Lime Rock Park History with Gaston Andrey
While Jim Vaill never sought the spotlight as a racing driver, his vision and determination were instrumental in creating what would become one of America’s most celebrated road courses—Lime Rock Park.
Vaill often recalled that on a Sunday afternoon in the spring of 1955, he was sitting in the old gravel pit, eating onion sandwiches and drinking beer, when a group of members from the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) arrived to see the proposed racetrack. Among them were some of America’s most respected sports car drivers, including Briggs Cunningham, Sebring winner Bill Lloyd, Fred Proctor, and Gaston Andrey.
Together, they walked the property, studying the natural contours of the abandoned gravel pit and envisioning the road course that would soon become Lime Rock Park. Their collective knowledge of sports car racing helped shape the layout and philosophy of a circuit designed for drivers rather than spectators.
Lime Rock Park: A Legacy of Gaston Andrey
The Andrey family takes tremendous pride in Gaston Andrey’s contribution to one of the most significant chapters in American sports car racing history. At the request of Briggs Cunningham and John Fitch, Gaston joined the group that helped envision and shape Lime Rock Park before its opening in 1957.
Their goal was to create what John Fitch famously described as “a fabulous flowing road in a park”—never to be thought of simply as a racetrack, but as a road course that followed the natural contours of the landscape and rewarded skillful driving.
Gaston Andrey drove an MG TC with Jim Vaill, the founder of Lime Rock, to test the flow. Hence the Andrey roots are deep in the history of Lime Rock. The Fall Vintage Festival #6 featured Gaston Andrey’s victorious Birdcage Maserati.
Lime Rock Park officially opened on April 27, 1957, and remarkably, its original layout remains essentially unchanged today. More than six decades later, it continues to be regarded as one of America’s most celebrated road courses.
Lime Rock Park also holds a distinguished place in motorsport history as one of the original four permanent road racing circuits in the United States, joining Road America (1955), Watkins Glen (1956), and Laguna Seca (1957). Together, these legendary venues established the foundation of American road racing and became the proving grounds for generations of sports car drivers and manufacturers.
For Gaston Andrey Motorsports, this heritage is more than history—it is a legacy of firsthand involvement with the pioneers who helped define American sports car racing and the driving culture that continues to inspire us today.
A Motorsport Legacy Born at Lime Rock Park
Lime Rock is the legendary home for the road racing and classic sports car communities. Gaston Andrey was part of the development in these hallowed grounds called Lime Rock Park. The unique, intriguing community and culture are part of Roger Andrey’s DNA.
His professional sports car career was molded from his racing experience, knowledge, and network. These elements combined with his alliances allow Rogér Andrey to navigate successfully within his peers to locate amazing, highly sought-after sports cars.
The Importance of Lime Rock Park to the Growth of European Sports Cars in America
During the 1950s and 1960s, Lime Rock Park and Gaston Andrey played a pivotal role in introducing and establishing European high-performance sports cars in the United States. At the time, marques such as Ferrari, Alfa Romeo, Maserati, Porsche, Mercedes-Benz, and Jaguar were largely unfamiliar to the American public. Road racing provided manufacturers with the ideal proving ground to demonstrate engineering excellence, reliability, and performance to a rapidly growing community of sports car enthusiasts.
Two individuals were particularly influential in this movement. Luigi Chinetti, Ferrari’s exclusive North American importer and founder of the North American Racing Team (NART), and Max Hoffman, the pioneering importer of Porsche, Mercedes-Benz, Alfa Romeo, BMW, Volkswagen, and Jaguar in the eastern United States, recognized that success on America’s road racing circuits translated directly into showroom sales. Their philosophy was simple: win on Sunday, sell on Monday. Gaston Andrey worked closely with these imports to sell the brands in the New England Market. He was pioneer in the sports car sales seen. Competing and selling these exclusive cars.
More than simply a race track, Lime Rock Park became a proving ground where engineering, competition, and commerce intersected. The circuit helped accelerate the acceptance of European sports cars in the United States, influencing a generation of enthusiasts and establishing many of these marques as icons of American automotive culture. Gaston Andrey’s career unfolded during this transformative period, placing him among the drivers who helped demonstrate the performance and desirability of the very automobiles that would shape the American collector and sports car market for decades to come.
Historic Legends of Road Racing During Lime Rock’s Formative Years
During Lime Rock Park’s formative years, Gaston Andrey established himself as one of the circuit’s accomplished competitors. Campaigning a remarkable collection of race cars—including Ferrari 500 Mondial chassis 0430 MD, Ferrari 500 TRC chassis 0706 MDTR, a Lotus/Alfa Romeo Formula B, and the championship-winning Alfa Romeo GTA—Andrey earned numerous victories and podium finishes throughout his career.
As one of the original drivers to race on the flowing circuit he helped design with John Fitch and Briggs Cunningham, Andrey competed against many of the greatest names in American road racing, including John Fitch, Bob Holbert, Dick Thompson, Roger Penske, Walt Hansgen, George Constantine, Carroll Shelby, Jim Hall, Briggs Cunningham, Sam Collier, and Augie Pabst. These legendary competitors helped establish Lime Rock Park as one of America’s premier road racing venues during the golden era of sports car competition.
Gaston Andrey’s achievements and the caliber of drivers he raced alongside remain an enduring part of Lime Rock Park’s rich motorsport heritage.
The Trans-Am Era and Lime Rock’s Explosive Growth
The original Trans-Am era was essential to Lime Rock Park’s growth and national prominence. By the late 1960s and early 1970s, the Trans-American Sedan Championship—better known as Trans-Am—had evolved into one of the most exciting and commercially significant racing series in North America. Often referred to as the “Pony Wars,” the series pitted American manufacturers such as Ford, Chevrolet, Dodge, and AMC against European competitors in a fierce battle for performance supremacy and market share. Once again, the guiding principle remained clear: win on Sunday, sell on Monday.
One of the most historic moments came on May 9, 1970, when Gaston Andrey captured victory in the Under-2-Liter Trans-Am race at Lime Rock Park. His win took place during what many historians consider the greatest Trans-Am weekend ever held at the circuit. That same weekend featured the Over-2-Liter championship battle between factory-backed stars including Parnelli Jones, Mark Donohue, Dan Gurney, Sam Posey, Peter Revson, and the formidable Roger Penske team.
The IMSA Era and Lime Rock’s International Expansion
The IMSA series established Lime Rock Park as a destination for international teams and drivers, further elevating its global significance in sports car racing. By the 1980s and 1990s, the circuit had become a key venue in the IMSA calendar, attracting cutting-edge prototypes and world-class competitors from Europe and beyond.
Gaston Andrey Motorsports returned to competition in the IMSA GTP series in 1985, marking a new chapter for the team. This effort evolved into a collaborative relationship with CARMA Racing of Italy, resulting in the development of a highly successful ALBA/Ferrari GTP light prototype. Rogér Andrey continued the family legacy, competing at Lime Rock Park in the ALBA/Ferrari GTP car and reinforcing the team’s enduring connection to the circuit.
Italian Racing Tradition
At Lime Rock in 1986, Rogér Andrey was honored and privileged to race with Giampiero Moretti. Combining food and cars is an Italian way of life. Giampiero was a superb chef, which was not uncommon among Italian racecar drivers. Rogér Andrey’s cooking skills were enhanced by the opportunity to cook with this legend.
Dinner With Champions
The memories are fabulous as he passed on his recipes for pasta and a special fish dish as his chef’s assistant. Our guests for dinner were Hans Stuck and Jochen Mass. We may not have finished the race that year; the dinner was incredible. The racing stories from the 50s to the 80s by my father, Giampiero, Hans, and Jochen are forever etched in Rogér Andrey’s memories.
Later that year, under Rogér Andrey’s management of Gaston Andrey Racing with an Alba Ferrari AR6, they won at Road America. That race too had an incredible food experience with Paulo Barilla of the Barilla Pasta fortune.
In 1995, Gaston Andrey became the first authorized Ferrari dealer to be directly involved with the Ferrari 333 SP program. The 333 SP was a collaborative effort between Piero Ferrari and Giampiero Moretti, representing Ferrari’s return to top-level prototype racing. Fredy Lienhard, a client of the dealership, acquired a Ferrari 333 SP to compete in the IMSA series.
The 1995 Dodge Dealers Grand Prix at Lime Rock Park, held on May 29, served as the fifth round of the IMSA World Sports Car (WSC) Championship and one of the early showcase events for the Ferrari 333 SP. Ferrari dominated the race, finishing first and third overall. Fredy Lienhard qualified seventh and completed the race, laying the groundwork for future success with the model at Lime Rock.
Lime Rock Fall Vintage Festival and Championship-Winning Race Cars
The Lime Rock Fall Vintage Festival has long served as a celebration of motorsports history, bringing together legendary drivers and the iconic machines that defined their careers. In 1988, Gaston Andrey was honored as the featured guest, highlighted by a special reunion with his Maserati Tipo 61 “Birdcage,” chassis #2455—the very car in which he secured a National Championship.
Widely regarded as one of the finest and most original Maserati Birdcages in existence, the car held a special place in racing history. At the time, it was owned by prominent collector Peter Livanos, who arranged for the car to be transported from Pebble Beach, where it had just received a prestigious award, back to Lime Rock Park for this historic occasion. The reunion of driver and machine provided a powerful connection between past and present, allowing enthusiasts to witness firsthand the legacy of one of America’s great sports car drivers.
Gaston Andrey was reunited with his Birdcage Maserati as the Featured Driver at Lime Rock in 1988
Continuing this connection across generations, in 2023 Rogér Andrey had the opportunity to see the Alfa Romeo TZ2 that Gaston Andrey drove to victory in the 1966 12 Hours of Sebring while competing for AutoDelta, Alfa Romeo’s factory racing team. This moment further underscored the enduring significance of these championship-winning race cars and their role in shaping both family legacy and motorsports history.
Bridging the Gap Between Road & Track
The legacy of Gaston Andrey Motorsports is defined by a continuous connection between competition and real-world driving. Decades of experience at legendary circuits such as Lime Rock Park, VIR, Road America, Watkins Glen, Daytona, Talladega, Mosport, Sebring, the Nassau Speed Weeks, and the Cuban Grand Prix—across the SCCA, Trans-Am, and IMSA eras—have provided unparalleled insight into how high-performance vehicles behave at their limits and how those lessons translate to the road.
This heritage allows Gaston Andrey Motorsports to deliver a driving experience that truly bridges the gap between road and track. It is an understanding built not from theory, but from generations of competition, innovation, and success at some of the most historic racing circuits in the world.