Martinelli, who calls Roxbury , Connecticut home, got his first taste of road racing when he took a three-day Skip Barber Racing School at Lime Rock when he was only 15. From there, Martinelli returned to the track to race with a number of clubs and amateur racing organizations.
Now, as a professional racer, the 29-year-old Martinelli is ready to return to his home track in the No. 29 Tecmark BMW 330Ci.
“I’m fast at Lime Rock. I know a lot of tricks there. Especially if it rains- I know the fast rain line, I know where the puddles form at Lime Rock, and I know where the grip is,” said Martinelli.
Martinelli names Big Bend as his favorite part of the 1.53-mile road course. “The corner goes forever, and there are a couple of fast ways around it, and a couple of smart ways when there’s a lot of traffic to get through,” described Martinelli. “Lime Rock is a small track, so you don’t get very much rest. You’ve really got to be in good shape to stay competitive throughout an entire race.”
Having logged hundreds of laps in both racing and testing is not the only advantage for Martinelli at Lime Rock. For him, one of the most important aspects of the weekend is that he will have a huge contingent of family, friends and local sponsors there to cheer him on.
“I’m always going to want to do well, no matter where I am. But I really want to get a good showing at Lime Rock since I’m going to have so many of my friends, family and sponsors out there,” he said.
Practice will begin on Friday, July 1 for Martinelli. He will qualify that afternoon, joining the other Touring class drivers for a 20-minute session that begins at 3:50 p.m. The SPEED World Challenge Touring Car race begins at 4:10 p.m. on Saturday, July 2, and will last for 50 minutes.
Martinelli is sponsored by BMW of Watertown; Intermix Cement; Washington Market; JJ Snacks; Good Hill Mechanical Contractors, Inc.; Robert G. Oneglia; Stone Craft, Inc.; Torrington Supply Company, Inc.; Sherman & Loiseau, LLC; STS Realty and XXTuning.com.
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