Cup drivers want to run Truck race at Lime Rock Park

The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series is returning to Lime Rock Park in Northwest Connecticut, for the second time this weekend.

The 1.53 mile road course is one of the fastest to drive on in NASCAR. Multiple notable names are competing which include track co-owner Parker Kligerman, IndyCar driver Louis Foster, and IMSA standout Colin Braun.

But what about NASCAR Cup Series drivers? Would they want to compete in the standalone event as well?

The answer is yes, but it comes down to fitting the race in their schedules.

Cup drivers from Connecticut

Currently, there are two Cup drivers from Connecticut. Ryan Preece and Joey Logano.

Preece is from Berlin, Conn. and is currently in his seventh full time season in the Cup Series. He has won multiple times in the state in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour. He made a start in the Tour at Lime Rock in 2010, where he started in seventh and finished third.

When asked the question, Preece said, “yeah it would be fun. I don’t know if it would ever line up with the schedule.”

Preece last raced in the Truck Series in 2022. He’s won twice in the series with both occuring at Nashville in 2021 and 2022.

Logano hails from Middletown, Conn. and is in his 18th full time season in Cup. He made a start at Lime Rock in 2007 in the now named ARCA Menards Series East. He started in ninth and finished 23rd, eight laps down.

Logano went on to win the championship that year for Joe Gibbs Racing.

When asked, Logano said, “possibly some day, it doesn’t line up right now for scheduling stuff. I would love to race in Connecticut again some day it would be really cool to do. It’s been years since I’ve been around that racetrack but it would be really neat.”

Logano last raced in the Truck Series in 2023 where he won on the Bristol dirt configuration.

Cup road ringers

Multiple drivers who are known to excel at road courses also expressed interest in racing at Lime Rock.

A.J. Allmendinger has pulled off double duty before when it comes to NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series standalones on road courses.

In 2022, he ran the O’Reilly race at Portland which he won before he flew to Gateway for the Cup race the next day. Then in 2023, he ran the O’Reilly race at Road America where he finished in ninth. He then flew back over to Richmond for the Cup race.

Allmendinger’s teammate at the Rolex 24 at Daytona this year Colin Braun, is competing in the truck race in the No. 25 RAM for Kaulig Racing.

Allmendinger said, “I would definitely be interested in Lime Rock, it’s such a cool little racetrack. I raced a lot of it in Barber Dodge and through the Skip Barber stuff that I did. If there’s an opportunity there to go and win I would do it.”

Allmendinger competed in two truck races this year at Darlington and Watkins Glen. His best finish was at Watkins Glen in sixth.

Shane Van Gisbergen, the king of road courses in NASCAR with eight wins also expressed interest in running Lime Rock.

He said, “I guess so but it would be hard with traveling between the two (Lime Rock and Atlanta), but yeah I’ll race anything if I can.”

Gisbergen ran two truck races this year at Watkins Glen and Charlotte, with a best finish of third at the Glen.

Conclusion

With the Cup race at Atlanta getting moved to Sunday night from Saturday, the path to Cup guys running Lime Rock on Saturday is slightly easier. But flying back and forth between Connecticut and Georgia is definitely difficult to do in one weekend.

Lime Rock this weekend per a source in the track’s media center, mentioned that ticket sales are projected in advance to be about the same as last year and could potentially surpass last year.

Lime Rock will hopefully continue to be a staple on the Truck schedule, and maybe Cup drivers could take a swing at the track in the future.