Lime Rock Notebook

Photo: Trevor Longman

***Mike Kraemer, IMSA’s senior electronics project manager, died Friday at the age of 60. Kraemer joined GRAND-AM following an extensive stint with Hoosier Tire and later as the official charged with Hoosier’s involvement in the series. “It’s a sad day for everyone at IMSA, and our sincere condolences go out to Mike’s family and friends,” said IMSA’s Scot Elkins. “We are a family, and we have lost one of our own.”

***With split GS and ST races, Compass360 has added a second Subaru WRX STI for Ryan Eversley and Kyle Gimple. The pairing will kick off their day in the team’s season-long No. 75 Honda Civic entry in the 150-minute ST race, which gets underway Saturday at 9:10 a.m. ET. The GS round takes the green flag at 2:15 p.m. ET.

***Will Turner makes his return to the cockpit this weekend, teaming with Bill Auberlen in the No. 96 Turner Motorsport BMW M3. It marks the car’s first start since Sebring, which saw Auberlen and Boris Said handle driving duties. Auberlen and Paul Dalla Lana drove to victory lane at Daytona but was excluded post-race for a technical infringement. Dalla Lana has since not returned to CTSC action.

***Turner Motorsport, based three hours northeast in Amesbury, Mass., is a four-time GS class winner at Lime Rock, winning in 2006-07 and 2009-10. Freedom Autosport (ST) and CKS Autosport (GS) have also visited victory lane on multiple occasions at the famed Connecticut bullring.

***Max Riddle, who sits second in the GS points standings, is missing tomorrow’s race due to a prior family obligation. Taking his place in the No. 07 TRG-AMR Aston Martin Vantage GT4 will be Peter Ludwig, who will co-drive with season-long driver Kris Wilson. TRG is one of the most successful teams at Lime Rock with four wins and seven podiums.

***TRG’s No. 09 Aston Martin, meanwhile, sees the Mexican pairing of Martin Fuentes and Santiago Creel. Fuentes, a regular for Starworks Motorsport in the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship, will be making his debut with the Kevin Buckler-owned operation.

***Andy Lally turned laps in an Electric Vehicle Sports Racer (EVSR) Friday, as part of an exhibition race with the new all-electric race car. The cars, designed and built by Entropy Racing, will be made available for sale and rent, with the goal of eventually creating an all-electric race series.

***This weekend marks IMSA’s return as the Memorial Day Weekend headliner. The IMSA GT Series regularly held events at Lime Rock from 1973 to 1998, while the Rolex Sports Car Series had races on Memorial Day in 2010 and 2011.

John Dagys

John Dagys is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Sportscar365. Dagys spent eight years as a motorsports correspondent for FOXSports.com and SPEED Channel and has contributed to numerous other motorsports publications worldwide. Contact John