DAYTONA BEACH, FL, NOV. 4 — Thetford / Norcold / Goodyear Dyson Racing hopes to end its 2002 Rolex Series season on a high note at this weekend`s Rolex Series Daytona Finale.
Leading the team`s two-car effort will be James Weaver and rookie Chris Dyson in the #16 Ford-R&S mk3. The 24 year-old Dyson trails Doran-Lista`s Didier Theys in the championship standings by nine points heading into the race. Dyson can still win the championship with a victory, but Theys can finish no better than fifth overall. To bolster the team`s assault, Watkins Glen 250 winners Butch Leitzinger and Rob Dyson will be sharing the sister #20 R&S mk3.
With a win, Dyson and Weaver can secure the Series Team Championship this weekend if the pairing of Theys and Fredy Lienhard, Jr. finishes third or worse.
“I am excited about this weekend,” Chris Dyson said. “It has been a couple of months since we raced in the Rolex series, and I would really like to end this year on a high. It has been a great rookie year and to have had a championship at stake all season has been a blast. We won here in July and we are confident that the car will be even better this weekend.”
Weaver and Dyson shared victory in the Jani-King Paul Revere 250 in July. When asked about the Finale, which he won in 2001 with Butch Leitzinger, Weaver was optimistic. “We have raced here so many times with this car and that helps because we always roll off the truck with a fast car,” Weaver said. “The Goodyears work particularly well here on our car, historically.”
The race marks the last competitive outing for the Dyson team`s Ford-powered R&S machines.
The team will begin practicing for the Daytona Finale on Thursday. Sunday`s race will be televised live on the Speed Channel at 1 PM EST.