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Lime Rock Park

Dodge Dealers

28/05/2001

Lime Rock

Preview

Janos Wimpffen looks ahead to the holiday weekend and the next round of the Grand Am series. Andy Hartwell will be there for the practice sessions and the split races - and will set the scene in his own style at the end of the week.

This coming Memorial Day weekend has the traditional Lime Rock event. Typically on this very short, nearly circular track, the SportsRacers and GTs are split into separate races. As racing is banned in Connecticut on Sundays, festivities are divided between Saturday and the holiday Monday. Saturday features a normal, but short, 125 mile race for the three GT classes. Things get truly weird for Monday’s SR / SRII event. The so-called Twin Sprints is divided into two heats. After 40 minutes the checkered is shown and a ten minute parc ouvert period ensues for driver changes and panel beating. The second pilot is then to run the 45-minute heat 2. Huh and why?

The GT entry numbers 28 although this includes the Hiskey Porsche which was severely bent at Watkins Glen. The overall victor could be expected to be either the Bingham / Johnson Saleen or the Schumacher / Jeannette Porsche, the only competitive cars in GTS. However, last year an AGT car secured pole. The shortness of the race does not preclude one of them winning overall, especially as they outnumber the “heavyweight prototypes.”

The front-runners in the tube framed class have to be the Conway / Goad Corvette and Bupp / Leavy Camaro. But there are five others on the list. The Hitt / Tradd Corvette has not run well thus far, but a more competitive one may be the Huffaker built Comer Corvette, which has seen limited track time thus far. Nearly as new are the Beilharz / Lisa Oldsmobile and the Sanchez / Ave Camaro, the latter having last been seen at this event a year ago. Truly brand new is Ron Fariss’ Camaro, built in his Virginia shops and to be driven solo by the owner.

The V-8 BMW could enjoy a trouble-free romp over the short distance. Its principal competition will come from the two G & W and two Orbit Porsches. Kevin Buckler’s Racers Group is back in the Grand-Am fold with two entries as well. Also in GT are the 6-cylinder BMWs from Genesis, the pretty if slow Pettit Racing Mazda, and familiar Porsches from Case-It Racing, Pumpelly, and Dennis Aase. Less familiar are two new Porsches, a 911 Cup car from Jack Lewis / Auto Sport South and an ex-Orbit GT3R for new owner Tom Papadopoulos. He has a nearby vintage car preparation shop and will drive solo. His stable is noted for an Aston Martin collection, including the Group C AMRs.

As to the "current" two-seater racing cars, the Twin Sprints have a mere
11 cars listed (not including the highly damaged R & S which will need
more than a Miracle to be readied). The old Robinson R & S will face the
Ferrari-Judd, Field Lola, Norma, and the two Dyson cars on their home
ground. SRPII is the same as Watkins Glen - two by two Lolas of Archangel
and Porsche Haus vs. the Kudzu. That's it for the premier event!

Lime Rock typically features exciting action throughout the field on IMSA, then USRRC, and now Grand-Am weekends. True sports car fans are holding their breaths to see if Grand-Am will ever decide if they are fish or fowl—is it a series for an odd mix of club racers or a true professional world class championship.