Yahoo Autos Trans Am renews Memorial Day tradition at Lime Rock Park
The Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli returns to action at the Lime Rock SpeedTour for Lime Rock Park’s Trans Am Memorial Day Classic. Trans Am racing at the Park on Memorial Day weekend has become a longstanding tradition since the series took the green flag for the first time at Lime Rock on Memorial Day of 1967. Since then, 22 of Trans Am’s 40 races held at Lime Rock have been on Memorial Day Weekend.
At 1.478 miles long, Lime Rock Park is the shortest track on Trans Am’s 2024 schedule, but the long weekend is full of festivities. In addition to racing by Trans Am’s TA/XGT/SGT/GT classes and the CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series, the Lime Rock SpeedTour includes action from the Sportscar Vintage Racing Association and International GT on the track on Friday, Saturday and Monday. On Sunday, the on-track action pauses while Lime Rock hosts the Connecticut Craft Beer Grand Prix, as well as the Royals’ Garage Car Show.
To honor veterans over the Memorial Day holiday, tickets to this weekend’s races are free for active military members, veterans, and their families with a valid ID.
Schedule
TA/XGT/SGT/GT
Qualifying:
Monday, May 27
9:05-9:40 a.m. ET
Race:
Monday, May 27
1:15-2:30 p.m. ET
Race Length: 68 Laps/75 Minutes
TV Broadcast:
LIVE on MAVTV
Highlights Show:
MAVTV
Thursday, May 30
9:00 p.m. ET
TA2
Qualifying:
Friday, May 24
5:20-5:55 p.m. ET
Race:
Saturday, May 25
1:10-2:25 p.m. ET
Race Length: 68 Laps/75 Minutes
TV Broadcast:
LIVE on MAVTV
Highlights Show:
MAVTV
Thursday, May 30
8:00 p.m. ET
Skip Barber honored
As part of what Lime Rock Park is dubbing the “Year of Skip,” racing legend Skip Barber will be honored this weekend as part of the opening ceremonies of the CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series race on Saturday. Prior to the race, the track will hold a dedication of its Timing and Scoring tower on the Sam Posey Straight in Barber’s name. Barber will also serve as the Grand Marshal of the race.
Barber’s journey in racing began long before he became a household name. From his early days as a competitive racer to his later years as a respected mentor, his career has been defined by a relentless pursuit of greatness. His eponymous Skip Barber Racing School, founded in 1975, became a mecca for aspiring racers, providing them with the tools and knowledge needed to succeed on and off the track. One such graduate of the school is three-time TA champion Chris Dyson.
Barber had a brief racing history in the Trans Am Series. Barber competed in three-career races, scoring a pair of top-five finishes in the over 2-Liter category in 1966 and 1968, and had one additional Trans Am start in 1974.
In the Winners Circle
This Friday, Trans Am will be joined at the racetrack by 150 students who are part of the Winners Circle Project, a non-profit organization which has been meticulously designed to inspire fresh, young, innovative minds through STEAM programs embedded in the exciting world of car racing. Throughout the course of one academic year, high school students build a Factory Five vehicle from the ground up. This year will see the participation of five different schools, and their race cars will be displayed in the paddock and driven around the track by program ambassador Chris Dyson and other Trans Am drivers. The students will receive a technical inspection presentation from Trans Am Technical Director Aaron Coalwell, take a paddock tour with TV commentator Ben Cissell, visit the Pirelli tire station and Sunoco fuel station, and interact with drivers such as Kaylee Bryson, Rafa Matos, Tomy Drissi, Adam Andretti and Connor Mosack before one school’s vehicle is named this year’s winner.
Past winners at Lime Rock
Four drivers entered in four different classes have previously stood on the top step of the podium at Lime Rock Park. TA’s Chris Dyson and TA2’s Thomas Merrill are both tied with TA driver Dorsey Schroeder for the most Trans Am wins at the track, with three victories each.
TA
Chris Dyson, No. 16 GYM WEED Ford Mustang: 2022, 2021, 2019
XGT
Danny Lowry, No. 42 Bennett/BridgeHaul/PitBoxes.com Mercedes AMG GT3: 2022 (SGT)
GT
Michael Saia, No. 13 KMC/Rapid Performance Management/Motul Porsche 997.1 GT3 Cup: 2023
TA2
Thomas Merrill, No. 26 HP Tuners/Cope Race Cars Ford Mustang: 2023, 2022, 2019
Lime Rock locals
Several drivers in this weekend’s field are from close to Lime Rock Park and the surrounding New England area.
TA
Chris Dyson, No. 16 GYM WEED Ford Mustang (Poughkeepsie, N.Y.)
SGT
Jenn Krpata, No. 93 Island Trees Auto Chevrolet Camaro (Farmingdale, N.Y.)
GT
Michael Saia, No. 13 KMC/Rapid Performance Mgmt./Motul Porsche 997.1 GT3 Cup (Amesbury, Mass.)
Joey DaSilva, No. 67 Ave Motorsports Toyota Supra (Westport, Mass.)
TA2
Adrian Wlostowski, No. 3 CMI/Spot-On Services Ford Mustang (Maspeth, N.Y.)
Evan Slater, No. 17 CUBE 3/Franklin Road/M1 Chevrolet Camaro (Portsmouth, N.H.)
Gio Ruggiero, No. 40 Nitro Motorsports Ford Mustang (Seekonk, Mass)
Thomas Annunziata, No. 90 Nitro Motorsports Ford Mustang (Colts Neck, N.J.)
Tom Sheehan, No. 97 Vixen Motorcycles/LTK Insulation Ford Mustang (Bow, N.H.)
Doug Winston, No. 98 Bring Back The Trades/D&M Electric Ford Mustang (North White Plains, N.Y.)
Looking for a repeat
The 2024 season has been a testament to the depth of talent in the Trans Am Series, with poles and podiums as varied as the competitors themselves. So far this season, there has not been a repeat winner in the TA class, with Paul Menard (No. 3 Menards/Master Force Tools Ford Mustang) taking the checkered flag in the season-opening event at Sebring International Raceway. Adam Andretti (No. 17 Top Liner/Go Share Chevrolet Camaro) earned his first TA class win since 2019 at Road Atlanta on his birthday, driving the new Burtin Racing chassis to its first victory. At NOLA Motorsports Park, Chris Dyson (No. 16 GYM WEED Ford Mustang) finally visited GYM WEED Winners Circle for the first time this season. There also has not been a repeat pole winner yet this season, with Ernie Francis Jr. taking the top starting spot at Sebring, Dyson earning the pole at Road Atlanta, and Menard qualifying fastest at NOLA.
While XGT and GT have both had repeat winners, with Danny Lowry (No. 42 Bennett/BridgeHaul/Pitboxes.com Mercedes AMG GT3) winning every XGT event and Chris Coffey (No. 97 Norwood Auto Italia/Traffic Grafix Maserati MC GT4) sweeping GT, the SGT class has not seen a repeat victor. Lee Saunders (No. 84 LandSearch LLC Dodge Viper) won the opening event at Sebring, Richard Forsythe (No. 58 GSpeed/Sambuca Restaurant Chevrolet Corvette) was victorious at Road Atlanta, and Kaylee Bryson (No. 02 Logical Systems Inc./Sam Pierce Chevrolet Corvette) earned her first-career Trans Am win at NOLA.
Dyson going for four
Success at Lime Rock Park has been a Memorial Day tradition for Chris Dyson in the No. 16 GYM WEED Ford Mustang, who is looking for his fourth victory at the track this weekend. Lime Rock is the home track for Dyson and his Poughkeepsie, N.Y.-based CD Racing team, and Dyson began his racing career there as a participant in the Skip Barber Racing School in 1994. In the four times he has visited the Connecticut racetrack with Trans Am, he has driven to GYM WEED Winners Circle three times and finished second once.
Dyson scored his first win of 2024 in Trans Am’s last outing at NOLA Motorsports Park, and currently sits second in the point standings after what has been an uncharacteristically difficult start to the season. The three-time champion hopes to continue his Lime Rock podium streak and overcome an eight-point deficit to leave the track at the top of the standings.
Wreaths across America
As part of this year’s Memorial Day Weekend event, Danny Lowry will sport a special livery on his No. 42 Bennett/BridgeHaul/Pitboxes.com Mercedes AMG GT3, a patriotic paint scheme headlined by Wreaths Across America, a non-profit organization that lays millions of wreaths on military gravesites across the United States and around the world at Christmastime. Lowry, a former Marine, and his sponsors, Bennett and BridgeHaul, are partners with Wreaths Across America, and the organization’s founder Morrill Worcester and executive director Karen Worcester will be on site for Monday’s Memorial Day race. Find out more by visiting WreathsAcrossAmerica.org.
Kaylee Bryson making history
At NOLA Motorsports Park last month, Kaylee Bryson won her first-career Trans Am race in her No. 02 Logical Systems Inc./Sam Pierce Chevrolet Corvette, standing atop the podium in the SGT class. While women like Cindi Lux have won in SGT before, Bryson’s success has continued since Trans Am’s last outing, and has led to her making history. Just this past weekend, Bryson took the checkered flag at Belleville High Banks, becoming the first woman to win a USAC National event and the first woman to win a Silver Crown event.
David Hampton making national debut
Followers of the Trans Am Series Western Championship will see a familiar name on the entry list for Lime Rock Park. David Hampton (No. 14 AR Motorsports Porsche Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport) will make his National Championship debut this weekend. Hampton has been off to an incredibly successful start this season, standing atop the podium at every GT class race in the Western Championship so far this year. Hampton has amassed five victories in the doubleheaders at Thunderhill Raceway Park, Sonoma Raceway and the single race at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.
Home game for CUBE 3
Lime Rock Park is the home track for CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series sponsor CUBE 3, which is headquartered in North Andover, Mass. This season, the CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series has experienced its most exciting racing to date, with four unique winners in the opening four races. Connor Zilisch took the checkered flag in the No. 7 Silver Hare Racing Chevrolet Camaro in the season opener at Sebring International Raceway, while 2022 champion Thomas Merrill earned an early victory at Road Atlanta in his No. 26 HP Tuners/Cope Race Cars Ford Mustang. Rafa Matos (No. 60 Concord American Flagpole/Nitro Motorsports Ford Mustang) became the winningest driver in TA2 history when he scored his 21st victory at NOLA Motorsports Park. In the series’ last event at World Wide Technology Raceway, Ben Maier (No. 80 BOE Marine/Nitro Motorsports Ford Mustang) earned his first-career victory from the pole.
In addition to sponsoring the series, this weekend, CUBE 3 will have a driver in their stable as well. Portsmouth, N.H. native Evan Slater will carry sponsorship from the company on his No. 17 CUBE 3/Franklin Road/M1 Chevrolet Camaro in his return to the series.
Evan Slater returns
Evan Slater will be making his first start of 2024 this weekend, taking the green flag at his home track in the No. 17 CUBE 3/Franklin Road/M1 Chevrolet Camaro. In addition to not being far from his home in Portsmouth, N.H., Lime Rock Park is the site of Slater’s first Trans Am start back in 2021, which is also when he introduced sponsor CUBE 3 to the Trans Am Series. Slater’s best finish at the track came in 2022, when he finished second. He made his most recent Trans Am start last year at Watkins Glen International.
Connor Mosack doing the Triple
Every year as the Indianapolis 500 approaches, there is always talk of drivers “doing the double,” racing in both “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” and NASCAR’s Coca-Cola 600. This Memorial Day weekend, Connor Mosack will be doing triple duty, running the 200-mile NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race and 150-mile ARCA Menards Series race at Charlotte Motor Speedway before heading to Lime Rock Park on Saturday to race in the CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series behind the wheel of the No. 77 Silver Hare Racing/PRG Chevrolet Camaro, laying down an expected total of 450 miles of racing. Not only that, but because Mosack will miss practice and qualifying on Friday, he will have to start from the rear of the field for Saturday’s shootout. Mosack did something similar last October, running the NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Charlotte Motor Speedway before starting in the back for the TA2 race at VIRginia International Raceway, where he drove all the way up from 32nd to sixth.
Josh Hurley comes with experience
Although he has never competed in a TA2 race at Lime Rock Park, Josh Hurley in the No. 20 Greenlight Simulation/BCR Ford Mustang has had plenty of success at the 1.478-mile track. Hurley has driven to podium finishes at Lime Rock in Trans Am’s TA class (finishing third in 2019), as well as in IMSA and TDI Cup. He has also scored a pole award at the track in IMSA. This experience should help the 2020 Trans Am Esports Champion maintain the momentum he has from scoring his first TA2 podium at World Wide Technology Raceway two weeks ago.
Hurley will have a busy Memorial Day Weekend, as he will also be assisting Norwood Auto Italia’s two GT entries with driver coaching and engineering duties in Monday’s event. He also welcomes two new sponsors this weekend, adding Moonlight Physicians and Logic Automation Services to his championship effort.
Merrill hoping to extend streak
2022 champion Thomas Merrill is off to a strong start early in 2024, currently leading the standings in the CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series. Merrill scored a victory at Road Atlanta in his No. 26 HP Tuners/Cope Race Cars Ford Mustang and followed that up with a podium at NOLA Motorsports Park, putting him at a 13-point advantage coming into this weekend. Merrill has a history of success at Lime Rock Park and is tied for the most wins at the track by a single driver with three. Merrill has won the last two races at Lime Rock and hopes to extend his streak this weekend while also extending his points lead.
Maier a winner
Ben Maier in the No. 80 BOE Marine/Nitro Motorsports Ford Mustang bounced back from a heartbreaking race at NOLA Motorsports Park to win both the pole and the race in Trans Am’s last outing at World Wide Technology Raceway. He stood on the podium next to Nitro Motorsports teammate and 2023 champion Brent Crews, who finished second in the event. It was a special moment for 15-year-old Maier and 16-year-old Crews, who have both been working with Nick Tucker at Nitro Motorsports since 2016.
Sheehan heads home after first win
Lime Rock Park is the home track for Tom Sheehan (No. 97 Vixen Motorcycles/LTK Insulation Ford Mustang), who hails from Bow, N.H. Sheehan heads into Lime Rock as a winner, overcoming a rough start to the season to earn his first Pro/Am victory at World Wide Technology Raceway, marking the first time he has stood on the top step of a Trans Am podium in his 142 starts in the series. The “Iron Man” also heads into this weekend with more experience than anyone, as he is the only competitor in the field who has competed in all of the last eight events at the facility.
Pro/Am update
Barry Boes in the No. 27 Team SLR-M1 Racecars Ford Mustang sits atop the TA2 Pro/Am Challenge standings following back-to-back wins in the opening races, but the competition is sneaking up behind him. NOLA Motorsports Park winner Keith Prociuk (No. 9 HP Tuners/Cope Race Cars Ford Mustang) is just 10 points behind Boes, while Jared Odrick (No. 81 CB Motorsports Ford Mustang) and first-time winner Tom Sheehan are just two points apart in third and fourth, respectively. Read more about the exciting battles and new opportunities in the Pro/Am Challenge here.
