Ford’s Rich History at Lime Rock Park
Lime Rock Park has long played host to Ford’s winning history dating all the way back to the inaugural Trans-Am race in 1967, where Peter Revson clinched the win driving NASCAR legend’s Bud Moore’s Lincoln-Mercury Cougar. In 1969 the Memorial Day race conflicted with the Indianapolis 500, and understudies to the factory stars dominated Trans-Am. Local favorite Sam Posey won the pole in a Carroll Shelby prepared Ford Mustang, and then won easily
ahead of Swede Savage in Moore’s Ford Mustang. To avoid the Indy 500 conflict, the 1970 Trans-Am was moved to May 9. Legend Parnelli Jones won in a Moore Ford Mustang. This year is still considered the greatest season in Trans-Am’s long history. After the factories stepped away from Trans-Am, the next big Ford involvement came with former drag racer Jack Roush, who dominated both Trans- Am and IMSA GTO competition beginning in 1984 through the late 1990s. At Lime Rock, his Mercury Merkurs finished first and second in the 1987 event, with Pete Halsmer beating Scott Pruett by four seconds. The following year, Pruett won wire-to- wire in the Roush Merkur XR4Ti. Roush switched from Mercury to Ford for 1989, with Dorsey
As we celebrate Ford as the honored marque of Lime Rock Park’s Historic Festival 42 this Labor Day weekend, it’s fitting to reflect on the rich Trans- Am history that has made Ford synonymous with success at this iconic track.
Schroeder winning in the 25th Anniversary Ford Mustang fielded by Roush. While Canadian Ron Fellows became later known as a star for another manufacturer, he came to fame driving Tom Gloy’s AER Ford Mustangs. He was the Lime Rock winner in 1992. Schrader then won back-to-back for Gloy, beating Tommy Kendall in a 1-2 Mustang finish in 1992 and repeating in 1996 in the Raybestos Mustang. Kendall dominated Trans-Am in 1997 in a record-shattering campaign driving the Roush All Sport Body Quencher Ford Mustang. At Lime Rock, the Memorial Day weekend featured a unique Trans-Am/IMSA doubleheader. Tommy Kendall won in Trans-Am, with Mustangs taking six of the top seven positions, while the Momo Ferrari 333SP captured the IMSA World Sports Car feature.
8
Continued on next page
Made with FlippingBook interactive PDF creator