Preparing for Lime Rock Park has been a meticulous process for Glen Reen, who slept on Andy Jankowiak’s couch for several days before heading to the track.
Nothing was going to make Reen miss the ARCA Menards Series’ debut visit to Lime Rock this weekend. The 1.53-mile road course is located only a couple hours away from Reen’s hometown of Wilbraham, Massachusetts, where its historic reputation became well-known to him as he developed his career.
Reen will get a chance to write his own history at Lime Rock on Saturday piloting his own New Wave Home Chevrolet while using Jankowiak’s No. 73 for team owner Kevin Lapierre. The Lime Rock 100 also gives Reen a chance to continue a family tradition at the track, one he hopes will conclude with a strong performance against the ARCA Menards Series regulars.
“I’ve never raced at Lime Rock,” Reen said. “We’ve run there in BMWs and Miatas, but it means a lot to me because this is the second track me, my mom [Mary McGrath] and my dad [Bobby Reen] got to race at. My dad made it all the way up to IndyCars, and my mom stayed in the SCCA, so it’ll be cool to add one more notch to that post.”
Reen’s name is a familiar one amongst the Modified community in the northeast. He competed in 59 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour events between 2008-14, earning his lone career victory in the 2011 season finale at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park.
Although he no longer races on the Modified Tour, Reen has done everything possible to sustain his dream of one day reaching NASCAR’s top levels. Reen finally accomplished that goal in 2024, when he made two NASCAR Xfinity Series starts for Emerling-Gase Motorsports.
Reen now finds himself back in his northeastern roots with what he believes is a perfect opportunity to be competitive. He understands established programs like Joe Gibbs Racing and Pinnacle Racing Group possess numerous advantages compared to his, but Reen believes Lime Rock will be an equalizer.
“We’re a low-budget team,” Reen said. “I don’t have big horsepower, the big motors or any of that stuff. This is my best shot to run well because [Lime Rock] is not a high horsepower track. Realistically, no one has a notebook here, so we’re as close as we’re going to get to baseline with no notes on anyone’s behalf.
“We bought a car and turned it from an ARCA East car into an [ARCA Menards Series] car, which was a massive undertaking.”
Jankowiak’s assistance has been instrumental in making Reen feel more comfortable and prepared ahead of the latter’s ARCA Menards Series debut.
Lime Rock was not on Jankowiak’s planned 2025 schedule due to financial constraints, but he considers himself fortunate to have worked out a deal with Reen. The combined experience the two drivers possess in motorsports is something Jankowiak knows will be mutually beneficial to both in the long term.
“It was a good deal for everybody,” Jankowiak said. “Glen was planning on going on his own, but it was going to be a better deal for us to team up. This gives us another race with our number out there, which helps us with our points situation for the owner’s championship.
“It’s a good deal for Glen because we feel like we’re able to help him go to the race track with a better piece than he might have been able to [put together] on his own.”
Road courses have never been a high priority for Jankowiak since joining the ARCA Menards Series, primarily because the national platform only visits two during the year. Despite this, Jankowiak wants to refine KLAS Motorsports’ road-course program and is confident Reen’s input at Lime Rock will be invaluable toward that goal.
Reen considers himself a similar driver to Jankowiak with their hands-on approach, but he admitted he needed guidance on how to set up his own car. Although he had plenty of confidence in his own ability to figure out Lime Rock in an ARCA Menards Series car, Reen wanted to know more from Jankowiak about how to optimize the potential of his equipment.
“[Jankowiak’s advice] is not really driver input,” Reen said. “I do a lot of road racing, so I don’t need to be so worried about that, but more so with the setup. I have never set these big cars up. I’m use to coil overs, but I’m not used to these big bucket springs, truck arms and everything else. I had a bunch of questions for him.
“A lot of the little nuances these cars have are totally new to me.”
Jankowiak feels Reen is as prepared as possible for 68 laps around Lime Rock, which possesses many differences compared to Watkins Glen International, the other road course on the ARCA Menards Series calendar. While straightaway speed is emphasized at Watkins Glen, Jankowiak said Lime Rock is a more technical circuit that encourages proper braking and race craft.
With how much has gone into perfecting Reen’s car for Lime Rock, Jankowiak hopes his fellow driver can find enjoyment on track amongst the big teams. Finding Victory Lane will be a tall task given the pedigree of Saturday’s field, but Jankowiak knows a competitive, productive weekend with Reen is a feasible possibility.
“I expect this to be a learning experience,” Jankowiak said. “Our best finish on a road course was seventh at Watkins Glen a couple of years ago. If we could match that or get somewhere in the top 10, I think everyone would feel pretty good about the effort. The most important thing is keeping the car on track and not make any extra work in practice or qualifying.
“One thing that is kind of forgotten at this level is having fun. Glen’s doing this to have fun, and it’s certainly how I got into it.”
If the forecast holds for the Lime Rock 100, Reen believes his first ARCA Menards Series start will be both fun and treacherous.
Rain is expected to descend upon Lime Rock shortly before the green flag time of 4 p.m. ET, which would require drivers to utilize wet-weather tires. Such a scenario would be auspicious for Reen, who feels he could capitalize on drivers that possess minimal experience at both Lime Rock and in the wet conditions.
Regardless of what the weather does, Reen intends to surprise everyone at Lime Rock. His girlfriend’s kids will watch Reen race for the first time Saturday, so he wants to deliver a strong performance in front of them and cherish every moment on track.
“It’s David against Goliath,” Reen said. “I did it back in 2011 when everyone counted me out for the World Series [at Thompson]. We qualified [24th] and won the race. I’ll never rule [a win] out, but that’s not my goal this weekend. My goal is to go and learn as much as I can but focus on having fun, the rest will all fall where it may.”
Reen has waited years for the opportunity to follow in his family’s footsteps and compete in a race at Lime Rock. He is ready to embrace the challenges of the historic track and write a strong first chapter in his ARCA Menards Series career.
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