Race report

ALMS

At Mid-Ohio 200th Podium for Dyson Racing

Edited: Aug 5, 2012, 2:07 PM

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#16 Dyson Racing Team Inc. Lola B12/60 Mazda: Chris Dyson, Guy Smith

Photo by: Art Fleischmann

LEXINGTON, OH August 4, 2012 – Dyson Racing pushed their podium total above 200 today at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Challenge. The team added numbers 200 and 201 to their tally as Chris Dyson and Guy Smith came in second overall in the #16 Modspace Mazda entry and Michael Marsal and Eric Lux brought home the #20 Dyson Racing car third in the P1 class. The team started the year with 190 podiums to their credit.

The Midwest summer’s heat and humidity continued unabated at one of the most physical tracks the American Le Mans Series runs at. “This is probably one of the toughest conditions I have ever faced in a racing car,’ commented Smith. “I did as much time in the car as I could and the team got me out at the right time. You can feel your performance peeking and your concentration leveling off.” Smith started the Dyson entry second and spent almost two hours in the car. He kept the gap to the leader under 12 seconds before the first pit stop rotations, set the second fastest race lap and led laps 71- 84, before handing the car over to Dyson with fifty minutes remaining in the race.

The #20 car was third overall ten minutes from the end when shifting problems kept if from finishing the last seven laps. Marsal started the car and was running fourth when he pitted for fuel, tires and driver change at the hour and a half mark. “The Dysons prep a great car and this is one of those electrical gremlins that happen in racing,” Marsal said. “We had a strong car for the race. We chased set up through the beginning of the weekend but when we took the green today, we had a good car to race.” Lux explained that “we were running third overall and came in for a splash-and-go to make sure that we were going to secure our position at the end. We were down 45 seconds at one point to third and we made that up, did the splash and made up another 28 seconds. We got back to third and then I had an issue with fourth gear and then the only gear that was left was neutral. But we had a good balance in the car in qualifying and we were able to keep 90% of that today during the race.”

“Michael and Eric drove great races today under trying conditions,” commented Dyson. “They were quick and fought hard to put themselves in position to finish third overall. Our hats off to them and to the Muscle Milk car for their victory. The 16 car wasn’t quick enough in the race, and we need to keep pushing technically on development. We are working our rear ends off at the moment. We made a step forward this weekend, but we are still struggling to get consistent balance on the car and tires. The car was quite different in the race to what we had in qualifying and we are looking into why this was the case. It has been frustrating, but I am hopeful for a better weekend at Road America.”

Source: Dyson Racing

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