A Trip to One of America’s Most Beautiful Road Courses Is about Both the Journey and the Destination
By John Oreovicz
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – To say that Lime Rock Park is unique among American road racing venues is an understatement. The “Bullring” is one of four permanent racetracks on the National Register of Historic Places. It’s listed there along with Road America, Watkins Glen International and Indianapolis Motor Speedway – all venues that host IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship events.
Located in the rustic and rural northwest corner of Connecticut on the edge of Housatonic State Forest, the 1.474-mile road course is about as far removed from the hustle and bustle of New York City – the closest major metropolitan area – as you can get. But that’s just what the doctor ordered for car enthusiasts who want to escape to the country, making Lime Rock “NYC’s home track.”
There’s no easy way to get there, but that’s part of the charm. In fact, a bucolic country drive into The Constitution State can actually be pretty darn appealing to Big Apple denizens accustomed to a life of public transportation and gridlocked traffic. It offers the additional prospect of sampling different varieties of New Haven-style pizza – coal fired, thin crust, a light dusting of cheese.
No matter which way you go, the drive is two hours and change. From La Guardia Airport, or the Bronx, head out of town on the Strain Brook Parkway/Interstate 87, continuing straight on the Taconic State Parkway past I-84 and Newburgh to U.S. 44, which will get you within 5 miles of Lime Rock. From there, the roads narrow down to two lanes, and sometimes even one.
Departing from Lower Manhattan, it can make more sense to just pick up New Jersey State Road 17 to where it meets I-87, following it another 30 miles up to I-84 and Newburgh. There’s plenty of nightlife on the banks of the Hudson River in Newburgh, with Billy Joe’s Ribworks serving as the local hot spot for live music. Pick up the Taconic from there.
Alternatively, bearing east on the Cross County Parkway and north on the Hutchinson River Parkway (I-684) will take you past White Plains Airport and near several notable golf courses, including Wykagyl Country Club, Winged Foot Golf Club and the Westchester Country Club. On the way back to the city this weekend, music enthusiasts might consider a short overnight detour to Port Chester for a concert at the historic Capitol Theater.
Past the state line at Rye Brook, the Parkway becomes Connecticut State Road 15 and eventually reduces to two lanes. There’s plenty of racing history taking this route. Legendary actor and racer Paul Newman and his wife, Joanne Woodward, lived in Westport, less than two miles from Route 15. Newman, a class winner in the 1995 Rolex 24 At Daytona and co-owner of several racing teams, called Lime Rock his home track and he won a club race there in a Trans-Am specification Corvette just a year before his death in 2008.
Champion sports car racer Bob Sharp also called Westport home before he built a new facility for Bob Sharp Racing about 20 miles north in Danbury, an easy hour’s drive on U.S. 7 up to Lime Rock. Sharp’s son Scott also won more than a dozen major sports car races in IMSA competition.
Closer to Lime Rock, racer/commentator Sam Posey (1975 Twelve Hours of Sebring winner in the iconic BMW 3.0 CSL) grew up near the village of Sharon, Connecticut – current population, 635 – as documented in his book “The Mudge Pond Express.” “Some people have called it the most beautiful town in New England,” Posey wrote.
That also pretty much sums up Lime Rock Park, which may be the most classically beautiful natural road racing facility in America. It’s a wonderful place to spend a Saturday afternoon, lounging hillside on a blanket while enjoying a picnic lunch and watching a bit of car racing.
And getting there is half the fun.
The WeatherTech Championship, IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge and VP Racing SportsCar Challenge form the bill for the FCP Euro Northeast Grand Prix presented by Liqui Moly on Friday and Saturday at Lime Rock Park. All races will be held on Saturday and will stream live on Peacock in the U.S. and on IMSA.com/TVLive elsewhere. WeatherTech Championship fans may also tune in at noon for live race coverage on the USA network.