NASCAR Modifies Test at Lime Rock

Don · #1 (**permalink**) 09-30-2009, 08:37 PM

From the Lime Rock Web Site:

30 Sep 2009
What if a handful of Modified drivers wanted to test at Lime Rock Park?

... but would do it the “wrong” way?

Well, it happened. On Tuesday, September 29, True Value Modified drivers Ken Barry, Jack Bateman, John Cleary and Jimmy Dolan did a few laps at Lime Rock “counter-race.”

That is, the Uphill became the Downhill and the Downhill became the Uphill, for about 40 minutes. After the first session, a tirewall chicane was moved out to near the top of the “new” Downhill to keep the speeds reasonable through that corner.

“It was good, our Spafco Race Chassis car felt pretty much at home,” said Barry. “It was loose through the righthander (the Lefthander), and I was getting some push heading onto the straight, but it’s nothing we couldn’t fix with a rebound adjustment to the right-front shock.”

Click here for a few more photos of the “backwards day” at Lime Rock Park.

Video can be found on You Tube by clicking here.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c7iQkDqKpIs

Bob In Ct · #2 (**permalink**) 09-30-2009, 08:48 PM

For what purpose?

Bob

rustyBob · #3 (**permalink**) 10-01-2009, 08:31 AM

Are they adding a road cource for the modifieds........that would be awesome.........that would be more fun than watching Indy races.

mr bruce · #4 (**permalink**) 10-01-2009, 08:39 AM

back in the 60s they had a race up there, basically run what you brung, stock cars, sportycars, anything. Sum cat brought a Sprint car and killed everybody.

Bob In Ct · #5 (**permalink**) 10-01-2009, 09:49 AM

FYI - The Whelen Modifieds are at Stafford this weekend (150 Laps). If you really like Modifieds this is a terrific place to see them. On Sunday from 11:00 to Noon you can stroll among all the cars on the front straight at no cost. The SKs are also racing.

www.staffordspeedway.com

Bob

ack fia · #6 (**permalink**) 10-02-2009, 06:15 AM

That didn't sound like 89dba to me!

mrmustang · #7 (**permalink**) 10-02-2009, 07:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ack fia

That didn't sound like 89dba to me!

I was just thinking the same thing

Bill S.

xracerbob · #8 (**permalink**) 10-02-2009, 07:37 AM

Tuesday afternoons have been open test days for as long as I can remember. From 1:00 to 6 PM you can be "loud". I tested my Formula Ford there many years ago with 900HP McLaren vintage CanAm car. That car was loud, especially when your head is 8' from the exhaust.

Don · #9 (**permalink**) 10-02-2009, 01:19 PM

Reply to an inquiry sent to Lime Rock regarding any future plans for a Modified race :

" Thanks for contacting Lime Rock Park!

Our website is the first place that we will post news – like scheduled series races.

Please stay tuned! We will be announcing our 2010 major event schedule very soon.......

See you at the track! "

Don · #10 (**permalink**) 10-02-2009, 02:37 PM

Shawn Courchesne writes an Auto Racing column for the Hartford Courant, from his web site:

" John Hoyt, series director for the True Value Modified Racing Series, deemed Tuesday's test session for the division at Lime Rock Park in Salisbury a success. "

" Lime Rock owner Skip Barber said last week that he would like to see a Modified event at the track, possibly as early as next season "

" Hoyt said there were no issues with the cars going up what is traditionally the downhill. Barry reached about 142 mph on the frontstretch heading into what would now be the uphill for the Modifieds "

"The guys loved that," Hoyt said. "Nobody had any problem with that. There is some issues with some of the barriers that aren't quite set up for us to go the other way. That's stuff that the track is going to have to look at, whether its feasible for them to do or not. It's really all up in the air, but at least our portion we know that if we can get the outside of track and get the stuff situated with the track we think we could have a good race there. Its all good from our end. Whatever happens happens. At least we know that its definitely feasible from a car standpoint if the track can take care of the things they need to take care of. They may not want to. It's totally up to them."

" Hoyt doesn't see a way that Modifieds could run the track safely in its normal configuration. "

http://blogs.courant.com/autoracing/...-stu.html#more

WildBill3 · #11 (**permalink**) 10-02-2009, 03:30 PM

Man now thats coool!!

ZOERA-SC7XX · #12 (**permalink**) 10-02-2009, 05:33 PM

Quote:
" Lime Rock owner Skip Barber said last week that he would like to see a Modified event at the track, possibly as early as next season "

Quote:
" Hoyt doesn't see a way that Modifieds could run the track safely in its normal configuration. "

CT. is the center of asphalt modified racing as we know it. For Lime Rock to host a modified event would be a no-brainer. It would probably draw more fans than any other single-day event they have.
The only way that the modifieds would be successful going the traditional direction would be to build the chassis exactly straight up, much as they were back around 1975. That would entail building all new chassis for that single event (highly unlikely). To go in reverse direction would be natural for these cars with 55% left side weight.

WildBill3 · #13 (**permalink**) 10-02-2009, 06:36 PM

as long as everyone is on the same page it's all good, keep out RR corse cars and letm run

Don · #14 (**permalink**) 11-11-2009, 05:57 PM

Lime Rock Press Release: Nov 11

NASCAR Times Two: Whelen Modifieds to Race at Lime Rock Park Same Weekend as Camping World Series East

NASCAR double-header date is July 2-3, 2010

The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour is coming to Lime Rock Park for the first time ever, joining the Camping World Series East race weekend of July 2-3, 2010. Both races are scheduled at this point to be 66-laps (101 miles).

The Whelen Tour has not held a road-course race since 2000. The 625 h.p., 2,500 lb., 150 m.p.h. modifieds will run Lime Rock’s 1.53-mile circuit in the traditional clockwise direction.

Modifieds represent NASCAR’s oldest division (the first NASCAR-sanctioned event was a modified race), and what is now the popular Whelen Modified Tour begins its 26th year in 2010.

Lime Rock President Skip Barber said, “We didn’t announce our moving of the Camping World East event from August to the July 4 weekend until now because we were working on securing the Whelen Modifieds, too. Now that we’ve done that, we’re very pleased to have put together a really good NASCAR double-header weekend for the fans.”

Support races for the NASCAR twin-bill are still to be announced.

The confirmation of the NASCAR weekend completes Lime Rock Park’s major spectator-event schedule for its 2010 professional racing dates...

Following the opening of the track in March or April for the Skip Barber Racing School, car clubs and SCCA races (plus private track days for members of the Lime Rock Drivers Club), the first major spectator event of 2010 is the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series during the Memorial Day weekend of May 28-31. This is the first time that Grand-Am’s Daytona Prototypes (the same teams and cars that race at the Daytona 24 Hours) have raced at Lime Rock.

(Note: Also on the slate is the Grand-Am KONI Challenge series, which will have practice and qualifying on Friday, May 28, followed by separate GS and ST races on Saturday, May 29. Then the Rolex Daytona Prototypes and GTs will practice, qualify and race on Monday, May 31. Support races in addition to the Ford Racing Mustang Challenge series include the Cooper Tires Presents the Atlantic Championship Powered by Mazda and a still-to-be-announced development series.)

Announced today is the July 2-3 date for the NASCAR twin-bill of the Camping World Series East and the Whelen Modified Tour. Additional support series for this Friday/Saturday event are still to be announced. Lime Rock will stage its traditional fireworks show during the weekend.

Next will be the American Le Mans Series (ALMS), which comes to Lakeville July 23-24 for the seventh consecutive year. At Lime Rock for the ALMS Northeast Grand Prix will be Le Mans Prototype (LMP), Le Mans Prototype Challenge (LMPC), Grand Touring (GT) and Grand Touring Challenge (GTC). Support series will include the Cooper Tires Presents the Atlantic Championship Powered by Mazda, the F2000 Championship Series (official development series of USF1), and the IMSA Lites Championship Presented by Frisby Performance Tire.

The East Coast’s most prestigious vintage racing weekend is Lime Rock’s annual Labor Day event, the 28th Vintage Festival, September 3-6. Look for further announcements regarding featured cars and honored guests as well as information about the new-and-improved “Sunday in the Park” car show.

In addition to the four professional events, the spectator racing schedule for 2010 concludes October 1-2 with the traditional SCCA North Atlantic Road Racing Championship (NARRC) run-offs.

2010 Lime Rock Park Major Spectator-Event Schedule:

May 28-31, Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series (Daytona Prototypes and GT); KONI Sports Car Challenge (Grand Sports and Street Tuner); Cooper Tires Presents the Atlantic Championship Powered by Mazda

July 2-3, NASCAR Camping World Series East; NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour; support races TBA

July 23-24, American Le Mans Series (ALMS) Northeast Grand Prix; Cooper Tires Presents the Atlantic Championship Powered by Mazda; F2000 Championship Series (official development series of USF1); IMSA Lites Championship Presented by Frisby Performance Tire

September 3-6, the 28th Annual Vintage Festival

October 1-2, SCCA North Atlantic Road Racing Championship (NARRC) run-offs

ZOERA-SC7XX · #15 (**permalink**) 11-11-2009, 06:53 PM

If the modifieds run the traditional direction at LR, the left turn chassis will not work very well. The team or teams who invest in a non-offset chassis (last seen circa 1975) will finish ahead of the rest. Is one race worth building and developing a straight chassis when the payoff won't cover the costs? If you want to win, they'll have to eliminate the left side weight bias. Time will tell.
With that said, I applaud LR for bringing in the modifieds. Too bad they won't run counterclockwise.

HealeyRick · #16 (**permalink**) 11-11-2009, 07:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mr bruce

back in the 60s they had a race up there, basically run what you brung, stock cars, sportycars, anything. Sum cat brought a Sprint car and killed everybody.

That was the 1959 Formula Libre race won by Roger Ward, probably the best race ever at LRP: http://www.barcboys.com/LimeRock%20TheRace.htm

Jim Holden · #17 (**permalink**) 11-12-2009, 12:13 PM

...and now they will race at Lime Rock (clockwise) on July 4th weekend! (See: http://www.limerock.com/news)

Bob In Ct · #18 (**permalink**) 11-12-2009, 12:57 PM

Unless the Modified and Stocker guys can get LRP to rearrange the ARMCO they will continue to go clockwise. Going counter-clockwise at LRP would be very dangerous due to the location of the soft walls, the openings in the ARMCO (which are currently designed for clockwise), the manner in which the ARMCO is overlapped (left over right on the outside) and the location of the flagging stations.

Bob

Don · #19 (**permalink**) 11-12-2009, 01:43 PM

Would seem that a combination of Lime Rock, series/race sponsor, and NASCAR reviewed the all the pros and cons of race direction and potential alterations to the Modified cars and have mutually chosen to race in a clockwise direction.

Past NASCAR events at Lime Rock have been very well attended, possibly with higher attendance than the traditional sports car events.

ZOERA-SC7XX · #20 (**permalink**) 11-12-2009, 05:38 PM

NASCAR has everything backwards these days.