Lime Rock Park
Lime Rock Park at a glance
- Location
- Lakeville, Connecticut
- Type
- road course
- Length
- 1.53 mi (2.462 km)
- Turns
- 7
- Direction
- clockwise
- Surface
- asphalt
- Opened
- 1957
- Owner
- Lime Rock Group, LLC
- Address
- 60 White Hollow Road
- Website
- limerock.com
Track map and layout
Tucked into Connecticut's Litchfield Hills, Lime Rock is short at just 1.53 miles but demands total commitment because the natural terrain shapes almost every corner. The classic configuration has only one true left-hander in a lap otherwise built from rights, and the circuit rises and falls with the hillside rather than being graded flat. West Bend and Big Bend carry big speed onto the Sam Posey Straight, and the track's uphill and downhill sections reward drivers who trust blind crests. A configurable chicane before the front straight lets organizers add or remove a braking zone depending on the event, giving pro and club racers a genuinely different lap depending on which layout is run that weekend.
Named corners and sections
- West Bend. A fast right-hand bend leading into the back section of the lap.
- Big Bend. A wide, sweeping corner that carries significant speed onto the following straight.
- The Left-Hander. The classic layout's only left turn, a key overtaking point.
- Sam Posey Straight. The back straight, named for the longtime driver and broadcaster associated with the track.
Configurations
| Layout | Length | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| Classic (no chicane) | 1.53 mi | Base configuration without the front-straight chicane |
| With uphill chicane | 1.473 mi | Adds a single chicane before the front straight |
| With two chicanes | 1.5 mi | Used for some club and vintage events |
Events and race weekends
Lime Rock's biggest weekend is the Trans-Am Series Memorial Day Classic in May, a long-running tradition at the track. NASCAR's Craftsman Truck Series and the ARCA Menards Series both visit in July, and the Historic Festival in September draws vintage racing and car-show crowds. A unique 1959 court injunction bans Sunday racing at the track, so every event weekend runs Friday and Saturday instead of the more typical Saturday-Sunday format.
| Event | Series | When | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trans-Am Series Memorial Day Classic | Trans-Am Series | May | |
| NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series / ARCA Menards Series weekend | NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, ARCA Menards Series | July | |
| Lime Rock Park Historic Festival | Vintage/historic racing | September | long-running vintage racing and car-show weekend |
Getting there and parking
Lime Rock sits in rural northwest Connecticut near Lakeville, roughly two to three hours by car from New York City or Hartford. There is no commercial airport nearby; most visitors drive in, and some fly into regional general-aviation airports.
- Hartford Bradley International Airport (BDL)
Because Sunday racing is banned by a long-standing court injunction, event weekends run Friday-Saturday rather than the usual Saturday-Sunday schedule -- check the calendar before planning travel.
Hotels and camping near Lime Rock Park
Camping is not permitted on-site at Lime Rock Park, so visitors typically stay in nearby towns such as Lakeville, Salisbury or Millerton, New York, especially for the busy Memorial Day and Historic Festival weekends when rooms book out early.
Where to look
Lakeville and Salisbury, Connecticut, and Millerton, New York, are the closest towns; the wider Litchfield Hills area has additional inns and B&Bs.
Camping
Not permitted at Lime Rock Park itself; some NASA-run track days offer limited free overnight camping in the paddock, but general spectator camping is not available.
RV
RV and trailer parking may be staged outside the main gate by arrangement with the track; no on-site hookups.
Track days, driving experiences and lap records
Lime Rock is a long-running HPDE and club-racing venue for the Northeast. The track runs its own Lime Rock Drivers Club, an SCCA-sanctioned race driving school, and outside organizers including the Sports Car Driving Association (SCDA) and SCCA's Track Night in America hold frequent open-lapping and instructed days through the season.
Who runs days here
Typical cost: SCDA HPDE entries run roughly $449 for standard run groups and around $599 for the novice group with instruction included
Lap records
| Category | Time | Driver | Car | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IMSA GTP | 0:45.105 | Juan Manuel Fangio II | — | 1993 |
| LMP1 | 0:45.148 | Klaus Graf | — | 2012 |
| GT3 | 0:51.629 | Julien Andlauer | — | 2023 |
Spectator guide
Lime Rock's compact, hillside layout means fans can see much of the circuit from a single vantage point, unlike sprawling superspeedways. The Historic Festival weekend in particular draws large crowds who mix track viewing with the paddock car show.
Best places to watch
Hillside viewing areas along the back section near West Bend and Big Bend give sightlines across several corners at once.
Weather
- May: mild New England spring, highs typically in the 60s°F
- Sep: cool, crisp early-fall weather typical of the Historic Festival weekend
History of Lime Rock Park
Origins
Lime Rock Park opened on April 27, 1957, built by businessman Jim Vaill with input from racer John Fitch and engineers from Cornell Aeronautical Laboratory. Set into the hills of northwestern Connecticut, the circuit was shaped by the natural terrain rather than heavy grading, giving it the blind crests and elevation change that still define the driving experience today. It is recognized as the third-oldest continuously operating road-racing venue in the United States.
The Sunday racing ban
A defining and unusual feature of Lime Rock's history is a 1959 court injunction, won by neighbors concerned about noise, that prohibits competitive racing on Sundays while still permitting unmuffled testing and practice. The ruling remains in force today, which is why Lime Rock event weekends run Friday and Saturday rather than the more common Saturday-Sunday format used almost everywhere else in American motorsport.
Ownership and modern era
Skip Barber owned and operated the track from 1984 until 2021, when Lime Rock Group, LLC took over ownership. Through those decades the circuit built a reputation as a proving ground for American road racing, hosting Trans-Am's long-running Memorial Day Classic and welcoming NASCAR's Truck Series and ARCA to a road course unusually short and technical for those categories. Broadcaster and racer Sam Posey, closely associated with the track for decades, lent his name to the back straight.
Present day
Today Lime Rock balances a full professional calendar, including Trans-Am, NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and ARCA visits, with an active club-racing and driver-education scene run through its own Lime Rock Drivers Club and outside organizers like SCDA and SCCA. The September Historic Festival remains one of the Northeast's best-attended vintage-racing weekends, pairing on-track action with a large car show that draws collectors and enthusiasts from across the region.
Frequently asked questions
How long is Lime Rock Park?+
The classic configuration is 1.53 miles (2.462 km) with 7 turns. Configurable chicanes can shorten the lap slightly for certain events.
Why doesn't Lime Rock race on Sundays?+
A 1959 court injunction, won by neighboring residents over noise concerns, bans competitive racing on Sundays. It remains in effect, so event weekends run Friday-Saturday instead.
Where is Lime Rock Park located?+
At 60 White Hollow Road in Lakeville, Connecticut, in the Litchfield Hills of the northwestern part of the state.
Can you camp at Lime Rock Park?+
General camping is not permitted on-site. Some NASA-organized track days offer limited overnight paddock camping, and RV/trailer parking outside the main gate can be arranged with the track.
Can the public drive Lime Rock on a track day?+
Yes. The track's own Lime Rock Drivers Club and outside organizers such as SCDA and SCCA's Track Night in America run regular HPDE and club-racing events through the season.
What is Lime Rock's biggest race?+
The Trans-Am Series Memorial Day Classic in May is the track's longest-running and best-known professional event.
Other tracks nearby
- Palmer Motorsport Park · 62 mi · road course
- Pocono Raceway · 125 mi · oval
- New Hampshire Motor Speedway · 139 mi · oval
- Watkins Glen International · 184 mi · road course
- New Jersey Motorsports Park · 198 mi · road course
- Dover Motor Speedway · 220 mi · oval
Facts checked against 4 sources including the official circuit website. Last reviewed 2026-09-09.