POUGHKEEPSIE, NY (May 27, 2021) – The last time the Trans Am series visited Lime Rock Park, in 2019, Chris Dyson started from the pole position and ran away from the field on his way to a dominant victory. Saturday afternoon in the Memorial Day weekend’s feature race, Dyson will be looking to reprise that victory and in doing so take the lead in the Trans Am Championship by Pirelli.
“I always love racing at Lime Rock Park,” Dyson said. “And not because it’s less than an hour’s drive from my home. It’s a terrifically challenging track and one where my family’s name is written in the history book.”
He noted that Dyson Racing’s first professional win came in the 1985 Memorial Day International Motor Sports Association Camel GT race with a Porsche 962 GTP car that still resides at the team’s shop in Poughkeepsie. Lime Rock Park has been the scene of some of Chris’s personal career highlights as well.
“I scored my first SCCA National win in a Spec Racer Ford 20 years ago, in 2001, at Lime Rock and I won the American Le Mans Series race there in 2011,” Dyson said. “I just feel that I have an advantage when we race there. While only a mile and a half long, Lime Rock is one of the fastest tracks we race on. You need both handling and horsepower – and commitment. This year we’ve got our Mustang running really strong. Weather can be a big variable at Lime Rock and I believe that could play to my track experience advantage as well.”
Dyson came from the back of the field to win the 2020 season opener at Sebring in February and his #20 ALTWELL Ford Mustang has been the fastest car on the track at the other two events run so far this season. Dyson currently trails defending series champion Ernie Francis, Jr. by a single point. And while Dyson enjoys having family and friends in attendance when he races at Lime Rock, “This weekend my goal is to drive home Saturday evening with the championship lead.”
Masaood to Miss Lime Rock; Andy Lally Named as Replacement
Humaid Masaood, Dyson’s full-time teammate and driver of the #21 Amamos La Vida Tequila Ford Mustang, has run strongly in the two events in which he has competed in 2021. Coming off a stellar second-place finish in the most recent race, at Laguna Seca, Masaood was looking forward to competing at Lime Rock this weekend. Unfortunately, due to business obligations overseas, Masaood will be unable to join the team for the Connecticut event. The team has nominated Andy Lally as his replacement.
“I’m was excited to return to Lime Rock,” Masaood said. “But Andy will do an excellent job in my absence and I look forward to seeing everyone in the paddock again next month when the Trans Am Series visits Mid-Ohio.”
Andy Lally is no stranger to the team or the Trans Am Series. Lally, whose relationship with the Dyson Racing organization dates back to 2004, co-drove in several American Le Mans Series events between 2007 and 2009. Lally’s resume needs no introduction: he is multi-time Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona winner and a top IMSA and NASCAR competitor. In his one outing in a TA car, at the 2017 Trans Am Series round at Watkins Glen International, he won the race.
“I’m so happy to be back working with the Dyson team,” Lally said. “This opportunity came along last-minute for all of us, but thankfully I happened to be available and I was already in New York. Chris and I have been friends for twenty years and we always keep in touch; I’m here to help the team’s championship efforts and I appreciate Humaid’s confidence in putting me in the #21 car this weekend. I love racing the TA cars and I’m glad this has worked out.”
Chris Dyson was delighted that Lally could rejoin the team for this weekend. “Of course we will miss having Humaid here this weekend. But we couldn’t have found a better fill-in driver than Andy. Andy is family here; we’ve raced and worked together for a lot of our careers and he’s always been a “go-to guy” for us in the past. I think we will get a great result together this weekend.”
Race Schedule & Livestream
Qualifying for this weekend’s race at Lime Rock Park takes place on Friday, May 28 from 5:20 to 5:35 pm (ET). The 68-lap (100-mile) race takes the green flag Saturday, May 29 at 1:20 pm ( ET). Live-streaming and live timing for the event will be available on the Trans Am by Pirelli official App.
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