POUGHKEEPSIE, NY  May 24, 2013 –Rob and Chris Dyson  will be driving at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Saturday, May 25th, in the “Legends Day Honoring Parnelli Jones,” the day before the 97th running of the Indianapolis 500. Chris will be driving the 1982 Rick Mears PC-10 that Mears took to second place in the 1982 500 and won that season’s CART championship with, while Rob will be driving a 1967 Gerhardt with an iconic Ford four-cam V8.  This year’s Legends Day is a celebration of the 50th anniversary of Parnelli Jones’ victory in the 1963 Indianapolis 500.  He will be driving the famous Watson/Offy roadster “Calhoun” that he won the 1963 500 with on Saturday morning. The Dysons and the vintage Indy cars will be on track from 9:30 AM to 10:15 AM.

Rob Dyson’s first trip to the Speedway was in 1961.  He often traces his love for racing to that memorable outing.  He recounts that “I was 15 and it was like nothing I had ever seen before. We took the bus around the Speedway and went to the museum and saw all the historical race cars.  It was an epiphany.  I remember saying that I wanted to be a part of this.  We went back the next year and there was a souvenir flag stand in our hotel room and I took it home and still have it on my bookcase.” 

“We have to thank Greg Ellif of GE Motorsport and car owner Jeff Urwin for this incredible opportunity,” said Chris Dyson.  “What better way to connect with a branch of the sport I have always loved, at a race I consider one of the greatest in the world. This is truly a once in a lifetime experience for me and my dad.  I fell in love with Indy car racing when I was a kid and I attended my first 500 twenty years ago in 1993. Our family has had the same seats for over 50 years. There is no other experience in racing like the Indy 500.

“Last year, my dad and I were at the 500 and we were making the rounds of the garages with all the vintage cars and it was really a feast for the eyes. We hooked up with a couple friends from the old IMSA days who are now in the car restoration business and they were running a few cars during the Legends day festivities last year.  It was great to see this old machinery in the flesh and running on the track. Greg Ellif, who runs the cars, was at Mazda Raceway two weekends ago and approached Rob and me and asked if we would be coming out to Indy early for the weekend and if we would like to drive some historic cars for the exhibition laps. There was no hesitation. To be driving cars with such history around the most famous race track in America on Memorial Day – we could not be more excited and are very grateful for the opportunity.”