POUGHKEEPSIE, NY (May 22, 2019) — This Memorial Day weekend kicks off for Chris Dyson with three different race cars on three different tracks and then concludes on the Monday holiday with a racing homecoming with family and friends at his home track, Connecticut’s picturesque Lime Rock Park.
Thursday Dyson will be racing his #9 CD Racing dirt track USAC Silver Crown champ car at the Hoosier Hundred at the Indiana State Fair Grounds in Indianapolis and Friday he switches to his pavement Silver Crown champ car for the USAC Silver Crown Dave Steele Carb Night Classic at the Lucas Oil Raceway in nearby Brownsburg, IN. And then Saturday morning, following an 800-mile flight east, Dyson will climb into the cockpit of his #20 Plaid Mustang at Lime Rock Park to practice for Monday’s 100-mile Trans Am race.
Dyson and his team had an excellent test earlier this week at the two-thirds-mile, banked Lucas Oil Raceway and he is optimistic for a good result there on Friday. But it’s Thursday‘s race at the fairgrounds in Indianapolis and Monday‘s race at Lime Rock Park that pack an emotional impact for him.
“I had the opportunity last year to qualify for and race in my first-ever Hoosier Hundred, and it was an amazing experience; it is one of the all-time great venues in American racing.” Dyson said. “With this year’s event being the last Hoosier 100 that will ever be held, I am honored to be competing there. It will be a bittersweet experience for all of us competitors. But we will try to enjoy every second of it.
“To say it is an action-packed weekend would be an understatement. I am also psyched to race at Lucas Oil Raceway for the first time. I have been watching races from there since Thursday Night Thunder when I was a kid. After two races with a pretty steep learning curve – and with thanks to Bob East – I think we have the pavement car in a good setup window.
“Then to cap it off, as if the week wasn’t already exciting enough, we are racing Memorial Day at Lime Rock. From a personal standpoint, I can’t express how special that is for me since Lime Rock and Memorial Day have been synonymous for me since for as long as I can remember. I have so many memories of those weekends as a kid and now finally I am getting the opportunity to compete. We will have a ton of family and friends there; it will be very memorable.”
Dyson comes to the fourth round of the Trans Am series championship in third place despite a disappointing result (due to long pit stop to repair a power steering problem) earlier this month in the most recent event, at Laguna Seca. He is confident the mechanical issue has been resolved and is optimistic about his chances at his home track.
The Dyson Racing Team won its first-ever IMSA GTP event on Memorial Day in 1985 and the family has a distinguished history at the famed Connecticut venue, with some unforgettable victories. Chris Dyson won his first SCCA National victory there and more recently took pole and a victory with Guy Smith in the IMSA American Le Mans Series race on the way to the 2011 series championship.
“I have been looking forward to this race weekend since we started looking at the calendar last fall, and it is finally here, and I couldn’t be happier,” Dyson said. “My short track and road racing crews have each made a huge effort to make sure I have great ride wherever we are. And we will be surrounded by our dearest friends and family. What a way to kick off the summer. Now let’s go racing!”
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.