First Time: Rolex Daytona Prototypes at Lime Rock
Grand-Am DP/GT race scheduled for Monday, May 31, 2010
For the first time ever, Grand-Am’s Rolex Daytona Prototypes will race at Lime Rock Park. At next year’s traditional and popular Memorial Day event – Monday, May 31 – the Rolex Sports Car Series DPs and GTs will be showcased in a combined-class race.
“We’re so pleased to see Grand-Am’s Rolex Series coming to race at Lime Rock,” said Skip Barber, track president. “After our major reconstruction last year, I have no doubt that when the teams and drivers see the track – not to mention the paddock and pit lane – they’ll be as pleased as we are. The racing will be great; the fans are in for a treat.”
A total reconstruction and repaving of Lime Rock Park’s entire 1.53-mile, seven-turn circuit was completed in June, 2008 (from the grade-level aggregate base to new asphalt); at that time, two optional corner-complexes were also built; one in the Uphill and the other in West Bend.
For the Memorial Day race weekend, the plan (subject to change) is to use the optional Uphill corner-complex – its first-gear entry was designed to provide another brake-passing zone – in combination with the classic West Bend sweeper.
Besides the Rolex Series on Monday, Grand-Am’s KONI Sports Car Challenge series will headline the Saturday, May 29 schedule; the Grand Sports (GS) and Street Tuner (ST) classes will each have a stand-alone race.
“It’s almost like two major weekends in one,” said Barber. “The KONI Challenge teams will practice and qualify on Friday, followed by both an ST race and a GS race on Saturday. Then the Rolex Daytona Prototype and GT teams arrive at the track Sunday, with practice and qualifying Monday morning. The televised race will go green in the early afternoon. This will be a very good, really exciting Memorial Day race weekend.”
Already scheduled is one of the support events for the weekend: a Ford Racing Mustang Challenge clash on Saturday.