POUGHKEEPSIE, NY (August 1, 2019) — On the heels of a dominant win at Lime Rock Park on Memorial Day in his #20 Plaid Ford Mustang, Chris Dyson is looking to extend his narrow point lead in the 2019 Trans Am by Pirelli series on Saturday at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road circuit. Dyson currently leads the 2018 series champion Ernie Francis, Jr. by eight points.
“Indianapolis was a tough race for us last year,” said Dyson, who finished third in points in the 2018 season and was named Rookie of the Year. “Coming to Indy we were second in points, close behind (eventual champion) Ernie (Francis, Jr.). We’d qualified in the first two rows and finished in the top five in all the previous races. We looked certain to have at least a podium on the cards, and then about halfway through the event, a backmarker slowed suddenly right in front of me and collected us. It was a tough pill to swallow. But that is racing sometimes, and we’ve put that event behind us.”
Again this year Dyson has qualified in the first two rows in each of the four races thus far, and in addition to the Lime Rock victory he’s notched a runner-up finish at the season opener at Sebring and a fourth-place finish at Road Atlanta. “Now that we have a full season’s experience with the car and the series we’ve got the car running really well,” Dyson said. “In the races everyone fights fair, but the on-track competition is pretty fierce. I know it will be a hard hundred miles, but I’m confident we’re going to do well at Indy.
“Over the years I’ve won a lot of races, many of them on famous tracks,” Dyson said. “Lime Rock is the Dyson family’s home track, so winning there on Memorial Day in front of my family and so many friends was pretty special. But there’s only one Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and it would mean so much to me to win there. I will definitely be giving it my best shot. There are seven races remaining on our schedule, and every one is going to matter for the championship.”
TA class practice takes place Friday, August 2, from 11:40 am thru 12:05 ET. A 35-minute qualifying session commences at 5:00 pm.
The 100-mile race takes the green Saturday, August 3, at 2:35 pm ET.
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.