Over Labor Day Weekend, Lime Rock Park hosted the forty third version of the Historic Competition, a five-day celebration of motorsport heritage that drew the most important assortment of classic automobiles within the circuit’s trendy historical past.
With 38 races from 9 race teams, three particular exhibitions from the Ragtime Racers, greater than 300 race entries, 125 parade members, dozens of collector automobiles on show and practically 1,000 uncommon traditional classic vehicles and bikes that participated in Sunday within the Park, the storied Connecticut circuit grew to become a rolling museum of pace and historical past.
Grand Marshal Rob Dyson set the tone by bringing 15 distinguished automobiles from his private assortment whereas racing legend David Hobbs was honored because the Competition’s particular visitor. Collectively they framed a weekend that blended motorsport personalities, iconic machines and tales that stretched throughout generations.
Legends on the Transfer
For the primary time, the Del Monte Trophy Race Group traveled east from Pebble Seashore, bringing with it automobiles that after thundered by way of the pine-lined roads of the Monterey Peninsula to face off with their East Coast counterparts. Between 1950 and 1956, the unique Del Monte races helped launch the careers of Phil Hill and Carroll Shelby and set the stage for American street racing. At Lime Rock, their successors lined up as soon as extra.
Among the many machines that made the cross-country journey have been the 1950 Johnny von Neumann MG Particular, 1952 Schaticoke Manning Particular, 1953 Kurtis 500S Dodge and 1953 Sorrell Kurtis GMC Particular. Every carried its personal story, preserved and restored to race once more.
“These are the automobiles that helped construct the muse of American street racing,” mentioned Skip Barber, Historic Competition Occasion Chairman. “To have them at Lime Rock for the primary time is one thing really particular. Our followers didn’t simply watch historical past, they heard it, smelled it and felt it as these automobiles raced across the observe.”
Trendy Classics
Whereas the Del Monte automobiles related the Competition to Pebble Seashore, the Toyo Tires Flip of the Century World Problem Group confirmed how newer historical past has earned its place on observe. Returning to the Historic Competition for its second yr, the group is the one classic World Problem class in the USA. With 25 automobiles on the grid, it marked development over its inaugural working and confirmed the rising reputation of this distinctive class.
Icons Reimagined
Among the many weekend’s curiosities was Derek Drinkwater’s devoted reproduction of Le Monstre, the weird Cadillac-powered machine created by Briggs Cunningham for the 1950 24 Hours of Le Mans that grew to become an emblem of American ingenuity.
Unable to purchase the priceless unique, Drinkwater constructed his personal in simply 5 months with out blueprints, utilizing solely measurements from the Rev Institute, pictures and a life-size define of the automotive he made utilizing a projector and a sheet. Since then he has taken it throughout Europe, to the Goodwood Competition of Pace and to the Traditional 24 at Daytona the place it topped 130 mph. At Lime Rock Park, the automotive was as a lot a spectacle because it was in 1950.
Awards & Honors
On Monday, The Park acknowledged those that embody the spirit of classic racing. Autodromo, the Official Watch of Historic Competition 43, offered 9 drivers, one from every race group, with a Particular Version Lime Rock Park chronograph made particular for the drivers.
Winners have been chosen by sanctioning companions Classic Racing Group (VRG) and the Classic Sports activities Automotive Membership of America (VSCCA) for showcasing classic spirit all through the weekend.
Autodromo additionally offered the “Spirit of Lime Rock Award” to Chris Towner, who competed within the Struggle Period group with a 1938 Morgan F-Kind Trike. The distinction was voted on by fellow drivers, the Historic Competition Committee and representatives from VRG and VSCCA.
The Piston Basis added its personal recognition with the Piston Technician Award, offered for the fourth yr at Lime Rock Park. This yr’s recipient was Bob Gett, Basic Supervisor at KTR Racing in Ayer, Massachusetts. Gett oversaw 12 automobiles in the course of the weekend, incomes the paddock respect of drivers, groups and homeowners who nominated him because the Competition’s MVP technician.
