LAKEVILLE, Connecticut: In his quest to compete in the full ARCA Menards Series season, veteran racer Jason Kitzmiller came prepared for a year of firsts.
From tackling unfamiliar short tracks and navigating road courses to getting down and dirty on the dirt ovals at Springfield and DuQuoin later this season, Kitzmiller and his A.L.L. Construction Racing team are embracing the thrills and challenges of the ARCA Menards Series’ diverse schedule.
Fresh off a strong sixth-place finish in his short track debut at Elko (Minn.) Speedway, Jason Kitzmiller and his Statesville, N.C.-based team now head to the heart of the Northeast, eager to take on ARCA’s newest addition to the schedule — Lime Rock Park.
The first road-course race of the 2025 ARCA Menards Series season will take place at a new venue and state, featuring the 1.53-mile complex of Lime Rock Park in Lakeville, Connecticut.
Built in 1955, Lime Rock has hosted events for numerous prestigious auto racing divisions that have attracted many of the best competitors in United States history. The list of drivers who have won events at Lime Rock include Mario Andretti, Mark Donohue, Rodger Ward, Scott Pruett, Ron Fellows and Dorsey Schroeder, among many others.
Although Saturday marks the first race of the national ARCA Menards Series at Lime Rock, the East Series boasts a storied history at the facility. From 1993-2010, Lime Rock was a regular venue on the East Series calendar, with Butch Leitzinger and Matt Kobyluck tallying the most wins of any competitor there with three apiece.
While grateful to be part of a historic moment on the 2025 ARCA Menards Series tour, Kitzmiller admits he’s uncertain about what to expect on Saturday afternoon.
“Road course racing is going to be a new challenge for me in the ARCA Menards Series,” said Kitzmiller. “It’s a completely different discipline that I don’t have a lot of experience in, but we’re heading to Lime Rock Park upbeat and optimistic that we can deliver a solid finish.”
Fortunately, Kitzmiller isn’t alone in his inexperience, as many of his fellow competitors also enter the fast, seven-turn road course with little to no track time. The Petersburg, W.Va., native hopes that shared learning curve will help ease his transition into road course racing.
“Pretty much, a lot of us on the track this weekend will be learning the track layout for the first time,” added Kitzmiller. “That helps. I know there are a couple of road course ringers who know how to navigate around Lime Rock Park, and I think it’s going to be important for our team to learn from their laps and how they tackle the racetrack.
“We haven’t set any real expectations this weekend, other than to stay on the track and finish the race. If we can make gains on track with our lap times—from practice to qualifying and then from qualifying to the race—that’s all positive. If we can escape our first road course with a top-10 finish, that would definitely feel like a win.”
Lime Rock Park also serves as valuable preparation for the family-owned team ahead of the second and final road course of the season, less than two months away at the beautiful and iconic Watkins Glen International in the Finger Lakes region of New York.
“There’s no doubt that having experience at Lime Rock will help when it comes to Watkins Glen,” said Kitzmiller. “I’ll be able to learn the dos and don’ts of road course racing, and hopefully, by the time I hit the track at Watkins Glen for the first time, I’ll have a better idea of what to expect.
“I’m looking forward to the challenge this weekend and hope we can continue the solid season we’ve had so far.”
For Lime Rock Park, the team welcomes the continued support of Carter Machinery, promoting the Caterpillar (Cat®) brand as the primary partner aboard his No. 97 Chevrolet SS.
Carter Machinery’s humble start began in 1928, serving Virginia and southeastern West Virginia.
As our customers’ needs changed over the years, we evolved by continually adding new products, services, and locations, with exponential growth occurring after our 2020 acquisition of Alban Tractor Company.
Today, our footprint spans the Mid-Atlantic, with over 30 locations throughout Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, and the District of Columbia.
We sell, rent, and support the full line of Cat® equipment, engines, and electric power generation systems, backed by the best parts availability, most diverse rental fleet, and an expert service team working together to enable our customers’ highest level of success.
Our ongoing investment in people, infrastructure, technology, and tooling continues to position us as one of Caterpillar’s leading dealers in North America and throughout the world.
“Having Carter Machinery and the Cat® brand on board for nine straight races has meant a lot to our team,” said Kitzmiller. “Their support gives us the resources and confidence to keep pushing forward every week. It’s been a true partnership, and we’re proud to represent such a respected name both on and off the track as we take on this new challenge at Lime Rock Park in the Northeast.”
In addition to Carter Machinery, A.L.L. Construction Inc., Grant County Mulch, A&J Excavating, Cobra Mining, Champion Power Equipment and Volt Battery Technology will all serve as associate marketing partners for the first ARCA race held at Lime Rock Park.
Entering Lime Rock Park, Kitzmiller, 51, sits fourth in the ARCA Menards Series championship standings, 51 points behind third-place Lavar Scott and 65 points behind leader Brenden Queen, with 12 races remaining.
The A.L.L. Construction Racing team also holds a solid sixth place in the championship owner standings.
Since 2020, Kitzmiller has made 35 ARCA Menards Series starts, earning two top-five and 14 top-10 finishes, including a career-best third-place finish at Daytona International Speedway in February 2025.
The Lime Rock Park 100 (68 laps | 100.5 miles) marks the ninth race of 20 on the 2025 ARCA Menards Series schedule. On Friday, June 27, teams will hit the track for a one-hour session from 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. General Tire Pole Group Qualifying will immediately follow at 3:45 p.m. ET, with the green flag expected to wave shortly after 4:00 p.m. ET on Saturday, June 28. The race will be televised live on FOX Sports 2 (FS2) and the Motor Racing Network (Radio), while ARCARacing.com will provide live timing and scoring throughout the day’s activities. All times are local (ET).
