After nearly 70 years, Lime Rock Park finally played host to a field of race cars running at full output on a Thursday.
For the first time since opening in 1957, Lime Rock Park hosted a major unmuffled Thursday race event. This watershed moment arrived during the opening day of the long-standing Trans Am Memorial Day Classic (May 21-24), featuring the Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli, International GT and the Sportscar Vintage Racing Association (SVRA).
To most fans arriving at The Park, it may have simply looked like the beginning of another holiday race weekend, but for those behind the scenes, it represented nearly five years of negotiations, collaboration and careful planning to reshape one of Connecticut’s most unique holiday traditions.
There will be plenty of racing action at Lime Rock Park during the Trans Am Memorial Day Classic May 26-29. Here are five things to watch for on the track while you’re at The Park:
1. HOME SWEET HOME: Dyson Racing has found a “home near home” at Lime Rock Park. Ever since Rob Dyson’s victory in the first race for his Porsche 962 in the 1985 Memorial Day Classic, Dyson Racing has enjoyed the short drive from their home near Poughkeepsie, N.Y. to compete in front of family and friends. Dyson Racing is again the team to beat in the featured Trans Am by Pirelli , featuring second-generation star Chris Dyson and Matt Brabham. Brabham is also a part of the Lime Rock family legacy as the grandson of legendary Australian F1 pioneer Jack Brabham and the son of Geoff Brabham. He raced at Lime Rock Park last year, coming in second to his teammate Dyson. Dyson is tied with Dorsey Schroeder with most Trans Am victories at Lime Rock with three apiece. Dyson, driver of the No. 16 Gym Weed Ford Mustang, won the two most recent Trans Am rounds at New Orleans and Road Atlanta in a bid for a second-consecutive title. He has a three-race winning streak at Lime Rock dating back to 2019 (there was no race in 2020 due to the pandemic).
LAKEVILLE, CT (17 May 2023) – Motorsport icon Boris Said will serve as the Grand Marshal on Saturday, May 27 for the upcoming Trans Am Memorial Day Classic at Lime Rock Park (May 26-29).
A veteran driver with over three decades of experience, Said is widely recognized as one of the most versatile drivers in motorsports history. He competed in Trans Am, NASCAR, IMSA and various other racing series, earning victories and accolades throughout his illustrious career.
