RIDE-CT – Classic Cars Celebrating Classic Cars in Connecticut
LAKEVILLE, CT – The pace car at Lime Rock Park racetrack will have a new driver behind the wheel in 2025. After 28 years of handling pace car duties, nearby resident Bob Green has tendered his resignation. John Schnabel of West Hartford, CT has been tapped to take over piloting the pace car.
In an email Friday night, Green cited “serious medical issues” as his reason for stepping aside, but added he “will be connected, just not on duty” at Lime Rock Park going forward.
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RIDE-CT did a story and video on Green and Lime Rock Park’s McLaren Artura plugin-in hybrid pace car last June.
In a phone conversation this morning, Schnabel said he hopes to tap Green’s “expertise and wisdom after so many years” in assuming the pace car driver assignment. He already has 15 years experience driving a pace car in Porsche club events at the racetrack.
“It’s not going to be a big transition. The biggest transition is the McLaren. It should be fun. I’m really looking forward to it,” Schnabel said.
Schnabel said, “The time was ideal” to take the pace car job as he recently stopped working for Max BMW’s dealership in South Windsor, CT, which owner Max Stratton closed. He has served as a flagger at Lime Rock Park for at least five years and recalled mentioning to his boss last year that he was interested in pace car duties if Green needed a backup or was unable to do the job.
Schnabel said he also mentioned this to Green. “I didn’t want to step on his toes. He’s one of the guys who taught me how to drive on the track,” he said. When Green resigned, Schnabel got the call and sealed the deal on Thursday.
Schnabel hinted that Lime Rock Park will be getting a new pace car for 2025, another McLaren that he assumes will be another 690-horsepower Artura, which needs graphics and hasn’t been delivered yet.
The pace car is a loaner from luxury dealership Miller Motorcars in Greenwich, which is an investor in the racetrack. The 2025 Artura coupe has a base price of $256,308, while a Spider convertible version costs $281,008.
