TROIS-RIVIERES, QUEBEC, AUG. 3 — Thetford / Norcold / Goodyear Dyson Racing`s Chris Dyson and James Weaver survived some early race damage and finished 11th overall and 6th in LMP900 in Saturday`s three-hour American Le Mans Series Grand Prix de Trois-Rivieres.
Chris Dyson started fourth and lost a position at the start avoiding a first corner accident. On the restart he ran in fifth before overtaking Andy Lally`s Lola-Judd for fourth. The favored Audi and Panoz cars which had started in the back soon overtook the venerable Dyson R&S Lincoln, and Dyson held station in sixth. Nearing the end of his first hour-long stint, the 24 year-old rookie lost the rear end of the car braking at the end of the bumpy temporary street course`s main straight and made contact with the barrier. The car`s rear wing was wounded in the impact and the team lost time replacing it in the pits.
James Weaver took over the controls and within an hour the Englishman had moved the Dyson car up the running order from 21st to 12th overall. He was relieved by Dyson, who drove for the race`s final hour and crossed the line in 11th position.
Dyson`s first visit to the twisty 1.52-mile Trois-Rivieres circuit proved to be a learning experience. “We figured the best we could have done was sixth (overall), and I think we could have finished there. Unfortunately I did not give myself enough of a margin under braking and I lost the rear under braking for turn one at the end of my first stint. We came here for experience and I certainly learned quite a bit this weekend.”
The team heads up to Watkins Glen this week to contest the Rolex Series Bully Hill Vinyards 250. Weaver and Dyson are scheduled to co-drive their #16 machine, while team boss Rob Dyson will be sharing the sister #20 car with Butch Leitzinger.
