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Time to fire up the engines anew, as the green flag waves on Lime Rock Park's 2009 season Memorial Day weekend. Lime Rock's familiar refrain is "Been there, loved it", but even if you have been to this jewel of a location, there's something entirely new to love. For the first time, Lime Rock is featuring Formula One cars as part of the main event: the Historic Grand Prix, which includes qualifiers Friday and Saturday, and races Saturday and Monday. The F1s will rattle your eardrums and screech the pavement at speeds exceeding 160 mph, as low-slung as an automobile can get.
That's all interspersed with Grand Am KONI Sports Car Challenge events, as well as the F2000 Championship Series.
Think of the Grand Am competition as a souped-up version of your commute, as such familiar production makes and models as Mustang, mini-Cooper, Acura, GTI, BMW, and Porsche making appearances, although unlike Interstates 84 and 91, it's 'no cops, no stops' for these guys.
With wings and slicks, the F2000 is a lot like a Formula Ford on steroids, and has long been a proving ground for talent on the way up the ladder. The F2000 Championship series is where guys like Indianapolis 500 and Rolex 24 Champ Buddy Rice first started to make a name for himself, with fellow Indy 500 champs Sam Hornish and Dan Wheldon also proving themselves. This series has grown immensely in the past few years, with an engine formula that allows for a wider group of cars to race with some tremendously close competition.
Another huge draw at Lime Rock is the park's open paddock policy, allowing spectators unrivaled access to see the cars up close and rub elbows with the competitors. But even if you're not a racing fan or feel like you're being dragged there by someone who is, you're in for a pleasant surprise. At Lime Rock, the venue itself is half the attraction. Instead of the harshness of metal bleachers, Lime Rock takes advantage of its naturally hilly setting, not only for a unique track configuration, but to provide expansive berms tailor-made for that beach blanket and picnic lunch. You can even kick back and read a book while basking in the sun ... you just might want to consider a good pair of disposable earplugs!
So get in to first gear and rev up all four cylinders of your own car, and point it toward Lime Rock Park in Lakeville to ring in the unofficial start to summer, and the official start of the season at the sweetest stretch of asphalt in all of Connecticut. You'll be in great company!
That's all interspersed with Grand Am KONI Sports Car Challenge events, as well as the F2000 Championship Series.
Think of the Grand Am competition as a souped-up version of your commute, as such familiar production makes and models as Mustang, mini-Cooper, Acura, GTI, BMW, and Porsche making appearances, although unlike Interstates 84 and 91, it's 'no cops, no stops' for these guys.
With wings and slicks, the F2000 is a lot like a Formula Ford on steroids, and has long been a proving ground for talent on the way up the ladder. The F2000 Championship series is where guys like Indianapolis 500 and Rolex 24 Champ Buddy Rice first started to make a name for himself, with fellow Indy 500 champs Sam Hornish and Dan Wheldon also proving themselves. This series has grown immensely in the past few years, with an engine formula that allows for a wider group of cars to race with some tremendously close competition.
Another huge draw at Lime Rock is the park's open paddock policy, allowing spectators unrivaled access to see the cars up close and rub elbows with the competitors. But even if you're not a racing fan or feel like you're being dragged there by someone who is, you're in for a pleasant surprise. At Lime Rock, the venue itself is half the attraction. Instead of the harshness of metal bleachers, Lime Rock takes advantage of its naturally hilly setting, not only for a unique track configuration, but to provide expansive berms tailor-made for that beach blanket and picnic lunch. You can even kick back and read a book while basking in the sun ... you just might want to consider a good pair of disposable earplugs!
So get in to first gear and rev up all four cylinders of your own car, and point it toward Lime Rock Park in Lakeville to ring in the unofficial start to summer, and the official start of the season at the sweetest stretch of asphalt in all of Connecticut. You'll be in great company!
