Let me be clear right out of the gates: Lime Rock Park is one of my favorite places on Earth. Nothing in these ensuing paragraphs should be used to construe my feelings any other way.
These are strange times we’re living in, whether it be politically, morally, economically, medically; whatever word you want to slide in front of -ly, it will probably work. I last spoke about the show season being wiped from 2020’s calendar due to Covid-19 back in May, so rightly so things have changed since then. For one, New Jersey and the surrounding states have performed a successful balancing act of keeping cases low while permitting most businesses to remain open in some capacity. The aggressive actions taken in the first months have made it possible to allow car shows of reduced congregations to happen. I’ve been to a few, including a Cars & Caffe back in August and a small garden party supporting the Radnor Hunt Concours a few weeks ago. Both had attendees mostly following the guidelines, and neither were linked to a new outbreak of cases. Progress.
Please check out the galleries for the event:
Thursday’s Race Car and Vintage Car Parade.
Saturday Racing and Paddock Action.
Sunday’s Sunday in the Park Concours and Gathering of the Marques.
While those events were on a smaller scale, the topic of this post - Lime Rock’s Historic Festival - was a Goliath-dodges-David’s-stone survivor on the show schedule. It teetered on the precipice of what was considered socially ‘safe’ or ‘responsible,’ appearing to stand on the shoreline as the wave of cancellations came crashing down. However, instead of consuming the event in a foamy swell that washed away many who came before it, the wave only tickled their proverbial toes.
Obviously, this year was not going to be like any other.
The Historic Festival has been something I’ve looked forward to since the second week of September, 2014, right after I attended my first event. If I have a scheduling conflict at work, I make sure I can put in for vacation time to avoid missing it. There is something about the combination of vintage racers ripping around a landmark track and a world-class concours that is so intoxicating. Despite being physically exhausted after a marathon weekend (I usually attend the parade on Thursday, racing on Saturday and Monday morning, and the Concours on Sunday), the excitement of the moments keep me moving. All told, I average between 30-40 miles on the pedometer.
To fit within Connecticut’s Covid-19 guidelines, many pieces had to be moved, reshaped, moved again, filed, petitioned, etc, and were done so carefully and diligently. In the weeks leading up to it, I wasn’t sure if I would need to cancel my Airbnb or not, but I finally secured my credentials and made final arrangements. As there were no fans allowed during the races, I decided it would be more prudent to only attend one of the racing days. I usually hit the road early on Monday anyway in order to make it back to my family by lunchtime, so truncating my trip would have minimal effect. Apparently I wasn’t the only one to think that way as the Paddocks were decently cleared by Sunday afternoon.
I knew going into it the atmosphere would be odd, but I wasn’t as prepared as I thought I was. They still got off with the Vintage Race Car and Sports Car Parade on Thursday, albeit with a detour back to the track instead of ending at Falls Village. Despite the restrictions, the Sam Posey Straight was still filled with beautiful cars, both road ready and race-prepped (although the full-on race cars were lacking). Chuck Schoendorf’s Cunningham C-4RK recreation is always a pleasure to see, and it was joined by a pack of Porsche 911 racers and a bevy of British roadsters. Skip Barber was out there piloting a classic Mercedes-Benz 300SL Roadster. Mitch Eitel’s 1956 OSCA MT4 TN looked and sounded a real treat as it whisked by my camera. Again, since Thursday is a boomerang trip, I appreciated the guests vacating earlier. Before heading back to New Jersey though, I pulled the WUTmobile onto the Sam Posey Straight for a fair-weather photo to accompany a snowy shot I took of it years back.
It was Saturday morning that I fully felt this year was going to be an oddly memorable one. I arrived before the sun, as is the usual fashion, only to find both A Paddock and B Paddock far below capacity. Given the mandatory quarantine requirements for travelers coming from a large portion of the United States, it was no surprise the entry list was made up of mostly ‘local’ cars.
But that didn’t stop me from soaking in the early morning sights. The fog lifted from the valley as the dew dried off the plexiglass windscreens. It was an abnormally beautiful day. I say so because it’s generally hotter than anyone would prefer, but it seems Mother Nature conceded to the mask-wearers on site. All day, a gentle breeze blew through the park and there weren’t many instances when the sun played hide and seek behind clouds. The lush greenery of the surrounding hills served as the perfect backdrop, but it was the lack of crowds sitting on the hill that was most noticeable.
The racing action was still very much present, however, with filled grids for the duration of the day. There is still nothing quite like standing under the bridge as the fury of an Alfa Romeo 158 GP car thunders by. Other notable entries included a 1955 Aston Martin DB3S, a Nissan 240SX GT-2, and a cadre of Miatas enjoying their own group run.
The 12+ hour day seemed to disappear into the horizon faster than Tony Carpanzano in his 1993 Reynard Formula Atlantic and before I knew it, I was conducting my final patrol around the Paddock before I retreated to my Airbnb.
Because I am a creature of habit, I returned (as I do every year) to AJ’s Steak and Pizza to enjoy a nice outside dining experience. The grilled chicken wrap and the finest Two Roads IPA was a great complement to conversation I shared with an adjacent car couple. Kim and Ed Fischer were locals who patronized AJ’s far more than I. They also were a Chevy family, with a very cool ’67 Chevelle ‘Woo Hoo’ Wagon in the parking lot and a few more Bowties back at home. Once back at my lodging, something about being a parent of an infant and not sleeping lead to me passing out attempting to edit pictures. Oh well.
Sunday came quick and with it the Sunday in the Park Concours and Gathering of the Marques. This time, spectators were welcomed with open arms, but only if they bought their tickets in advance. Again, the staff of Lime Rock did a stand up job ensuring the health and safety of their guests. The main straight was divided down the middle to allow for one way traffic. Concours entrants were also limited, providing ample space between cars for socially distant ogling. The Paddocks were closed off from the public, save for the bathroom, and there wasn’t a Midway display of vendors (the few in attendance were relocated to Big Bend). Masks were mandatory, unless you were eating, drinking, playing your health impediment card or any combination of the three. The vast majority played ball. There wasn’t a featured collector, or a drive-up award reception for anyone other than the three big winners.
So what was it like? For starters, I truly arrived too early for once. They didn’t open the gates for cars until nearly two hours after my feet hit the tarmac. And thus the tardiness of the cars prevented their capture amongst the morning rays.
Again, the weather was unbelievable, with a morning application of sunscreen lasting the entire day (that’s not how it works! - every wife reading this). Despite the blessing from above, and perhaps a blessing in disguise, it seemed the crowd never materialized beyond small to moderate groupings here and there. Granted, there were a lot of people overall, but because of the large space for them to spread out, it never felt as if I was fighting through the hordes to take a picture, or that I was standing shoulder to shoulder with anyone at any time. The limited ticket sales really curbed the overcrowding and appearance of unsafe conditions.
And what were the crowds treated to? A manageable mix of motorcars representing the gamut of automotive history. The featured classes for 2020 included French cars, Datsun/Nissan Z-Cars, and First Responder vehicles. The juxtaposition of a Dodge Polara CHP cruiser and an AMC Matador in an Adam-12 costume really showed just how massive the proportions of the Polara were. On the contrary, a Crosley was punching above its weight class as a miniature fire engine. It was a knock out, too, by the way.
The Pick of the Paddock is a staple category for cars who were racing throughout the weekend, affording people the ability to get up close and personal during a year they wouldn’t otherwise be able to. There was also a separate class for Saturday’ winners, including the bright yellow Alfa Romeo TZ1 from the Auriana Collection piloted by Joe Colasacco.
A clever “Distancing” class featured two very different interpretations of the recreational vehicle - one a Ford Model T and the other, a Packard coupe with what looked like a fifth wheel trailer. Both were oozing with coolness in their own right, but given the choice, I’d rather see the country in the Packard.
Given the smaller selection on the Sam Posey Straight, I was able to take some time to peruse the rest of the track’s offerings. A standout for me was a pairing of father/son AMCs, one a Javelin the other an AMX. There was also a very clean and tastefully lowered Corrado G60 still sporting its original Sebring alloys and Tornado Red paint. One day I’d like to possess the keys to VW’s technological tour de force built by Karmann. The supercharged coupe complemented the absolute stunner of a MK1 Scirocco entered in the Concours.
The judging for each category was mainly done by the peers, for their peers. With hardware left at the vehicle, it negated the need for people to receive their awards up front. To be honest, it made no difference anyway, considering there wasn’t an audience. Only a handful of special awards were chosen beyond that, with those select winners making their way up on foot to collect their hard-earned trophies as more of a photo-op than anything else. While I missed the opportunity to burn 100s of more files to my memory cards, it certainly sped up the usually hours-long ceremony. My knees were grateful, yet my heart was left yearning.
As the afternoon came to a close, three cars rolled in front of the branded tapestry for their glamour shots. Best American was captured by the stunning 1963 Chevrolet Corvette Sting Ray of Robert Boutot. The Best International was awarded to the 1967 Lancia Flaminia Convertible of Donald Schwarzkopf. And the top prize Best of Show was rightfully bestowed upon the larger than life 1930 Packard 745 Phaeton of Dr. Denis Bouboulis. With smiles hidden behind masks, the eyes took over projecting the joy of the owners, which was evident.
With the final click of the shutter, the time had come to finish my Paddock roaming before packing it up and calling it. As I slowly made my way to my car, I tried to absorb and store as much as I could see, as much as I wanted to forget this year entirely. If I did that, however, I would be erasing the moments spent with track pals, at a safe distance, some of whom I only see once a year. Thankfully there was nothing in the CDC guidelines about the dangers of contagious laughter.
It is always bittersweet when I remove camera gear from my harness for the ultimate time (and a mask, this year). On one hand, I’m relieved the madness of a motoring weekend is over. And on the other, I instantly long for an encore performance; a way to extend my time at my happy place. As the “what happened to…” 2020 season rolls to an end, with leaves quickly transitioning colors before bailing from their trees altogether, it was nice to enjoy a bit of modified familiarity. I think Lime Rock should be applauded for ushering us into will be considered as the post-Covid era of event attending.
Please check out the galleries for the event:
Thursday’s Race Car and Vintage Car Parade.
Saturday Racing and Paddock Action.
Sunday’s Sunday in the Park Concours and Gathering of the Marques.