LAKEVILLE, Conn. — Following a frantic week that featured an all-out effort to recover from a significant storm that left the track without power, phone service and a swath of downed trees to clear, Lime Rock Park welcomed thousands of fans on Friday as the ARCA Menards Series kicked off the LIUNA 150 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race weekend.
Young charger Thomas Annunziata delivered a commanding performance to earn his second ARCA victory at Lime Rock Park in as many years, having won on his series debut at the track last season.
Starting second alongside pole winner Carson Brown, Annunziata settled in behind teammate Jake Bollman after avoiding a Turn 1 incident that dropped Brown several positions. Annunziata quickly put his speed on display, taking the lead in the opening laps.
A scheduled mid-race pit stop cycle reset the field, forcing him to fight back to the front before pulling away to a commanding margin of more than 10 seconds over runner-up Andrew Ranger at the checkered flag.
Annunziata was thrilled to remain undefeated in ARCA competition at his home track and now turns his attention to Saturday’s LIUNA 150, where he will compete in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series with TRICON Garage.
“I feel like (YouTube star and NASCAR racer) Cleetus McFarland, with everyone here rooting for me!” said Annunziata. “I’ve raced here in Trans Am as well and have a perfect podium record here. Lime Rock Park is such a nice facility overall. It’s just beautiful. There is a lot of nature and the track itself is very smooth and fun. I love racing here. It is home for me and just suits me so well. Hopefully we can have another good day again tomorrow.”
Friday’s successful opening day reflected the enormous effort that went into preparing the facility, with little visible evidence of the storm damage remaining for fans.
“Honestly, I can’t believe it. We went from a place where we weren’t sure we were going to be able to have an event here at Lime Rock, to now completing day one of NASCAR weekend almost flawlessly, with fantastic racing, massive crowds and all of our partners fully engaged,” said Lime Rock Park President and CEO Dicky Riegel. “It feels fantastic, and I’m so proud of our team that banded together to make it all work.
“Our ability to even have a race here today really goes back, first and foremost, to Eversource. We had linemen from as far away as Canada helping with the recovery effort. Our partners and community showed up to help us make all the necessary repairs and adjustments to the track. It feels incredible, and we are really looking forward to the LIUNA 150 on Saturday. It is the biggest day of the year at The Park.”
For the first time this season, fans attending a NASCAR national series event were able to step inside the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series garage without a separate pass, extending Lime Rock Park’s longstanding open paddock tradition to NASCAR. More than 1,000 fans took advantage of the open garage hours on Friday.
