with Curb-Agajanian Hyundai Elantra N TCR …

Mason Filippi was fastest when it counted, dominating the late stages of the Lime Rock Park 100 at the picturesque Connecticut road course of the same name.

Filippi took over the No. 98 Bryan Herta Autosport with Curb-Agajanian Hyundai Elantra N TCR from Mark Wilkins exactly halfway through Saturday’s 100-minute race that was a unique standalone event for the Touring Car (TCR) class of the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge. He exited the pits with an 8.4s deficit to Ryan Eversley, whose teammate Mat Pombo claimed the Motul Pole Award and led the first 45 minutes.

But Pombo pitted the No. 37 Honda Civic FL5 TCR three laps earlier than his LA Honda World Racing team had planned, due to excessive tire wear. Compounding the challenge for finishing driver Eversley, a miscommunication during the pit stop forced him into extreme fuel-saving mode and he ultimately fell to third place behind the No. 33 BHA Hyundai shared by Robert Wickens and Harry Gottsacker.

Filippi eased past Eversley’s Honda through “Big Bend” Turn 1 with 12 minutes remaining. By the time he took the checkered flag, the No. 98 Hyundai was 20.587s ahead of the No. 33 in one of the most convincing wins in recent Michelin Pilot Challenge memory.

“Mark (Wilkins) was on the radio giving me information about what kind of (lap time) target to hit and I knew the deficit I had to make up,” Filippi said. “I could see (Eversley) at the end of the straightaway, then I was getting closer and closer. It was awesome. With about 15 minutes left, my engineer Chris Finch said it was ‘go time,’ and that’s what we did.

“It felt great – just incredible, and I can’t thank my team enough.”

Wilkins said that he placed great importance on qualifying well at Lime Rock, a short 1.478-mile road course where traffic is often an issue. He started the race from the outside of the front row and actually passed Pombo on the track for the lead prior to the round of pit stops.

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“You really have to lay it on the line to get to the front,” Wilkins said. “I pushed really hard, and we just drove a smart race. We’ve got a really great synergy on the No. 98 Bryan Herta Autosport team. We’re having fun, and when you’re having fun, these kind of things happen. Second win of the year feels great.”

The latest win for the No. 98 team (the other in 2023 came at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca in May) lifted Wilkins and Filippi into the lead of the TCR standings, unofficially 10 points ahead of Wickens and Gottsacker.

Eversley was disappointed to not convert Pombo’s fifth TCR pole position this year for the No. 37 Honda into a win, but he was encouraged by the podium finish.

“We had a very fast car, but after about 40 minutes, the tire fall-off was dramatic. Then, because I was trying to save so much fuel, the last 10 laps of the race, I think I was 5-7s off the pace,” Eversley said. “You’re not even driving at that point.

“I was just trying to get us to the podium, and glad it worked out. We needed this podium pretty bad.”

The next round of the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge is the Road America 120, part of the IMSA SportsCar Weekend at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, August 4-6.

RESULTS

Dominant Heart of Racing sweeps both GTD classes at Lime Rock

Heart of Racing dominated the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship from Lime Rock Park with its pair of Aston Martin Vantages taking the top honors in both GTD Pro and GTD. It’s the first win and podium finish of the season for the No. 23 Aston …

Gunn started the car from pole position and held onto the lead for the opening forty minutes before dropping back into the pack as others leapfrogged them with strategic undercuts. The strategy dice then went the team’s way as they elected to not pit under the first full course yellow of the race.

Let’s go! 💪#IMSA | #NortheastGP | @limerockpark pic.twitter.com/FJ5P4YLHfc

— #IMSA (@IMSA) July 22, 2023

With track position and clean air regained, Gunn fended off those on fresher tires. The GTD Pro runners ran until the pit window opened to make it to the end before diving into the pits in quick succession. This time around the No. 23 Aston Martin held onto its lead while installing Riberas into the car.

One more full course yellow set up a fifty-minute sprint to the end wherein Riberas kept Ben Barnicoat and Klaus Bachler behind him to secure Heart of Racing’s first GTD Pro win of the season. Barnicoat and Jack Hawksworth settled for second in the No. 14 Vasser Sullivan Lexus RC-F GT3. The No. 9 Pfaff Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3R of Bachler and Patrick Pilet was third.

Meanwhile, Roman De Angelis and Marco Sorensen completed Heart of Racing’s sweep with a strong performance in their No. 27 Aston Martin Vantage. De Angelis started the car in fourth and a strong performance in the pits during the first full course yellow moved the car up to second.

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As the race neared the closure of its first hour, the No. 27 Aston Martin was sitting behind the race-leading No. 1 Paul Miller Racing BMW M4 GT3. That soon changed when the No. 1 was given a penalty for an unsafe release during its previous pitstop. This promoted the Aston Martin to the class lead. It would hold that lead for the rest of the race.

Kelly-Moss with Riley’s Porsche 911 GT3R of Julian Andlauer and Alec Udell was second, with the No. 77 Wright Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3R of Trent Hindman and Alan Brynjolfsson third.

There were three retirements in the race — the first pair stemming from the same incident involving the No. 94 Andretti Autosport Aston Martin Vantage GT3 and the No. 91 Kelly-Moss with Riley Porsche 911 GT3R. Alan Metni was onboard the No. 91 Porsche when he missed his braking point into turn one and slammed into the rear of the Jarett Andretti-piloted No. 94 Aston Martin, sending both cars into the tire barrier.

Andretti’s car needed to be recovered on the flatbed while the Porsche limped back to the pits before going behind the wall where it remained for the rest of the day. Metni was given a drive-through penalty for the incident but with the damage done to the Porsche, it was largely moot.

Later in the race, Brendon Iribe in the No. 70 Inception Racing McLaren 720s GT3 spun off track and into the tire barrier on driver’s right at the exit of the final corner. Judging by the line Iribe was taking out of the corner, it appeared he was headed for pit road.

Iribe’s body language and fake-steering-wheel hand gesturing when speaking with the AMR safety team seemed to indicate that the car snapped loose underneath him.

The IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship returns to action at Road America on August 3-6.

RESULTS

Heart of Racing Aston leapfrogs Corvette to land on Lime Rock pole

Ross Gunn and the No. 23 Heart of Racing Aston Martin will start the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Series Championship at Lime Rock Park from pole position after the Briton bested the rest of the GT Daytona Pro field by nearly two-tenths of a second. It was a remarkable performance by the Aston Martin factory driver and puts Heart of Racing in its best position this season to secure a win on the difficult-to-pass bull ring.

The honors in looked destined to be headed the way of Antonio Garcia, who carried over his free practice pace into the qualifying session. Garcia was the quickest GTD Pro driver from the moment the session went green, besting his own time on a number of occasions.

With the Aston Martin’s tires up to temperature, Gunn laid down a record-setting 50.593s to leapfrog the Corvette. Jack Hawksworth soon followed suit in the No. 14 Vasser Sullivan Lexus RC-F GT3 with a time of 50.784s to move onto the front row, relegating the No. 3 Corvette to the second row of the grid.

Jules Gounon’s No. 79 WeatherTech Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 was fourth and Patrick Pilet in the No. 9 Pfaff Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3R was fifth.

In GT Daytona, Mike Skeen in the No. 32 Team Korthoff Motorsports Mercedes-AMG secured pole with a time of 51.517s, an astounding 0.007s ahead Frederik Schandorff in the No. 70 Inception Racing McLaren 720s GT3. Misha Goikhberg’s No. 78 Forte Racing powered by USRT Lamborghini Huracan GT3 rounded out the top three in GTD.

UP NEXT: Saturday’s 100-minute race is slated for 4:15pm ET. It will air on the USA Network.

RESULTS