Racecars roar in NASCAR’s return to Lime Rock Park

High-speed action made for a weekend of excitement at Lime Rock Park Friday and Saturday, June 27-28.
Photo by Simon Markow
High-speed action made for a weekend of excitement at Lime Rock Park Friday and Saturday, June 27-28.
LAKEVILLE — For the first time since 2011, Lime Rock Park hosted National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing events June 27 and 28.
It was billed as the largest event in modern track history with an estimated 20,000 fans attending.
The action kicked off Thursday, June 26, when a massive hauler parade rolled into town. A “Pit Stop Party” was held at the White Hart Inn in Salisbury where drivers signed autographs and met with fans.
A hauler parade arrived in Salisbury Thursday, June 26, marking the return of NASCAR to Lime Rock Park.Photo by Lans Christensen
Dan Winkley, hotel manager at the White Hart, said, “We’re super excited to have NASCAR in our town. We have elevated our staffing levels. We’ve got all hands on deck ready to go to welcome in the big crowds.”
One of the drivers at the White Hart was Ben Maier, a 16-year-old making his NASCAR truck series debut. “I’m pretty excited to just figure out the car and figure out what I’m getting into,” he said.
Toni Breidinger, the lone female truck racer of the weekend, said, “I’m most excited to be at a new track. I’ve never been here before, so I think that’s really fun.”
Maier and Breidinger both competed in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, a national circuit known for launching the careers of stars like Kyle Busch, Kevin Harvick and Chase Elliott.
Crew mechanics worked in the paddocks Friday, June 27, to get vehicles ready for racing on Lime Rock Park's unique course.Photo by Lans Christensen
On Friday, June 27, at about 11 a.m., the members of the parking team at Trinity Episcopal Church across the street from Lime Rock Park were ready for action. Visitors could park their cars in the field and take a short and leisurely stroll over to the track.
Meanwhile, crews were hard at work in the paddocks. Drivers prepared for racing, emergency personnel were on duty and the LRP staff helped guests enjoy a day at the track.
Buz McCall, driving a 1998 Monte Carlo, was getting laps in ahead of the NASCAR Classic series race later that night. At 78 years old, McCall was the oldest driver of the weekend. His opponent, Ray Webb, had raced against McCall many times in the past and said he remains a tough competitor. “He’s still got it. Oh yeah.”
Kent firefighter P.J. Haviland was stationed near the pit lane in case of emergency. He said training for the event was extensive and covered most possible scenarios. “It was a simulator,” Haviland explained, which included extinguishing propane fires, cutting off power inside cars, removing steering wheels and similar rescue procedures. Of his trackside post, he said “It’s great.”
P.J. Haviland, of Kent, had a front row seat to the action Friday, June 27.Photo by riley Klein
Some current Housatonic Valley Regional High School students were hard at work in the Paddock Concession Stand. During a lull in the line, Gustavo Portillo, Wyatt Merwin and Sam Berry spoke of the efforts that went into the weekend.
“It was a lot of prep. A lot of wrapping, burgers, patties and everything,” said Portillo. “It hasn’t been too busy,” Portillo said of the Friday crowd, but Berry noted, “The main races are tomorrow.”
Vehicles gassed up for race day Saturday, June 28.Photo by Riley Klein
Saturday afternoon brought perfect summer weather for the NASCAR Craftsman Truck LIUNA 150 Race at 1 p.m.
Rev. Heidi Truax of Trinity Episcopal Church gave the pre-race invocation.
“Racing in beautiful Lime Rock reminds me of the psalm 'I lift up my eyes to the hills,' but our eyes are focused right now on the track, not so much the hills,” she said at the start of her prayer.
The park was packed for race day.
Lime Rock Park's hillside was filled with guests Saturday, June 28.Photo by Lans Christensen
Finn Scribner, of Torrington, was attending his first NASCAR race. “It’s good. It’s loud,” said Scribner. “First time I’ve been here since I was 5 or 6. My grandparents got me tickets for my birthday.”
Frankie Muniz, former star of the TV show “Malcom in the Middle,” competed in the truck series race driving the No. 33 Ford F-150.
The LIUNA 150 was won by Corey Heim in dominant fashion, leading nearly every lap of the race. It was his fifth Craftsman Truck series win this season.
After his first-ever race in Lakeville, Heim said, “Seeing the atmosphere and the fans that came out was super cool. Everyone seemed so excited to have NASCAR at Lime Rock. Really hoping they continue this trend and we can come back in the future.”
Corey Heim and crew pose at the finish line after winning his fifth race of the 2025 Craftsman Truck season.Photo by Riley Klein
The ARCA Menards Lime Rock Park 100 was won by Thomas Annunziata, marking his first career ARCA victory. It was his second race at LRP this year after finishing 2nd in the Trans Am 2 Classic in May.
Lime Rock Park CEO Dicky Riegel commented on Annunziata, “He’s a son of Lime Rock Park. You know, that guy, all he does here is win and podium.”
Lime Rock Park CEO Dicky Riegel, second from left, presented the trophy to Thomas Annunziata, center, after he won the ARCA Menards Lime Rock Park 100 on Saturday, June 28.Photo by Riley Klein
At the end of the action-packed weekend, Riegel said, “It’s been amazing. After three years of putting this together, it’s just been fantastic.”
Concrete attendance numbers were not available, but Riegel said it was “absolutely a modern record for this place.”
This article was written by Riley Klein with reporting from Simon Markow.
NASCAR fans enjoyed a weekend of on-track action at Lime Rock Park June 27-28.Photo by Riley Klein
Author and cartoonist Peter Steiner signed books at Sharon Summer Book Signing last summer.
The 27th annual Sharon Summer Book Signing at the Hotchkiss Library of Sharon will be held Friday, Aug. 1, from 4:45 to 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, Aug. 2, from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; and Sunday, Aug. 3, at noon.
Friday’s festivities will honor libraries and the power of the written word. In attendance will be 29 locally and nationally recognized authors whose books will be for sale. With a wide array of genres including historical fiction, satire, thrillers, young adult and non-fiction, there will be something for every reader.
The event will include a selection of hors d’oeuvres and drinks, followed by eight festive author dinners where writers will read and discuss their work one-on-one with attendees.
Saturday will feature a new Page to Plate program that merges the literary and culinary worlds. Just as writing is a practice of patience and love, so too is the art of cooking. Cookbooks and food writing make cooking teachable to those excited to learn and celebrate the art of a perfect meal.
Through a combination of demonstrations and conversations, acclaimed cookbook authors and chefs will cover a variety of delicious topics. Highlights include a discussion with Chris Morocco, food director of “Bon Appetit” magazine and “Epicurious.” Sharon resident and chef Jessie Sheehan will demonstrate recipes from her cookbook “Salty, Cheesy, Herby, Crispy Snackable Bakes: 100 Easy-Peasy, Savory Recipes for 24/7 Deliciousness.”
With the combination of vetted recipes and thorough discussion from food experts, attendees are sure to leave knowing how to cultivate the ultimate act of service: the gift of a full stomach.
Sunday will be brunch at a private Sharon residence hosted by Graham Klemm and Cody O’Kelly to celebrate author Carolyn Klemm and her cookbook “Culinary Collection: Favorite Country Recipes.”
For more information and to purchase tickets, visit hotchkisslibraryofsharon.org
All proceeds support the programs at The Hotchkiss Library of Sharon.
Ukraine Emergency Fundraiser at The Stissing Center in 2022 raised over $120,000 for Sunflower of Peace.
The spirit of Ukraine will be on display at the Stissing Center in Pine Plains on Sunday, July 27. Beginning at 5 p.m., the “Words to America from Ukraine” fundraiser is set to showcase the simultaneous beauty of Ukrainian culture and the war-time turmoil it faces, all the while fundraising in support of Ukrainian freedom.
“Words to America from Ukraine” aims to remind and spread awareness for the suffering that often gets forgotten by those who live in comfortable worlds, explained Leevi Ernits, an organizer for the event. “We are trying to make an attempt to remind people that we are human, and we are connected with human values,” she said. “With very few words, poetry can express very deep values.”
Sponsored by the Town of Stanford, Friends of Ukraine, L.E. Design LLC, Bartelby & Sage, Oblong Books and Borshch of Art, the fundraiser will host the recitation of war-time Ukrainian poetry. Readings will include the works of Vasyl Sagaydak, Oksana Lutsyshyna, Serhiy Zhadan, Victoria Amelina, Marjana Savka, Ostap Slyvynsky, and Mariana Harahonych.
“Poems are fishhooks into our souls,” added Mark Lagus, another event organizer, explaining why poetry was chosen for the main event.
Guests will also enjoy a performance by Ukrainian Village Voices, a New York City- based band dedicated to preserving and promoting traditional Ukraining Folk music. The evening will also feature speakers Jed Sunden and Maria Genkin, along with a live auction. Food and drink will be provided by Bartelby & Sage, a sustainable, local and female-owned company.
All ticket proceeds, bids, and donations will go directly to Razom for Ukraine, a U.S.-based nonprofit. Razom, meaning “together” in Ukrainian, has the mission of “contributing to the establishment of a secure, prosperous and democratic Ukraine,” through “creating, inspiring, and collaborating on initiatives that motivate people to think, partner and do.”
Tickets, donation opportunities, and more information are all available by visiting www.wordsfromukraine.org
Celebrating its 45th year, the Grumbling Gryphons will perform at HVRHS Friday, Aug. 1, at 7 p.m.
The Grumbling Gryphons Traveling Children’s Theater is preparing to celebrate its 45th year — not with fanfare, but with feathers, fabric, myth, chant, and a gala finale bursting with young performers and seasoned artists alike.
The Gryphons’ 2025 Summer Theater Arts Camp begins July 28 and culminates in a one-night-only performance gala at Housatonic Valley Regional High School on Friday, Aug. 1 at 7 p.m. Founder, playwright, and artistic director, Leslie Elias has been weaving together the worlds of myth, movement and theater for decades.
“We’re a touring company that is participatory,” Elias said with her trademark storytelling cadence. “Even when there’s no pre-performance workshop, it’s still participatory. Always.”
Founded in 1980 “in a little basement apartment on the lower east side with co-founder Vanessa Roe,” said Elias,Grumbling Gryphons (recipients of the 2003 Connecticut Governor’s Arts Award) has long occupied a unique niche: part performance troupe, part educational outreach, part community ritual. Whether dramatizing Greek myths, Native American legends, or original tales about bees and bogs, the company’s ethos centers on inclusion, transformation, and hands-on engagement.
This summer’s camp offers children ages six and up five fast-paced days of storytelling, acting, mask-making, and rehearsal. The first three days will take place at Elias’s own home studio — a tucked-away space filled with costumes, puppets, and instruments — before moving into full performance prep mode.
“In the ideal world, we would have more time,” she laughed. “It’s a lot of pressure to be performing for the public after five days. But we’re going to do our best.”
The gala performance, she explained, is a kind of theatrical mosaic — scenes and excerpts from Grumbling Gryphons’ vast repertoire, some showcasing seasoned adult performers and others giving campers center stage. The cast will include returning campers, newcomers, and guest artists drawn from the Gryphons’ decades-spanning circle of collaborators including mask maker and artist Ellen Moon.
“We’re still figuring out exactly what we’ll do,” said Elias, “but it’s kind of like a smorgasbord… a celebration. And it’s open — if anybody wants to get their kids involved, or even volunteer, we welcome you.”
Photo provided
Elias’s own theater background winds through early improvisational schools, Viennese dance traditions, and experimental spaces like Henry Street Settlement. As a child on Long Island, she studied with jazz pianist Ivan Fiedel and dancer Rosalind Fiedel, eccentric mentors who nurtured her taste for the surreal and spontaneous.
“Mr. Fiedel was a character,” she recalled. “He would smoke a cigar… and take the cigar in his ear and the smoke would come out the other end. I don’t know how he did it.”
Elias built Grumbling Gryphons with this sense of magic — not as a traditional company, but as a living, evolving story in itself. Whether working with preschoolers or middle-schoolers, audiences in botanical gardens or historic town halls, the Gryphons invite kids to become creators — to chant, to improvise, to embody archetypes from ancient lore or environmental parables.
And that’s what this summer’s camp and gala are all about. “It’s more than theater,” Elias said. “It’s myth, poetry, movement — it’s about building self-esteem, imagination. It’s about transformation.”
For more information, to register a child for the 2025 Summer Theater Camp, or to inquire about volunteering, visit grumblinggryphons.org
Attendees practive brushstrokes led by calligraphy teacher Debby Reelitz.
Calligrapher Debby Reelitz came to the David M. Hunt Library to give a group of adults and children an introduction to modern calligraphy Thursday, July 17.
Reelitz said she was introduced to calligraphy as a youngster and has been a professional calligrapher and teacher for more than 25 years.
She said there is no age barrier to learning the basics. “Once children can hold a pen or pencil, they can do it.”
Reelitz said her 5th-grade teacher introduced her to the art.
Then her mother pressed her into service doing the lettering for “4-H certificates and gift cards.”
Reelitz handed out a sampler and blank sheets of paper and then turned to the easel for demonstration purposes.
She noted that the letters (I,T,H,L,E and F) on the top row of the sampler were not alphabetically arranged.
Rather, they comprised a “latter family” of similar shapes.
Soon enough the entire group of six adults and three children were concentrating and turning out decent versions of the letters
Reelitz alternately demonstrated and encouraged the novices.
“Remember, this is not an instant gratification skill.”