Lime Rock Vintage Racing
When: Thursday, September 1st – Monday, September 5th
Where: Lime Rock Racetrack, 60 White Hollow Road, Lakeville, Connecticut
Admission: $45 at the gate for Concours Sunday, $165 for the whole festival.
Contact: (860) 435-5000
Information: limerockhistorics.com
Sunday In The Park
Connecticut’s Lime Rock Park celebrates its 34th annual Historic Festival with two full days of vintage racing leading up to Sunday’s car show and Concours d’Elegance. The classics return to the track on Monday from dawn ’til dusk. There, they will decide the winner of each of the 9 groups.
The paddock will be open to spectators hoping to get a closer look at the entrants. They range from pre-1939 competition cars to the powerful road cars of the 60s and 70s. Historic Trans-Am cars also have a class in this year’s event, honoring the golden age of American motorsports.
A Gorgeous Backdrop
Nestled amid the tree-lined lakes of Connecticut’s Northwest Hills, Lime Rock Park features a quick, technical track that hosts races for everything from local car clubs to the latest Le Mans GTs. Its tight dimensions make it the perfect venue for these vintage cars that make up for their lack of top-end speed with lively handling and spunky acceleration.
Sunday’s Concours d’Elegance features quality vehicles rarely seen outside of Pebble Beach and Greenwich, all judged on the basis of their style, rarity, and originality. Last year’s Best of Show went to an avant-garde 1930 Mercedes-Benz SSK owned by none other than the renowned collector and fashion maven Ralph Lauren. There’s not another event in the country that combines this level of vintage racing with such a prestigious concours.
While the 250 concours entrants are lined up on the notorious Sam Posey Straight, over 800 classic, exotic, and special interest cars spread out over the remaining mile of the track. This show, called the Meeting of the Marques, features car clubs from around the country. Expect Ferraris, Jaguars, Porsches, Mercedes, Minis, and more all lined up according to badge. The unassuming, pastoral town of Lakeville swells with over 1000 classics for the Historic Festival, making this event any enthusiast’s ideal Labor Day weekend.
