POUGHKEEPSIE, NY (May 30, 2021) – Chris Dyson picked up Saturday afternoon where he left off the last time the Trans Am series visited Connecticut’s picturesque Lime Rock Park race track. As he did in 2019, Dyson led the race from the green flag to the checker. The win, combined with bonuses for fastest lap and most laps led, vaulted Dyson into a strong lead in the Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli 2021 championship point standing.
“The car was so great and I was having so much fun, I didn’t want the race to end,” Dyson said following his second win of the season in his #20 ATWELL CBD Ford Mustang and ninth victory of his Trans Am career.
The track was awash in pouring rain as the green flag dropped. From his starting position on the outside of the front row, Dyson grabbed the lead going around the outside of pole-sitter Ernie Francis, Jr.
Dyson rocketed out of Big Bend in the lead, with Francis spinning out in his wake. From his third spot on the grid, Andy Lally, recruited at the last minute to sub for Humaid Masaood in the #21 Amamos La Vida Tequila Ford Mustang, dodged Francis’s rotating car to grab the second position behind Dyson.
Masaood, who normally drives the team’s other Mustang, had finished second at Laguna Seca earlier in the month. He was forced to miss Lime Rock due to the press of last-minute business matters. Francis, the defending series champion who had led Dyson by a single point prior to the series' arrival to Lime Rock, later retired from the event with mechanical problems.
"The car was simply fantastic all weekend, and we showed it in the race today," Dyson said. "I was able to manage the pace and even as the track changed, the balance was really superb. I've been racing here for more than twenty years, and we put a lot of those lessons to work in today's race. I was trying to get fast lap but didn't want to over-pressure my tires too much. I knew that I had a few really strong competitors behind me but I also felt confident throughout the race.
A late race full-course caution eliminated the substantial lead Dyson and Lally had earned and bunched up the field directly behind them. But when the green flag was again unfurled, Dyson was able to reestablish an unchallenged lead. Lally scored a podium finish, narrowly coming out on the short end of a late-race duel with Tomy Drissi.
“This win is so meaningful for me” Dyson said of his winning performance. “We had a truly magical weekend here in 2019, but winning here is something I never take for granted. And it will never get old for me. I grew up watching my dad race on these hillsides and that is where my dreams were born. So to come back here, with the conditions so challenging, and win again against the caliber of drivers in this field, with so many family members and friends here to support us – it is just an amazing feeling. Racing the Trans Am cars here on the classic track layout is such a thrill; every lap is exciting. Lime Rock has a storied history and I'm proud of our family's place in it.
"I'm grateful Andy Lally could join us on such late notice this week," Dyson added. "He is a true pro and I appreciate all the input he gave us this week. We made some big strides in the points championship today and we are all looking forward to Mid-Ohio now."
Mid-Ohio Next Stop on Trans Am Schedule
The fifth round of the 2021 Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli, marking the halfway point on the schedule, is set for June 25-27 at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio. Live-streaming and live timing for the event will be available on the Trans Am by Pirelli official App.
Modern Wellness with ALTWELL
ALTWELL provides purposefully curated and flavored CBD products to help improve your overall wellness, sleep, relaxation and balance. Established in 2018 by the Pickett family, known for the Muscle Milk Brand of protein products, ALTWELL (https://altwell.com/) is a CBD brand rooted in health wellness with four generations and over 50 years of combined experience. ALTWELL, headquartered in Benicia, CA, is an FDA regulated, SQF third party audited food and beverage flavor company which adheres to the highest standards of food safety.
We know that CBD can be a different experience for everyone, so we prioritize being able to serve the unique needs of our customers. We’re committed to helping you live each day with comfort and calm.
The ALTWELL team has worked in food and beverage manufacturing, where upholding safety and regulatory excellence is the expectation, not the exception. That’s why all ALTWELL products are crafted with product quality, taste and consumer satisfaction in mind.
Amamos La Vida Tequila
Amamos La Vida, We Love Life! Produced by one of the most awarded tequila distilleries in Mexico, this international-award-winning tequila is being introduced to the US market in 2020.
All varieties of Amamos La Vida Tequila are created using traditional methods of manufacturing, acquiring the best agaves from the region of Tequila and the highlands and lowlands of Jalisco, and then combining the baking processes of both traditional ovens covered in stone masonry and autoclaves. The Distillery’s combined experience of 72 years means La Vida’s ultra-smooth taste will impress both new and experienced tequila drinkers.
Leaving you with only one thing to say, We Love Life!!!
