Understated action — and actors — at LRP

LIME ROCK — Not a serious auto racing fan? It doesn’t matter when you can sit on the hill in the shade with a cold Italian ice or frosty beer, while the action zips by below. Of course, we’re talking Lime Rock Park (LRP), where you can pay attention to the action or not. Those who didn’t pay attention, however, missed the American Le Mans Series (ALMS) season opener. It had its share of drama, in the form of touches and spinouts, but luckily no injuries. There was an anticlimactic finish under a warning flag when a crash in the last few minutes was not able to be cleared before the end of the timed, 2 hour and 45 minute race (as opposed to laps). For many of the drivers, getting LRP under their belt is a relief and a confidence builder. There is absolutely no room for error on the 1.5 mile course, so as long as the driver doesn’t screw up, this is a chance to get a true sense of the measure of the car.An interesting fact about ALMS: It pits two very different types of cars against each other. There are three classes of purpose-built prototypes, similar to Formula 1 cars, with closed wheels, racing alongside two classes of production GT cars (Porsche, Lotus, Corvette, Ferrari and BMW). It makes for a great variety of looks and engine noise, and another layer of competition as the well-matched Ps and GTs battle at the corners.If there is a drawback to LRP, it’s that fans can get so up close and personal, racing sort of loses its mystery. But when you can walk around the paddock and talk to the drivers and their crews, it’s easy to get to know teams and choose some favorites to root for.The favorite to win at ALMS was Poughkeepsie-based Dyson Racing. The “home team” finished second and third in prototype behind Muscle Milk Pickett Racing. Fans enjoyed that the winning car on Independence Day weekend, a standout in maneuvering the field in the hands of Klaus Graf, was painted to resemble the American flag. Graf and driving partner Lucas Luhr were the risk-takers of the day, and it paid off. They made up for a gear box problem that lost Luhr four laps early in the race and Graf’s penalty for speeding in the pit lane.The GT winner was another favorite among LRP aficionados: Flying Lizards Motorsports out of Sonoma, Calif.With a walkway installed around the course a couple of years ago, one can see the action from any and every angle. Surprisingly, the relatively new turn at the uphill was not an issue at ALMS, despite drivers making dramatic corner cuts onto the gator bumps during Friday’s qualifying runs. “Sorry about the underside of the car,” one driver told his crew back in the pit.Actor Patrick Dempsey, who drove on Saturday, was among the winners. His two Dempsey Racing entries placed third to make it to the podium in their prototype divisions. He kept a low profile over the weekend, presumably in one of the mammoth luxury trailers parked opposite his paddock slot. One has to wonder how many times his patient crew was asked about him. It seems Dempsey was wearing only one hat at LRP — he was a racer, not a celebrity.For information about upcoming events at Lime Rock Park, go to www.limerock.com.