LONG BEACH, CA April 16, 2010 – Chris Dyson qualified the #16 ARCO BP Mazda third for Saturday’s Tequila Patron American Le Mans Series at Long Beach. Qualifying was hard-fought to the end with Dyson setting his fastest time on the session’s last lap. This is the first race of the merged LMP1 and LMP2 classes into a combined LMP. Long Beach is also the first of two races for Dyson Racing to carry ARCO colors, BP’s prominent west coast brand. A record thirty-six cars will start the ALMS’ fourth appearance here as the series goes from the longest race of the year, the 12 Hours of Sebring to the season’s shortest, 100 minutes on the streets of Long Beach.
“The car was good off the truck and Chris, Guy, and the team made it better,” said Rob Dyson. “Lola and AER continue to step up to the plate and on an always changing surface, the Dunlop tires performed well. We have a good car for the race tomorrow.”
It was a full week for the Dyson team. Chris Dyson and Guy Smith appeared at the ARCO headquarters in La Palma, CA on Tuesday with the blue, white and red ARCO race car. The drivers were there meeting the ARCO associates and participating in a safety symposium with the employees on safe driving. “We very much enjoyed meeting the ARCO management and employees. We will carry their enthusiasm with us in the race Saturday and at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca next month,” said Guy Smith.
At the track today, Chris Dyson was named one of five drivers to the American Le Mans Series Green Dream Team. Anounced by series’ President and CEO, Scott Atherton, at the second annual “Race Goes Green” symposium hosted by SEMA and the Motorsport International Association, Dyson will serve as an ambassador for the series’ green initiatives at the track, promotional activities and media events. “It has been a tremendous wave to be riding the past couple of years with the American Le Mans Series,” Dyson said. “They correctly recognized a number of years ago that motor racing in the future is going to have to be relevant. The ALMS is well positioned and has embraced the essence of racing which is innovation and leading the discussion. With our partners BP and Mazda, we have introduced isobutanol to the series and Castrol is working on the lubricant side. Dyson Racing embraces the mission statement of the series and is thankful that our partners feel the same way.”
Pos | Car# | Class | Drivers | Time | Car Make |
1. | 007 | P | Primat/Fernandez | 1:13.213 | Lola B09 60 |
2. | 1 | P | Brabham/Pagenaud | 1:13.285 | HPD ARX-01 |
3. | 16 | P | Dyson/Smith | 1:14.191 | Mazda MZR-R |
4. | 6 | P | Pickett/Graf | 1:14.259 | Porsche RS Spyder |
5. | 37 | P | Field/Field/Konstant | 1:15.136 | Lola B06 10 |
6. | 8 | P | Drayson/Cocker | 1:17.084 | Lola B06 60 |
7. | 55 | PC | Tucker/Bouchut | 1:17.273 | Oreca FLM09 |
8. | 99 | PC | Julian/Jeannette | 1:17.520 | Oreca FLM09 |
9. | 12 | P | Drissi/Davis | 1:17.611 | Lola B06 10 |
10. | 36 | PC | Hildebrand/Sutherland | 1:18.186 | Oreca FLM09 |