Dyson captures checkered flag at Lime Rock Park

May 30, 2021
6:04 am

LAKEVILLE – Poughkeepsie-based Chris Dyson pushed his Ford Mustang to victory in Saturday’s Trans Am Memorial Day Classic at Lime Rock Park. He led every lap of the race after starting in second place for his second victory of the season.

Saturday’s victory was Dyson’s second consecutive win at his home track, having captured the checkered flag in 2019. Due to the pandemic, the race was not run in 2020. The top finish is Dyson’s eighth career victory in the Mustang sponsored by Atwell CBD. Racers qualified for the race on Friday in the rain, started Saturday’s race with rain falling and finished on a slowly drying track.

“This means the world to me,” Dyson said. “The conditions were challenging, but Lime Rock always puts an extra spring in my step, and it’s an unbelievable feat to drive around this place in these Trans Am cars at these speeds and in these conditions, against the caliber of drivers in this field. I’ve been coming here since I was a kid, it’s always been special to be part of this tradition.” The Lime Rock Park veteran added “What a day for the team – what a points day too! I think we’re just hitting our stride.”

Starting in second place behind polesitter Ernie Francis Jr, Dyson used a move that he learned from legendary Dyson Racing driver Butch Leitzinger, Dyson went to the outside in Turn 1 on the opening lap to take the lead. Francis did a 360-spin on the wet track and continued, although in eighth place.

“I’ve had that move in my pocket,” said Dyson. “I watched Butch Leitzinger use that move so many times here, and I’ve been waiting years to use it.”

Dyson’s teammate Andy Lally drove his Ford Mustang to a third-place finish behind Tomy Drissi’s Chevrolet Camaro.

“It was fun,” Lally said. “With a drying track like that in these cars sliding around, to do battle with guys like Chris and Tomy was pretty crazy. We had a couple runs, but Tomy was smart with his lines on that last lap. We were side-by-side in West Bend, and we picked up a lapped guy. Tomy used him as a pick, and that was that. Trans Am’s a fun group, especially with this horsepower in mixed conditions like today.”