Columns Editor's Notes

Racing Into Spring – The 2023 Annual Club Race

The air was crisp as I pulled into Lime Rock Park early on Friday morning – the sun was shining, and the temperature was already over 60 degrees – a perfect day for racing.  Most of the teams had arrived the prior night and were already setting up in anticipation of the day’s events – the excitement was palpable.

I meandered down to the volunteer tent while taking in the rising energy of the day.  This year we had over 100 volunteers – I knew this because I had updated the Club Race website a few nights ago.  Almost immediately, I saw a number of familiar faces, CVR President, Shelley and his wife Meryl, photographer Bob Reinckens and writer Noelle, each eager and excited for the day ahead.

After a few minutes of chatting, I made my way up to the tower – my home base during Club Race. I had already spent the prior month working on the Club Race website and now, for the next few days, my duties would expand to updating the Club Race site in real-time as the results poured in and sharing updates and images on social media.

The tower offers a unique view of Lime Rock Park – you see the racing happening directly in front of you, and as you can walk out on the upmost level, you’re greeted with a 360° view of the park.  From this vantage point, you can appreciate the scope of the event… over 100 drivers, over 50 national/local sponsors, over 100+ day-of volunteers!

Preparation for Club Race and the Advanced DE (which takes place on the preceding Thursday) begins months prior to the three-day event. The Club Race planning committee (click here to see the full roster of members) begins planning almost a year in advance and meets regularly to manage logistics, secure sponsorships, coordinate with national, and a plethora of other tasks to guarantee a successful event.

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In this month’s Challenge, we highlight and showcase the results of those efforts which culminate into one of the club’s premiere events – CVR’s Annual Club Race. Our featured gallery showcases over 500 amazing images from Club Race weekend, captured by our talented photographers. In “Rock” Star!, Paul Kudra highlights standout driver Alex Au’s performance. PA announcer Andrea Klaube’s article and interviews offer event insights from Club Race Director, Joe Kunecki and CVR President, Shelley Krohnengold. And be sure to read Noelle Talmon’s article as she shines a spotlight on our day-of volunteers.

I also highly recommend taking a moment to explore the Club Race section of the website. Check out the Club Race Committee, browse our national and local sponsors, scroll through the list of volunteers, and take a look at the winners list. Seeing the scope of the event will help you enjoy the various articles and images showcased this month.

As Joe points out, planning for next year’s Club Race is already underway, but in the meantime, we have a host of exciting events lined up that you won’t want to miss.  This year’s Member Sampler is set for May 6th, a number of coffee runs are right around the corner, including a special Berkshire’s coffee run guaranteed to perk you up, and Caroline & Allen Davis have confirmed dates for a few Special Events.

In the world of cars, it’s all about the journey, not just the destination. I hope you enjoy your journey through this month’s Challenge

Caroline

2 Comments

  1. As usual, Caroline, your column is an excellent introduction to the articles published in Challenge. I appreciate especially the links in your introduction that seamlessly lead to interesting topics and photos throughout the issue.

  2. None of this could be done without you !
    I am certain,
    that on behalf of all the CVR members,
    A HUGE THANK YOU to you !

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