LAKEVILLE, Conn. — Having hosted its first event nearly 70 years ago, Lime Rock Park knows how to stage a race weekend.
But after a significant storm front slammed the Northwest Connecticut facility in the early hours of July 5, the comprehensive pre-event planning checklists that have served the track so well in the past suddenly had a lot more items added to them as staff race to recover ahead of the venue’s biggest event of the season this weekend.
The 2026 season marks the second appearance of the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series at Lime Rock Park, headlined by the LIUNA 150 on Saturday, July 11. The weekend will also feature the ARCA MENARDS Series and USF Juniors, both of which will race on Friday.
The natural beauty of the track, with no grandstands and the iconic Berkshire Mountains serving as the backdrop to its ultra-fast 1.53-mile circuit, is defined in part by its robust population of trees. Decades of work to grow and maintain those trees suffered a setback as powerful winds brought down limbs and toppled trees throughout the property, causing widespread damage and knocking out power, internet and phone service across the entire facility.
With a long history of hosting major events to build on, the team at Lime Rock Park is fully engaged in the recovery effort, working with the local community to clean up the property and prepare to welcome fans, teams and competitors back to The Park once again this weekend.
“It has truly been all hands on deck for us, from our maintenance staff working to recover the grounds and get them race ready, to our event operations team adjusting plans while we have been without power and internet,” said Lime Rock Park President and CEO Dicky Riegel. “We also owe a tremendous thank you to everyone who has stepped up to help, including the crews from Housatonic Racing Development, who volunteered their time during the cleanup, Goff Equipment for quickly providing equipment to help expedite the recovery, Green Acres Landscaping and Segalla Construction for lending their support, and the countless community members who have pitched in.
“We’re also incredibly grateful to the crews from Eversource for working tirelessly to restore power to the region ahead of their original estimated timeline. Their efforts, along with those of so many others, have made a tremendous difference as we prepare for race weekend.”
