POUGHKEEPSIE, NY (August 22, 2018) – Chris Dyson is savoring a good result in last weekend’s USAC Silver Crown 100-mile race in Springfield, IL, while looking forward to this Saturday’s Trans Am presented by Pirelli race in Elkhart Lake, WI, as an opportunity to shake off a disappointing result in the series’ most recent event at Mid-Ohio. An incident early in that Trans Am race relegated Dyson to a 13th-place finish, which dropped him from second to fourth in the championship points standings.
On the other hand, racing to a 13th-place finish from a 28th starting spot in this past weekend’s Bettenhausen 100 at the Illinois State Fairground marked a strongly positive result for the two-time road-racing champion turned rookie USAC Silver Crown driver.
“It was pretty satisfying because I had to race my way into the field in the first place,” Dyson said, noting that his 29th-fastest time in the 43-car qualifying round wasn’t quick enough to ensure a place in the 30-car field for the 100-mile feature race. “At first, I was probably too conservative learning the track, which was tricky to read, but by the time we rain in the B-main (consolation) race, I was starting to gain some confidence and figure it out. The feature was an absolute blast. I took it fairly easy at the start, then once I saw the leaders come through, I just hung onto them for a lot of the second half of the race and keep pushing. We were able to pass quite a few cars along the way. The corners at Springfield are pretty wide so you can carry a lot of speed into them. Then the track starts to take rubber and that adds another dimension. I have always wanted to run the historic one-mile ovals, so this year has been a terrific experience. I’m only sorry there’s only one more one-mile oval left on this year’s Silver Crown schedule.”
That one remaining race is the 68th Annual Ted Horn 100 on September 2 at the Du Quoin State Fair. While he has been racing sprint cars and midgets for several years now, 2018 marks Dyson’s first year entering events with his own CD Racing team. The Bettenhausen race was only his third time out in the Silver Crown series.
Trans Am: Ryan Companies Road America Classic
After a very bright start to the season – second place in the season-opener at Sebring and a victory the following race at Road Atlanta – on-track misfortunes have marred Dyson’s three most recent outings with the #20 CD Racing Plaid Mustang. At the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, contact when a backmarker stopped suddenly on track dropped Dyson to a 9th-place finish, while poorly timed traffic on the last lap at Pittsburgh meant a potentially race-winning drive only yielded third place.
“The incident at Mid-Ohio was completely my responsibility,” Dyson said. “I just locked up the front end and ran into Boris Said. I’m glad it didn’t ruin his race, though it meant we were done for the day.”
In retrospect, Dyson suspects after reviewing video and in-car data that the track was still slightly damp from overnight rain in the section where he locked up the front wheels soon after the Mid-Ohio race start. “Trans Am cars don’t have any driver aids like anti-lock brakes or traction control, and that’s one of the things I like about them. Same as with the USAC Silver Crown cars. It’s all up to the driver. And I’m really focusing on doing a better job in the TA car this weekend at Road America.
“I have to admit that the way points are awarded in the Trans Am series, after the last couple events, it’s going to be tough to remain in the hunt for winning the championship,” Dyson said. “The other side of that coin is that from here on we can focus on winning races and not hold back because we need to protect any position in the points.”
Dyson won the Pirelli World Challenge GT race the last time he visited the famous Road America circuit and he enjoyed multiple victories in there in a decade of IMSA American Le Mans Series prototype competition.
“I’ve had a lot of races at Road America and done well. I think the Plaid Mustang is going to be very good there and the Trans Am cars should put on an exciting race there. I’m looking forward to the race.”
About Plaid
Headquartered in Atlanta, Plaid Enterprises, Inc. is one of the world’s largest, most diverse manufacturers of creative do-it-yourself products. Plaid’s product innovation and dedication to the ever-changing needs of consumers have made the Plaid family of products among the most recognized and desired brands worldwide.
Founded in 1976, Plaid began as a publisher of how-to craft books. The company soon expanded into manufacturing, with paint becoming the primary focus. Today, Plaid is the industry’s leading small batch paint manufacturer, proudly producing paint in its facilities located outside of Atlanta, GA.
Notable brands in Plaid’s portfolio include FolkArt, Apple Barrel, Delta, Bucilla, Martha Stewart Crafts, and one of the industry’s best known, Mod Podge, a favorite since 1967.