NASCAR’s got a knack for breathing new life into its storied past, dusting off old tracks and turning them into modern battlegrounds. Take North Wilkesboro Speedway, a .625-mile short track that sat quiet for 27 years until the 2023 All-Star Race brought it roaring back. The place got a full makeover, including its first repave since 1981, and now it’s a Cup Series staple again, dripping with nostalgia and fresh asphalt. Fans couldn’t get enough of the revival, and the racing didn’t disappoint.

Indianapolis Motor Speedway joined the party in July 2024, with the Brickyard 400 reclaiming the iconic 2.5-mile oval after a road-course detour since 2020. Kissing bricks on the original layout felt like a homecoming for drivers and fans alike. Meanwhile, newer venues are carving their own legacies. The Chicago Street Race, launched in 2023, has become a bold fixture, while Iowa Speedway finally got its Cup Series debut in June 2024 after years of grinding it out with Xfinity and Truck races.

Now, the LIUNA 150 at Lime Rock Park is set to make history as NASCAR’s Craftsman Truck Series storms Connecticut’s scenic road course for the first time on June 27-28, and former Xfinity racer Parker Kligerman is losing his mind over it!

Kligerman’s wild Lime Rock Prediction

Parker Kligerman is a jack-of-all-trades: a driver with serious chops and a TV personality with a knack for breaking down the sport. But the Lime Rock holds a special place in his heart, being a Connecticut native. It was at this unique road course, he learned the tricks of the trade and his craft for racing. More importantly, now a minority owner, he set up the deal with NASCAR to bring in a national series event for the first time in 68 years. If there’s anyone who knows how to get around the 1-53-mile road course, it’s him, and he shared how unique the racing experience is going to be at this track.

On a recent NASCAR Live podcast, Kligerman dropped a bombshell about what’s coming at Lime Rock’s LIUNA 150, painting a picture of a road course like no other. Parker said, “Right. So for IMSA, who came there for years, they used to call it a Bullring. They thought of it as like a Bristol of road courses. You know, I think for the trucks it’ll have a similar fact except for one probably big difference is very fast. So it’s a very high-speed, condensed road course with some serious elevation change. I know this for a fact. This will be the only NASCAR race in 2025 with a jump and that is the uphill section on the back that I guarantee you’ll at least get two wheels, maybe four wheels in the air for some of these trucks. And you know that’s going to be a spectacular look.”

Lime Rock’s earned its “Bullring” nickname from IMSA drivers who’ve battled its 1.53-mile, seven-turn layout for decades. Like Bristol’s half-mile oval, it’s short, tight, and relentless, demanding razor-sharp focus. IMSA’s WeatherTech SportsCar Championship races there have showcased its high-speed nature, with fewer braking zones than twisty tracks like Mid-Ohio.

For NASCAR’s bulky trucks, this fast, flowing course could be a beast, testing drivers’ nerve and setups. The elevation changes, especially “The Uphill,” are no joke. Lightweight sports cars have gone fully airborne here, and while trucks are heavier, Kligerman’s not kidding—soft suspensions and drafting could send some wheels skyward, making it a fan-favorite spectacle. Photos of GT cars catching air at The Uphill are a Lime Rock staple, and this jump could steal the show in 2025.

Kligerman kept the hype going, “And then you have a super fast downhill section that leads into the front straightaway. With all that, you know, there is passing opportunities, but I think you’re going to have to be really aggressive to make passes. And I think the winning team and driver from this coming weekend will feel like they’ve seriously accomplished something in the NASCAR Truck Series because just, I’ve got a feeling this will, you know, as we get past this weekend, it’ll be looked upon as sort of a marquee event in the 2025 Truck Series schedule. And, you know, I think that’s going to be a really cool vibe and atmosphere and a cool experience for all the competitors,” he said.

That “Downhill” section is a steep, blind right-hander into the front straight is a heart-in-throat moment. It’s a high-speed passing zone, but only for the brave, as its narrow line leaves zero room for error. Lime Rock’s passing spots are scarce, with Big Bend and the Downhill being the prime real estate. Overtaking here means diving in hard or forcing a mistake, a style Kligerman’s mastered in his road-racing days.

Winning at Lime Rock will be a badge of honor as no one’s got truck data for this track, so it’s a level playing field where strategy and guts decide the day. NASCAR’s pushing this debut hard, with Fox broadcasting live and ARCA joining the bill, cementing its status as a crown jewel in the Truck Series’ mostly oval-heavy slate.

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4x IMSA champ Jordan Taylor joins NASCAR for Lime Rock park

The LIUNA 150’s already shaping up to be a banger, and now it’s got a big name stepping into the ring. Four-time IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Champion Jordan Taylor is jumping into the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series for the first time, tackling Lime Rock Park with Spire Motorsports. He’ll strap into the No. 7 Chevrolet Silverado, backed by Gainbridge, marking his first national NASCAR start since 2023.

“I’m eager to join Spire Motorsports for the LIUNA 150. I have spoken with a few members of the team for a few years now, so it’s great things have finally come together. I know it’s going to be tough jumping into the series mid-season, but I know I am joining one of the top teams in the Craftsman Truck Series.” Taylor said.

Taylor’s no stranger to Lime Rock, but he’s used to slicing through its corners in sleek IMSA machines, not hefty NASCAR trucks. “Our Gainbridge Chevrolet Silverado will for sure be competitive, I just hope I can adapt to the truck quickly on the short weekend. Lime Rock Park is a track I know really well, but obviously all my experience around there is in much different types of cars, so I’m looking forward to the new challenge,” he added.

Spire’s track record, like Rajah Caruth’s Nashville win, shows that Taylor’s got the equipment to make noise, but adapting to the Truck Series’ rough-and-tumble style on a tight road course will test even his road-racing pedigree. He’s not the only fresh face at Lime Rock. Spire’s also fielding Thomas Annunziata in the No. 07, while Reaume Brothers Racing brings William Lambros in the No. 2, and Halmar Friesen Racing debuts Wesley Slimp in the No. 62.

Add in Brent Crews returning to Tricon Garage’s No. 1, Josh Bilicki joining Niece Motorsports’ No. 44, and Supercars star Cam Waters back in ThorSport’s No. 66, and this field’s stacked with wild cards. While the Xfinity and Cup Series tear up Atlanta’s EchoPark Speedway, the Truck Series is stealing the spotlight in Connecticut with a road-course showdown that’s got everyone talking.