Team Also Fields Entries for Brabham & Fix
POUGHKEEPSIE, NY (October 5, 2022) – When the Chris Dyson Racing transporters arrive this week prior to the penultimate round of the 2022 Trans Am by Pirelli series, the team will be unloading three cars rather than the usual pair. With the 2022 Drivers and Team titles confirmed last month at Watkins Glen, recently crowned champion Chris Dyson will be driving an all-new, advanced-design ALTWELL CBD Ford Mustang carrying #16, numerals familiar for nearly four decades to those who follow the racing exploits of the Dyson family.
“We’ve been racing our current car for five seasons now,” Dyson said in announcing the addition of the new Bob Riley-designed and built car to the stables. “The team has continually developed it and the car’s gotten faster and more reliable every year. But by the beginning of this season we’d concluded that there wasn’t much more added performance potential left. The car had brought us the championship last year – and as it turned out again this season. But the competition isn't standing still and it is time to start developing our program for 2023.”
Dyson decided the best way forward for the longer term was with a different car, so the team ordered the AR3 new-design chassis from Riley Technologies, while preparing the championship-winner for the 2022 season. The new chassis was delivered late this spring and the team began a dual-track program to develop the new car while campaigning the current Mustang.
“It was clear that the Riley has huge potential,” Dyson said. “The car is a clean-sheet design and Bob Riley has brought all of his legendary design experience to bear. We expect really good things to come. And it is really meaningful for us to be working together again. I won my earliest major sportscar races in Bob's designs and our family team (Dyson Racing) won many prototype championships together running Riley-built cars.”
Of course new cars tend to have bugs, and the point structure of the Trans Am championship heavily penalizes DNFs. “We’ve won five races already this year, so clearly our current car is still quick enough,” Dyson said. “What we couldn’t afford was teething problems that caused us to drop out of the races. And in fact when we first tested the Riley, it had the kind if niggling issues that needed to be addressed. We’ve gone through the list and done more testing. But a test is not a race. So I’m going to run the car in these last two races as preparation for 2023, which I think is shaping up to be a hyper-competitive season.
CD Racing’s "Triple Threat"
Matthew Brabham, who finished second at Lime Rock Park before winning at Mid-Ohio in CD Racing entries earlier this season, will pilot Dyson’s regular #20 Ford Mustang entry this weekend in ALTWELL livery with additional branding from Concord American Flagpole. Paul Fix, who finished fifth at Watkins Glen in the #21 allgram/StopFlex.com/ClassicTube Ford Mustang, will return to race the same car this weekend.
“Running three cars is more work for sure,” Dyson said. “But our team has a lot of depth, so I’m sure we can fully support all three cars. And however I do with the new #16 ALTWELL CBD car, the team is well positioned for really strong weekend. I can't wait."
VIR Schedule Official practice at VIR is Friday. A 15-minute qualifying session begins Saturday at 5:20 p.m. ET.
The 100-mile race will be live-streamed on Trans Am’s You Tube channel. The green flag waves Sunday at 11:05 a.m.
Additional Video Coverage
In addition to Sunday’s live coverage of the race on the Trans Am You Tube channel, a rebroadcast of the event is scheduled for October 13, 8:00 p.m. ET on CBS Sports Network, with an encore presentation October 14, 12:30 a.m. ET also on CBS Sports Network
By Trans Am | October 5, 2022
