In this 60th anniversary year as Lime Rock Park continues to recognize its history and milestones, the man who nearly a quarter-century ago set – and still owns – the ultimate lap record at Lime Rock Park is going to be the Grand Marshal for the IMSA Northeast Grand Prix featuring the WeatherTech SportsCar championship on Saturday, July 22.
With 4-digit horsepower and 1993 state of the art aero, the 2.1L, 4-cyl turbo Toyota Eagle was wicked fast. Photo shows P.J. Jones in Big Bend
P.J. Jones, son of the legendary Parnelli Jones, on Saturday, May 29, 1993, turned an amazing lap of :43.112 in his #98 All American Racers (Dan Gurney) Toyota Eagle MkIII IMSA Camel GTP prototype during qualifying for the following Memorial Day Monday’s Toyota Trucks Lime Rock Grand Prix. That lap’s average speed was nearly 130 mph. Even more impressive, it was accomplished on Lime Rock’s “GTP” course configuration – a first-gear, right-left curbed chicane near the crest of the famous Uphill corner was employed to keep the prototypes from getting airborne – and without the high-level engineering and technology one sees in current GTLM and DPi cars. (It's worth pondering what Jones could do in one of today's cars.)
In that 1993 IMSA GTP season, Jones won the season-opening Daytona 24 (and still holds that ultimate lap record) as well as the Laguna Seca and Phoenix races – teammate Juan Manual Fangio II beat P.J. at Lime Rock in the sister #99 Toyota Eagle – and finished second to Fangio in the final driver points championship.
Like his father, P.J. Jones raced and won in dozens of different championships, not just prototypes. And he's not done; he races today in Robby Gordon's popular Speed Energy Stadium Super Truck Series.
Lime Rock will schedule an autograph session with P.J. (time to be announced), and he’ll be the guest speaker for the fans who purchase the semi-private Lime Rock VIP Fan Hospitality tickets for Saturday, July 22.
P.J. Jones was just 24 when he set the LRP lap record in 1993
2. Fans to Enjoy Big Screen JumboTron-style TVs
For the IMSA Northeast Grand Prix fans, Lime Rock is bringing in two big-screen, super-high resolution digital LED TVs. One of the billboard-sized screens will be located near Winners Circle for easy viewing for the fans on the popular Infield hillside overlooking the Esses; the other will be located for the fans enjoying the Outfield spectator hillside.
On a related note, the all-electric open-wheel FIA Formula E race is in Brooklyn, N.Y., this weekend (July 15-16). It’s a two-day event at the Brooklyn Marine Terminal. Lime Rock Park will have a display booth in the Formula E Midway, with IMSA GT drivers on hand.
Tickets for the IMSA Northeast Grand Prix featuring the WeatherTech SportsCar championship are available now at the lower Advanced Purchase price level (which expires this Friday, July 14).
LRP General Admission tickets always include:
– Free parking
– Free paddock access
– Free admission active military
– Free admission veterans
– Free admission youths 16 and under w/adult
– Free showers for campers
– Free LRP Daily Rev + IMSA Fan Guide
– Free shuttle service inside Park
