Trans Am at Lime Rock Park A Photo Story

May 28, 2021

Thirty years in the making, the Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli is set to return to Lime Rock Park. This Memorial Day weekend will mark the 30th Trans Am event at the high-speed venue set in northwest Connecticut. (Read Full History)

The Trans Am Memorial Day Classic returns to Lime Rock Park with SVRA May 28-31
 
To celebrate the 30th Anniversary, here's a look at some of Trans Am's memories at Lime Rock Park over the last seven decades. 

1968-1971 (Images Provided by Randy McKee)

Trans Am first competed at Lime Rock in 1967 – the second season of the series and the beginning of its “Golden Years.”  Peter Revson won the opening event in Bud Moore’s Mercury Cougar. Mark Donohue won the 1969 round in a Roger Penske Chevrolet Camaro and won again in 1971 in a Penske AMC Javelin. In between, local standout Sam Posey and Parnelli Jones won in Ford Mustangs, beginning Lime Rock’s “who’s who” of Trans Am winners.

 

Late 1970s-Early 1980s (Images Provided by Randy McKee)

The later 1970s and early 1980s Trans Am events featured more victory lane variety as imports came to the fore thanks to the efforts of drivers like Al Holbert, Milt Minter and Paul Miller winning in Porsches, Paul Newman’s success in a Nissan, while Greg Pickett looked to extend the Chevrolet legacy with his 1981 triumph in a Corvette.

 

Late 1980s-Early 1990s (Images Provided by Randy McKee)

American muscle returned to dominate Trans Am in the later 1980s and early 1990s. Dorsey Schroeder won three Lime Rock races in Ford Mustangs, while Scott Pruett won in a Mercury Merkur, Tommy Archer in a Dodge Daytona, and Tommy Kendall in a Roush Mustang.

 

Late 1990s-Early 2000s (Images Provided by Andy Hartwell)

The later 1990s and early 2000s saw exotic imports challenging the domestic Corvettes, with winners including Boris Said in a Panoz Esperante and Johnny Miller in a Rocketsports XKR.

2010-2019 (Images Provided by Chris Clark)

After a seven-year absence, Trans Am returned to Lime Rock in 2010, won by Tony Ave. Current competitor Simon Gregg won the next race in 2012, before Paul Fix II reeled off three straight victories to make it five-in-a-row for Corvette.

Other recent winners include seven-time champion Ernie Francis Jr., who won TA3 American Muscle in 2014-15, and Bob Stretch, TA2® in 2012-13. The COVID-19 pandemic forced cancellation of the 2020 event.