A near capacity crowd, national broadcast spotlight and community-wide impact set the stage NASCAR’s return to Northwest Connecticut  

LAKEVILLE, CONN. (20 August 2025) — NASCAR is officially returning to Northwest Connecticut. After a landmark debut in 2025, the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series will race once again at Lime Rock Park on July 10-11, 2026.

The inaugural LIUNA 150 in 2025 drew tens of thousands of fans to the historic Connecticut road course, setting a current-day attendance record and making it the most successful event in Lime Rock Park’s 68-year history. Fans packed every inch of Spectator Hill, fence line and paddock space, welcoming NASCAR back after a 14-year hiatus. 

The event didn’t just make history inside the gates. It had a ripple effect throughout Litchfield County and surrounding areas. It had a ripple effect throughout Litchfield County and surrounding areas. Local businesses saw a massive boost, with hotels at capacity and restaurants across the region reporting record-breaking weekends, including the White Hart Inn in Salisbury, Conn., which hosted the LIUNA 150 Pit Stop Party and served as a viewing area for the Hauler Parade.

Support from the community helped make the weekend possible. More than 150 volunteers, including first responders from across the region, played key roles in parking, traffic management, EMS, fire safety and general operations. The event brought together Homeland Security, police departments, ambulance crews and fire services, all working side by side to make it a safe and seamless experience, especially with traffic flow.

The Lime Rock Park-spirit reached audiences far beyond Connecticut. NASCAR reported that the 2025 LIUNA 150 drew 11% higher TV viewership than any other CRAFTSMAN Truck Series race broadcasted on FOX Network so far this season.

“All the years of planning, investing in facility safety upgrades, building community support and earning the confidence of NASCAR created a spectacular first year event for everyone associated with Lime Rock Park” said Lime Rock Park President and CEO Dicky Riegel. “To have the Craftsman Truck Series race not only be successful but now to be held up by NASCAR officials as a blueprint for how to do it right the first time instills pride in our entire team and our entire community. It really helped unify our region. We worked to set a high bar in year one, and now we have the opportunity to raise it even higher in 2026.”

Support series, ticket packages and camping reservations for the 2026 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series will be announced at a later date. 

For more information about Lime Rock Park, visit, www.limerock.com.