Lime Rock Park...sigh.

[lateapex911]

back in the day, I remember some great big time races at Lime Rock. Pretty recently too. AMLS was pretty recent. IMSA, Rolex, multiple big days every year. Some years I had to pick, because I was going to Lime Rock all...the ...time.

Won't be a problem this year.

THey have ONE significant Pro race, the Conti Challenge.

Don't get me wrong, it's a really cool series and all, but...it's not Hurley Haywood in a Porsche or Peter Gregg or Nissan GTPs, or Audi R8s.
Oh, and thye have the vintage weekend. (though thats been given to a much more open group that is hungry for cars).

Has Lime Rock lost it's relevance??

[RHallRacing]

I think Skip was/is charging too much for track rental, He pissed off Nascar K&N Series..then Modifieds and it went from there. I know theres some good people in the office trying to change things. Probably the same reason why Majors/Nationals haven't been in a few years.

[lateapex911]

yes, Skip thinks his track is pretty dear, and charges more than the going rate. Which for clubs is elastic, and lacking local competition, it can work.

But more tracks are coming on line, and for Pro series entrants, Lime Rock is a major PITA. Total lack of nearby and reasonable cost accommodations, difficult to get to, limited hours of operation, (NO SUNDAYS!) and...a major issue: it's too damn short. (And paddocking and pit lanes are issues as well)

Result? I think that with the behind the scenes shenanigans that Skip may or may not be pulling money-wise, the other factors...especially the ready supply of other options that are as, or are more viable, has put some nails in the Lime Rock coffin, as far as spectator events goes.

Which is a pity.

[RHallRacing]

They're supposed to be dumping quite a few $$ into it, i heard rumors of paving all of B-Paddock....which is great as long as they put a bunch of good bathrooms in the place. This year seems to be a loss for good spectator events but i'm still optimistic for "15." But i agree, with so many good tracks on the east coast, the lack of hospitality near by and no Sunday racing they are in a tight spot. They did well for a long time....time to get back to basics...or charge less.

[gran racing]

The pit entrance not being completed when hoped for is what killed LRP for '14. Yes, it sucks but I don't think it's doom and gloom, at least yet.

The whole BMW sponsorship will also be interesting. Or maybe they're able to hook a new sponsor? That would be my guess then back on track for '15.

[BruceG]

Well..Skip seems to think that the Cub at Lime Rock is the way to go. And dog and pony shows like the drifting last summer on the autocross circuit. Went up there during lunch from the poorly attended Mohud down grade to Regional in July. Tons of cars and spectators.

[LD71]

As things change they sometimes have a negative effect on great things from the past.

It's really not about what Skip Barber has done, it's all about the state of sports car racing today,
And the merger of GA and ALMS. There have been too many 'Pro' events since the split and
the decline of sports car racing. So there was no room for LRP in the combined '14 sched.

Let's hope sports cars come back and Lime Rock returns to the calendar, no better place to be
at the races on a sunny afternoon.
LD71

[lateapex911]

Well..Skip seems to think that the Cub at Lime Rock is the way to go. And dog and pony shows like the drifting last summer on the autocross circuit. Went up there during lunch from the poorly attended Mohud down grade to Regional in July. Tons of cars and spectators.

Sounds like you think the above is bad, and not to be allowed or hosted. Why SHOULDN'T LRP embrace and host such events???

[BruceG]

Last Fall in September during the Rolex...I was helping my buddy with the flat bed. Lime Rock also has several tow trucks.

Memo Rojas in the Ganassi DP spun off between one and 2. Kind of wondered why he went off where he did(thought cold tires), Turns out it was the 3rd engine failure for their Dinan BMW V8 int 3 weeks.

Anyway.......powers to be decided to bring Rojas in thru the gate into the A paddock,drivers right between one and 2. They started towing him in.The problem is that management has never had that access road paved!! I ran out to stop the tow truck, as gravel and shit were piling up against the front spoiler,spliters,etc. We released the tow hook, pushed him back on to the track and had him towed all the way round the track to pit in and the Posey straight.

Needless to say, Memo Rojas was not a happy camper!! FOR LACK OF A SHORT SECTION OF PAVEMENT,LRP MANAGED TO PISS OFF AY LEAST ONE MAJOR PLAYER. Perhaps lack of money spent on facilities has pissed off some of the big boys against racing at LRP.

[gran racing]

The sad thing is that the crowds in the past couple of years at LRP for pro events have been fantastic!!

[lateapex911]

Yes, true, even with HIGH gate prices, they've had good/great turnouts.

LRP has in recent memory, (post new tower and pretty landscaping) been wont to put money into the place just to make it better. Seems like any money put in HAS to have a immediate payback.
The story on the repave is that ALMS signed a multiyear contract based on a real deal repave, and improved safety modifications. To finance that, Skip sold stakes in the "club". THAT required club buildings, so he spruced up some existing structures.

The 'media center' where you could watch the braking area on the 'roof? Thats been left to decay. Things like drainage control in Paddock B? Wouldn't cost THAT much, but....
The swamp outside the Esses? Again, you'd think that would be a easy fix, yet it remained for years. The shortcut Bruce mentioned was put in and was a good idea, but, nobody thought that it's a RACETRACK, and race cars are low and need pavement.

The showers? horrible. And c'mon, fixing those could be done for short money. Same with the bathrooms.

It's a BEAUTIFUL place. It's quite special in that regard. But they demand top dollar to visit. When I go to a Bridgeport Bluefish AAA baseball game, the seating is better, the beer courts are awesome, the bathrooms are nicer and cleaner, and the experience is pretty darn good. And the ticket is $11. At LRP, it's porta pottys and piss toughs for 6 times that. (I know, apples to oranges, but...)

Things like that are bitched about by the teams and the sanctioning bodies. LRP has a lot going against it in terms of a tough to get to location and a lack of accommodations, (difficult to change those) so you'd think they'd go out of their way to make sure they did everything possible to eliminate other team gripes.

[preparedcivic]

To rent Lime Rock for one of the few unmuffled Friday-Saturday weekends is $57,000. That just gets you in. Add the required overhead, insurance and what-not for a SCCA Club Racing event, and the minimum gross needs to be around $75,000 just to break even on rental and expenses. Assuming even a miracle count of 200 cars, that means an entry fee of $375. That many cars aren't going to show up, so now the entry fee is more, but what Regional Racer is going to pay $400 or $425 for the limited track time and so-so facilities Lime Rock offers?

The issues with Pro Racing and the track are of the same vein and likely not going to any better either.

[benspeed]

I havent raced at LRP in a few years because its just not a great deal anymore. Soooo many excellent tracks to choose from why go back? Plus i think that the worst wrecks and the most wrecks happen at LRP.

Anybody else think LRP has a higher crash count than other tracks?

[gran racing]

I will say as I've gotten older, recognized that I can actually get hurt, don't have the money for big repair bills and have become closer to the limit, LRP makes me a bit nervous. I don't feel that way at the Glen, Summit, or other tracks I attend.

One interesting aspect about the pro events is that it's really not such a huge money maker for LRP. I didn't realize just how much money it takes to get AMLS or whomever there.

[ner88]

Contact impound reports were twice that of other tracks.

But....well run and well planned events drawer drivers

[StephenB]

I love the track. I love the high speed nature of it and for me it's still the closest "real" track to me. If I lived south of the track I would probably say a lot of the same things all of you are.

Stephen

[lateapex911]

Oh, i love the place, and I like the changeable nature of the track ...its very weather dependent and actually has microclimates in it's short length. The whole "dangerous" thing is fine, I can deal with more risk in exchange for more character/fun to drive. Like, I'll take LRP over NHIS every time. or over the NJ tracks, which are ok, but meh for the most part. (I like the club track better then the pro actually)
But, it's less relevant for Pro teams these days, and thats too bad. And i think, to some degree, avoidable.
I wonder if that will hurt Skips ability to sign people up to the "club"? Part of the draw is the pro events that happen there, and the fact that the track is host to history. Maybe not..Monticello seems to be doing fine, and McNish has never let an R8 loose there in a battle with anyone.

[team-gpracing]

Never been a huge fan of driving the track, but I've always loved the area and spectating. It's always been more of a vacation than a race weekend for me. I'll still try to go once a year just for that fact.

[Drew M]

I love the track more than most, but it's so expensive. I'm not even a stickler about the facilities but when you compare LRP's ticket prices and entry fees to that of other tracks, it seems just ludicrous. I didn't even run there last season. I just instructed a lot instead.

[RacerBill]

As one who cut my racing teeth at Lime Rock (first event as a SCCA worker - timing and scoring since I was only 20 and could not Flag until 21, that was back in 1966), I am saddened at the state of affairs at LRP, and hope that things improve and the place survives. Still hoping to get out there and race before I get too old, or it gets way too expensive, or ............