THOMAS MERRILL TO DRIVE SECOND CD RACING TRANS AM ENTRY |
POUGHKEEPSIE, NY (June 28, 2022) – Chris Dyson has good reason to be optimistic about his chances this weekend at Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin’s Road America racetrack. Not only is the reigning Trans Am by Pirelli Series champion the defending Road America TA race winner, Dyson also has a pair of IMSA American Le Mans Series race wins there (in 2003 and 2012) and in 2015 at the classic four-mile circuit piloted a Bentley Continental GT3 to victory in the Pirelli World Challenge. “It’s not just that I love racing at Road America because we’ve been successful there,” Dyson said. “It’s just a great driver’s track. It’s fast and very challenging in any car you drive there. And I’ve been coming to Elkhart since I was very young to watch my Dad race. It’s a place that really sparked my imagination. I’m excited every day I get to spend at Road America. And I know I’m not alone in that respect.” Dyson isn’t expecting a cakewalk at Road America – far from it. Coming off 1-2 sweeps at Lime Rock Park and the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, this weekend the CD Racing team will be facing probably the strongest opposition it has faced so far this season. This 28-car Trans Am field includes some additional potent entries in the headline TA class where Dyson competes in his #20 ALTWELL Ford Mustang. NASCAR veteran Paul Menard will be back in the second Franklin Road Apparel Camaro for the first time since winning at Charlotte in the second race of the season (the only time a CD Racing driver hasn’t stood at the top of the podium this year). Veteran racer Boris Said is entered in Pancho Weaver’s Dodge Challenger, which Kaz Grala put on the pole last weekend at Mid-Ohio. Grala is entered in a second Weaver Dodge. Weaver’s engines are well known for their big power, a quality that suits Road America’s hills and long straightaways.”This is going to be a great weekend for the TA category,” Dyson said. “As we showed last year, when a few more aces show up at Road America, the quality of the show goes up. This weekend we have some great cars and drivers out there to mix it up.” Thomas Merrill to Stand In For Masaood at Road America Matthew Brabham, who drove CD Racing’s #21 allgram Ford Mustang into the winner’s circle last weekend will be back at Mid-Ohio this weekend, driving for Andretti Autosport in the Indy Lights race. Substituting this weekend for regular driver Humaid Masaood (who has previous business commitments) is TA2-class standout Thomas Merrill, who will be doing double duty at Road America. Merrill, who is locked in a tight battle with Rafa Matos for the TA2 championship point lead, has won the past two races in that class. “In between winning the TA2 races at Lime Rock and Mid-Ohio, Thomas finished second in his class at the 24 Hours of Le Mans,” Dyson noted. “Our TA-class cars are a step up from the Mustang he drives in TA2, but Thomas is a very talented driver and I am certain he’ll be just as competitive in our car this weekend as he will be in his TA2 car. Some of the guys on our team have worked with Thomas in other series, and he impressed them with his talent and hard work. Also, big thanks to Mike Cope, Thomas’s TA2 car owner, for letting us put Thomas in the allgram Mustang this weekend.” “I’m grateful to Humaid and Chris for giving me this opportunity,” Merrill said. “CD Racing fields great cars and I look forward to doing my very best for the team.” Dyson to Drive in Road America NASCAR Xfinity Race Merrill won’t be the only driver doing double duty at Road America. Dyson is entered in the Henry 180 NASCAR Xfinity race, driving Emerling-Gase Motorsports’ #35 Concord American Flagpole Chevrolet Camaro. “I have to thank my good friend Andy Lally for recommending me to the team, which was looking for someone with road-racing credentials in big cars,” said Dyson, who in addition to his extensive Trans Am experience three years ago drove in the 2019 Mid-Ohio Xfinity race. “I was able to run in the top 10 until we got crashed out on a late-race restart. It was a good learning experience and since then I’ve had three more seasons of relevant Trans Am experience. Emerling-Gase Motorsports has a good car, and Brian Keselowski is a terrific crew chief. This is going to make for a very busy Saturday afternoon – our Trans Am race shortly after the Xfinity race ends – but I’m really looking forward to it.” Dyson is pleased to be bringing Concord American Flagpoles, whose livery is on CD Racing’s USAC sprint and Silver Crown cars, on board for the NASCAR race. “The whole Xfinity car is in Concord American Flagpole colors,” Dyson said. “It’s white with red and blue shooting stars. It’s particularly great to be able to show these colors on America’s birthday.” Video Coverage of Road America The Road America NASCAR Xfinity race starts at 1:30 pm CT (2:30 ET) on Saturday, July 2. It will be broadcast on the USA network, with radio coverage on the Motor Racing Network (MRN). The Road America TA race will be streamed live and free on the Trans Am Series by Pirelli YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/c/TheTransAmSeries) The 25-lap (100-mile) TA-class race takes the green flag Saturday, July 2 at 4:45 pm CT (5:45 pm ET). Modern Wellness with ALTWELL ALTWELL provides purposefully curated and flavored products to help improve your overall wellness, sleep, relaxation and balance. We know that can be a different experience for everyone, so we prioritize being able to serve the unique needs of our customers. We’re committed to helping you live each day with comfort and calm. That’s why all ALTWELL products are crafted with product quality and consumer satisfaction in mind. GYM WEED FEEL GOOD. WORK OUT. GYM WEED by ALTWELL. The hemp infused sports nutrition products to help take your workouts to a higher level. Gym Weed is paired with the power of Hemp Extract and additional functional ingredients to enhance performance and support recovery. GYM WEED products are third party lab tested and THC FREE to ensure safe, high-quality ingredients at the right dose. allgram Your Data is Yours! allgram is the next generation decentralized Peer to Peer secure communication platform hosted on the blockchain and developed with cyber and information security as the core elements of the solution. Leveraging Digital IDs you can communicate securely via chat, voice, video, & social media knowing that nobody is accessing your data. DIGITAL ID – Digital IDs are authenticated through the blockchain for true identity verification. CHAT – Peer to Peer communication via text, voice and video with no central servers. SCHEDULE CALLS – Send meeting invites using allgram calendar for business or personal use. SOCIAL MEDIA – Create private or public clubs and share posts securely with no targeted advertisements. |