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| A Conversation With Sam Posey - Lime Rock's Favorite Neighbor |
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Sam Posey at LRP This Weekend
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© Andrew S. Hartwell
In its 50 year history, Lime Rock Park has hosted many different forms of racing, and many different drivers have plied their trade on its bumpy, short and fast-paced surface. Since 1957 there have been, perhaps, thousands of names appearing on entry lists here. In most cases, the names were of people who traveled great distances to record their moniker in the record books. The trip was worth it for some, and not so for others - those who would fall victim to mechanical woes, simple bad luck, or because they found they suffered from talent evaporation caused by the extreme heat of competition.
For most who have raced here, Lime Rock can be as far from home as anyplace. But, for one man at least, Lime Rock is one place close to home. That man is Sam Posey. He grew up in the next town over' from Lime Rock, Sharon, and he lives there still.
Posey was visiting with the pioneer of motorsports journalism, Chris Economaki, when we met. Economaki was holding court in the media center, between bites of his lunch. The man still commands respect from his peers, a sight these old eyes were very pleased to witness.
Posey and I had a pleasant conversation talking about his proximity to Lime Rock, about his life in the sport, and about the connection between the past and the present for which he and his wife are responsible.
First we asked him to confirm he is a neighbor of the track, and has been for many years.
My home is a short drive, just three miles away from the track. I live on the other side of that mountain in fact. And I have lived in Sharon my whole life.
My wife Ellen and I have our own home in Sharon where we live with our two kids, John and Judy. John is 25 and Judy is 21 and they both took the three day Skip Barber school this year, which was terrific. We bought an old Formula Ford, a vintage one, for them to race and develop their technique. John did some terrific times but he crashed it on the uphill so we are in fix it up mode right now. We have a great mechanic in Don Breslauer, who has a shop up in Salisbury. (Salisbury is not far from Sharon.)
The choices a child makes can impact a family in many ways. We asked if there were any concerns about his kids taking up the very sport he had mastered and survived.
I wasn't crazy about it because I knew how much money it costs and the inherent dangers. I was excited about how they had found their own things to be good at. Judy is a very fine equestrian rider and John is a very good tennis player, right on the edge of being a pro. And he is very devoted to the game. So, I was happy to see them carving out their own niche.
The only reason we thought about racing was because I saw it as a great way for me to share something with them. I love coming down for a lapping day here, being the proud dad standing with my fingers crossed!
We asked Posey if he missed being intimately involved in driving a race car.
I do miss parts of it. There are some things that I can't do well anymore. At 63 I am too old to be good at driving. I did drive the Formula Ford and I enjoyed it immensely, but I am more interested in how my kids are doing. I can't say that I miss it a lot but I do miss the wonderful people who were involved in this sport. Funny, smart, engaging, good story tellers - people who you enjoyed being around.
What I do remember is that the pressure to land your next ride was constant. You would get out of the car after a success and you would try to use that as leverage right away. You would try to talk to somebody who maybe you couldn't have talked to otherwise. It was a never ending process. But those were great days. I always had confidence that something was coming next and there always was.
We wondered if being back at the track with his kids brought back apprehensive memories for his wife Ellen.
We had been dating rather early in my career. A lot of water went under the bridge by th
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