Jill Brody combines jewelry design and high-performance driving at Lime Rock Drivers Club, embracing precision, passion, and community.
By Clementina Verge
Jewelry designer. Former pastry chef. Licensed race car driver. Jill Brody embodies reinvention—a woman living with precision and bold creativity. From Barefoot Contessa kitchens to the curves of Lime Rock Park’s world-class track in Salisbury, Brody’s life is a master class in passion pursued without hesitation.
Her journey began with gemstones. A teenage trip to New York’s Fashion District sparked a lifelong love for jewelry, inspiring her to launch Jill Lynn & Co. at 19. She opened her first boutique in Sag Harbor in 2005, later relocating to Southampton.
Brody’s artistic instincts extended into the culinary world; during her time as a baker for The Barefoot Contessa, she created artwork for the menu boards featured in cookbooks and shops. Then, in a bold pivot, she shut it all down and moved to Connecticut with her family to build something deeper. As life slowed, driving got faster, she laughs.
In summer 2020, she bought her dream car: a Porsche Cayman. A car control clinic introduced her to Lime Rock Drivers Club, and that changed everything.
“I’ve always loved cars. My dad used to take us on the highway in his ‘third car’ just to feel the speed,” she reminisces. “Once my kids were older, I had more time, and I rediscovered that part of myself.”
Today, Brody is a licensed Sports Car Club of America driver, piloting a Porsche GT4 and BMW M2 Competition, both meticulously tuned for the track. Joining Lime Rock made it all possible, she asserts with certainty.
“It’s more than a track—it’s a community,” she says. “The coaches, led by club director Simon Kirkby, are world-class. One day you’re driving alongside professional racers, the next with passionate beginners. Everyone respects the drive.”
Few women occupy this space, but she’s always felt respected.
“No one treats you like you don’t belong,” she says. “The Drivers Club is welcoming; it’s about passion and mindset.”
Camaraderie is a hallmark of the Lime Rock Drivers Club, where membership grants access to private track days, one-on-one coaching, advanced clinics, and five-star hospitality. Perks extend beyond Salisbury, with reciprocal privileges at 13 other race tracks in the United States.
The club’s historic 1.5-mile track—steeped in 65 years of motorsport legacy—is easy to learn, but incredibly difficult to master.
“No day at Lime Rock is ever the same,” says Brody. “It forces you to be present: alert, calm, connected. It’s almost meditative—but with adrenaline and horsepower. It’s not recklessness. It’s precision.”
Off the track, Brody balances high-octane days with the slow joys of rural life: coffee, laughter, and Sunday drives down the Merritt Parkway with friends. In her Wilton studio, she crafts elegant, heirloom-quality jewelry pieces—until it’s time to get back on track.
“People ask if it’s dangerous. I say, so is crossing the street,” she declares. “What’s life if you don’t chase the thing that lights you up?”
For Brody—and her fellow Lime Rock Drivers Club members—that pursuit happens full-throttle, one thrilling turn at a time.
For membership details, contact Simon or Jeanette at limerockclub.com Jill Brody’s jewelry can be found online at jilllynnandco.com.
[Sponsored]
