The Register Citizen (Torrington, CT)
Labor Day Historic Festival: ‘Non-spectator event’
Sunday in the Park Councours open, limited
LAKEVILLE — Lime Rock Park’s annual Labor Day Historic Festival will run as a non-spectator event, officials recently announced. “The difficult decision to run our signature event without spectators was made following careful consideration. The Sunday in the Park Concours will proceed with a limited number of spectators,” officials said in a statement.
“As determined as we were to make Historic Festival 38 our first major public event of the year, the challenges presented by COVID-19 have not abated,” the park said. “After extensive review of how to host a premium and safe event for our competitors, fans, local community, and our staff, we were faced with the difficult realization that hosting spectators and camping throughout the entire event weekend was not practical. It would be too hard to maintain social distancing in a paddock crowded with spectators and participants.
“We will host private groups such as traditional sponsors in the outfield with no access to the track. We can safely host a limited number of spectators for Sunday in the Park activities spaced around the entire 1.5-mile race track. Tickets will only be available for sale in advance for Sunday in the Park; no tickets will be available at the gate,” officials said.
Sunday in the Park will also feature the Gathering of the Marques, which bring together classic and sports car enthusiasts from the Northeast to display their cars on the Lime Rock Circuit.
“We are deeply disappointed to run the on-track activity days without spectators. The Historic Festivals have long been pillars on the Lime Rock Park calendar for the past 37 years. It's hard for me to imagine this weekend without our loyal fans, but we are committed to the health and safety of the community,” said Lime Rock President Skip Barber.
Fans who previously purchased tickets for Historic Festival 38 will receive a communication regarding their options and next steps in the coming days.
Lime Rock Park President Skip Barber reiterated Lime Rock’s ongoing commitment to the wellbeing of participants, fans, and staff. “While we may have altered the event to ensure everyone's safety, the weekend should provide our devoted competitors a place to race as well as provide an opportunity for the fans to experience a spectacular car show,” he said.
For additional questions, Lime Rock staff can be reached by emailing info@limerock.com or by calling 860-435-5000, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday. More information about all major spectator events is available on www.limerock.com and on Facebook at www.face book.com/limerockpark