History will be set at the 82nd running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans June 14-15 when sixteen year-old Matt McMurry becomes the youngest driver ever to participate in motorsports’ most famous endurance race. The culmination of a long-held childhood dream, McMurry will beat the 55 year old record held by Ricardo Rodriguez who was 17 years and four months when he drove an OSCA S750 in 1959 at Le Mans.
 
On the strength of his strong performances in the opening rounds of the European Le Mans Series, McMurry will be joining Chris Dyson and Tom Kimber-Smith in the #41 Greaves Motorsport LM P2 Zytek-Nissan at the French classic.  The inaugural Dyson Junior Development Program driver scored fourth-place finishes at both Silverstone in April and this past weekend at Imola, Italy where he ran a clean opening triple stint in the Le Mans bound car.
“I’ve been working toward this specific goal for almost four years now,” McMurry said. “That was over 60 races ago, 20,000 miles of seat time, and 175,000 frequent flyer miles ago. I can’t believe it’s almost here and within reach.  I feel well prepared by all the amazing mentors I’ve had every step of the way, and am ready to help Dyson and Greaves succeed in the most important sports car race in the world.”
 
Matt’s first trip to the 24 Hours of Le Mans was when he was eight years old.  For a seventh-grade class assignment on long-erm goals, he stated that he wanted to be the youngest driver to race at Le Mans.  Soon thereafter, the age of twelve, he became the youngest graduate of the Bob Bondurant School of High Performance Driving. In the four years since, Matt has carefully honed his craft, advancing from Formula Skip Barber to Formula Mazda Bondurant, to USF2000 to IMSA Lites and now to Le Mans prototypes. It has been a methodical advancement, going all the way back to a PowerWheel he got for his second birthday and his first go-kart drive at the age of four.
“Matt has been nothing short of outstanding in his first two major international races,” noted Chris Dyson.  “He has driven like a veteran and has validated our decision to take him on as a Junior Development Program driver.  It is very exciting to be taking him to Le Mans, but he is ready for the challenge.  It’s wonderful for Dyson Racing to play a role in helping Matt to record such a historic milestone.”

 European Seasoning  POUGHKEEPSIE, NY April 22, 2014 –

 In a strong run, the #41 Greaves Motorsport Caterham-liveried LMP2 entry, driven by Chris Dyson, Tom Kimber-Smith and Matt McMurry, barely missed a podium finish at Silverstone in this past weekend’s opening race of the European Le Mans Series. Kimber-Smith set the race’s second-fastest lap, with Dyson and 16-year-old McMurry, the inaugural Dyson Junior Development driver who was competing for the first time in Europe, also turning green-flag laps fractionally off the times set by the race winner.  “I am very happy with the team’s performance overall and Matt’s in particular,” Dyson said.  “Matt’s effort this weekend validates our Junior Development Program, the purpose of which is to introduce promising young drivers to top-tier competition.  The talent runs deep in the ELMS and Matt acquitted himself very well against some really experienced and accomplished drivers. He drove like a veteran, showing great judgment in traffic. And this is only the beginning.”   

Based on the promising performance of the Greaves team in the season’s opening round, Dyson predicted greater success in subsequent ELMS races. “Tom is a three-time Le Mans LMP2-class winner, Matt is only going to get stronger with a little more experience, and I‘ll do my part. All of us are confident that we’re going to be spending a lot of time this season on the podium.”

If McMurry was at all wide-eyed after his first ELMS race – he drove more than half of the four-hour race – it didn’t show. “I knew what I had to do and I knew I had the full support of Chris, Tom and the Greaves team. I just had to get comfortable in the car, run fast laps, stay out of trouble and focus on learning.” 

Team principal Tim Greaves noted that McMurry did all of that: “Matt ran a brilliant race – two hours twenty minutes on your first event at this level is a big task, but he responded with good pace and great maturity.”  

McMurry drove the first two stints of the race and kept the fourth-place qualified car in the top six before handing over to Dyson (who arrived at Silverstone straight from the New York International Auto Show, where Bentley announced that Dyson Racing will run a pair of Continental GT3’s in the second half of the 2014 Pirelli World Challenge season.) “I had a good run,” Dyson said. “There was a lot of traffic, but it was competitive and enjoyable. Then we were able to take advantage of a yellow to put Matt back in the car for his last turn.” 

Finally, Tom Kimber-Smith took over from McMurry for the run to the finish.  An extended safety-car period reduced Kimber-Smith’s green-flag time and there was not enough laps left to overtake the third-place finisher.  “Tom drove the wheels off the car and we were very close to making the podium,”

“Tom drove the wheels off the car and we were very close to making the podium,” Dyson said.  “We have made a good step with the car since last season and I am looking forward to the next race at Imola, where Matt will be joining us again, and putting together a good championship effort this year.” 

As announced this afternoon at the 2014 New York International Auto Show, Bentley’s GT3 is coming to North American motorsports.
 
·         Continental GT3 to compete in North America with Dyson Racing
·         Development over 2014 in preparation for 2015 championship
 
Commentary from Dyson Racing Team Bentley:
 
·         “Now that our European motorsport programme is up and running, securing a return to racing in our biggest market is the natural next step. It’s extremely exciting to be back here with a racecar, and I’m delighted to be working with the Dyson team. Their operation reflects and embodies so many Bentley values, and I’m very confident in their abilities. This venture is the next step in the Continental GT3 plan, which we hope will eventually see our customers racing in Bentleys all around the world.” Brian Gush, Head of Motorsports for Bentley.
·         “I think it is a terrific opportunity to be working with people we haven’t worked with before, but who lead by their reputation. It will be good to be in a new series, joining a number of competitors that we have raced with before. We are honored to be part of the Bentley team and to be helping grow their sales in North America. It is great to be partnered with a prestigious marque that has had such a major impact in road racing since the turn of the century.” Rob Dyson, Team Principal for Dyson Racing
·         “I couldn’t be happier. It is an ideal program for us at this point in the team’s evolution and we are thrilled to be linking up with a motivated partner like Bentley in a series that is ascendant. I am thrilled to have our family of drivers back together again.  Teammates do not come any more professional than Guy Smith and Butch Leitzinger and we have a great history of working together. Our team is up to the challenge and I am grateful for Bentley’s faith in us. We intend to do a superb job for them both on and off the track.” Chris Dyson, driver and Sporting Director for Dyson Racing
·         “I am over the moon to be back in the Dyson racing family. It has been my home for the last nine years and to do so in the beautiful Bentley Continental GT3 is a dream come true. The most successful times in my career have been with Bentley winning Le Mans in 2003 and with Dyson Racing winning the American Le Mans Series championship in 2011. Both have played such a huge part in my career and I certainly feel very proud to represent both organizations. I’m looking forward to racing in the Pirelli World Challenge. It is a series that is quickly gaining in stature. All you have to do is take a look at an entry list to see the quality and quantity of cars on the grid and you know that it is a great place for Bentley to showcase the Continental GT3.” Guy Smith, Driver for Dyson Racing
·         “Two of the things that I am proudest of in my career have been my long-time association with Dyson Racing and the Dyson family, and my two years with Bentley at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2001 and 2002. To be able to come back with both of them is bringing together two very significant elements of my racing career in a fitting manner, and I am really looking forward to what we can accomplish together.” Butch Leitzinger, Driver for Dyson Racing

POUGHKEEPSIE, NY  April 8, 2014  — Matt McMurry will make his European Le Mans Series debut at Britain’s famed Silverstone Circuit for the first race of the 2014 ELMS season April 18 –19.  The inaugural member of the Dyson Racing Junior Development Program will join Chris Dyson and Tom Kimber-Smith in the #41 Caterham–liveried Greaves Motorsport LMP2 Zytek–Nissan.

McMurry, 16, joined Dyson and Kimber–Smith with the Greaves team at the ELMS’ official pre-season test at the Circuit Paul Ricard near Marseille, France. The #41 Dunlop–shod entry was third fastest during the Tuesday evening session and second fastest Wednesday morning. This was McMurry’s second outing in the Greaves Motorsport LMP2 entry. He has competed in fifty–six races in the past two years in Formula Skip Barber, US F2000, Formula Mazda and Prototype Lites. McMurry will also be competing in this year’s International Motorsports Association Prototype Lites Championship. He is the son of sportscar racing veteran Chris McMurry, who finished third in the American Le Mans Series Drivers Championship with Dyson Racing last year.

 “I feel well prepared to take on the next challenge,” commented McMurry.  “Dyson Racing, Greaves Motorsport and everyone involved have taken me under their wings, shared their knowledge and have given me a lot of seat time.  I couldn’t be more appreciative and honored to join the team at Silverstone, and I look forward to rewarding everyone with everything I’ve got.”

“Matt had two very good days at Paul Ricard,” said Chris Dyson, Vice President and Sporting Director of Dyson Racing. “Paul Ricard is a daunting and technical track that is quite physical.  He showed maturity and the same aptitude that he displayed during his first test at Carolina MotorSports Park.”

Dyson observed that McMurry’s confidence and pace increased session by session over the course of a test that included many regular ELMS competitors.  “Matt’s biggest strength is his ability to listen and learn.  He has a measured and mature approach.  That’s what’s impressed me over the last two years  as I’ve watched him make a naturally seamless upwards transition.”

Commenting on the Paul Ricard test, Dyson also noted that the team has built on the baseline it established at last month’s tire test at Sebring.  “At Paul Ricard, for the first time this season, we were able to measure the car against the top runners in the series.  We left confident that the car is very good in all conditions, which will translate well at Silverstone, Matt’s first race in the European Le Mans Series.” 

BRASELTON, GA October 19, 2013 – Dyson Racing ended their thirtieth anniversary year and the final race of the American Le Mans Series with a second place P1 finish at the Petit Le Mans Powered by Mazda at Road Atlanta. The nine and a half hour, thousand mile race produced eight yellow periods and alternated between wet and dry track conditions for the first four hours. The #16 Michelin-shod Lola Mazda of Chris Dyson, Tony Burgess and Chris McMurry ran strongly through it all and ended the season on a high note.

The Dyson entry started from the back of the grid, having elected to change the tires they qualified on. Chris Dyson started the car and moved from thirty-fourth to third by his second pit stop.  Variable track conditions were still the norm when Tony Burgess started his first stint, getting in the car at the two-hour mark and dealing with the challenging weather.  By the time Chris McMurry got in the car a little after the four-hour mark, it was mostly dry and he ran consistently fast laps, including keeping the winning Rebellion entry behind him for a good number of laps. Dyson got back in after the six-hour mark, and turned the fastest race lap for the car forty minutes later, 1:12.626 on lap 277.  Burgess got back behind the wheel two hours later.  His run was punctuated by a memorable save when a tire went down after being hit in the rear and he spun down the front straight. McMurry was in the car for the last rotation when the car was retired five laps from the end with burned wiring from header heat.

“The big races are always very important to this team,” reflected Dyson afterwards. “Everyone put their best foot forward this weekend.  We wanted to close out the P1 era with a good result and we acquitted ourselves well.  To come from the back and finish second on the P1 podium is a very solid day for us. It has been a great story here over the years and the Petit has been a huge part of the team’s history.  It is sad to see the end of the ALMS era but we will look forward to moving on to the next challenge.”

Tony Burgess noted “it was a good race for us and a good way to end my series of races this year with Dyson Racing.  The conditions were variable and made for a constant challenge in the cockpit.  I would like to say there was skill in keeping the car on the track during my spin, but racing luck also helped!”

The 2013 ALMS season started in March with the 12 Hours of Sebring and ended with the 1000 mile Petit Le Mans this weekend. At the finish of the ten-race season, there were 1,579 laps and 4,362 miles of competition in the record books.  Dyson Racing finished the season second in the P1 Team Championship. Tony Burgess and Chris McMurry were third in the Drivers Championship, followed by Chris Dyson fourth and Guy Smith fifth. Over the past fifteen years of the ALMS, Dyson Racing has five driver’s and team championships, nine overall wins, seventeen class wins, twenty-five overall poles, thirty- four class poles, forty-four overall podiums and forty-two class podiums.

In looking back on the ALMS era, Chris Dyson commented that “it had all the right ingredients.  It embraced diversity, variety and technological advancement. It was truly global in its platform. Its connection with the 24 Hours of Le Mans provided strong heritage. IMSA worked very hard to make sure the rules were stable so you could preserve the best elements from overseas but retain the historically powerful IMSA personality. I think both of those factors really played to the series’ favor. The fans agreed.  There was always solid crowd participation and good energy in the paddock. You were constantly seeing new equipment and new technology which produced good racing thorough all the classes.  That connected with the fans.  They very much enjoyed it over the years as I have also enjoyed every minute of it.”

Rob Dyson agreed.  “The ALMS understood that technology and diversity is an integral part of sports car racing and they allowed diversity to flourish from top to bottom. I remember in 2007 when there were six different power plants in the top classes. You had a great mix of engines and body styles and variety of applications on how to go fast.  There was a large envelope within which you could be creative with original solutions.

 “It would take a book to thank everyone for the past fifteen years of ALMS memories:  All the guys on the team who work so hard for us. Dr. Don Panoz for having the guts to create something out of nothing. All the fans that follow us and say hello to us at the tracks. The promoters – without them we would not have a sport. The officials who have to make the necessary calls.  The safety team and the corner workers. They are the best and are the reason we can do so much of what we do.  My family – I could not do it without their support. My son Chris who is a prime mover in a lot of different projects and programs.  All the guys at AER who do all the engine development. Plus my fellow competitors – without them it would not be fun.  All our great drivers over the years: James Weaver is a friend and member of the family and easily one of the best sports car drivers in history. Butch Leitzinger – I never met a guy who had such depths of natural talent and was so easy to work with. Guy Smith who has been a bulwark for us and is fast as hell.  Andy Wallace, Dorsey Schroeder, Marino Franchitti, the list goes on.

“I think about the picture taken at our twenty-fifth anniversary at Lime Rock Park with me in front and all the people in the back of the cars. I am just a part of it.  I should have been in the back in that photo and everyone else should have been in the front. They are the ones responsible for the wins, championships and all the accomplishments of the past fifteen years.”

BRASELTON, GA October 18, 2013 – It was a bifurcated qualifying effort for Dyson Racing today for the 16th Annual Petit Le Mans Powered by Mazda.  Chris Dyson was on his third lap of qualifying when the brakes locked up going into turn 10a.  A flat-spotted rear tire was replaced and Tony Burgess got in the car.  He had yet to run in the dry and needed a time within 115 per cent of the top qualifier to be able to race. He accomplished that and the Mazda-powered #16 P1 Lola entry with Dyson, Burgess and Chris McMurrry will start eighth for tomorrow’s ten hour/1000 mile classic enduro, the second longest race of the year.

“The car is great and we made a big step today,” said Dyson.  “For qualifying, I was too greedy under braking. We have a strong history here and know how to prepare a car for what is now a 1,000 mile sprint race.  We will finish the year and last race of the series on an upbeat note.”

The last chapter of the American Le Mans Series continues to play out this week at the spiritual home of the ALMS.  It is a time for reflection on fifteen years of the country’s most technologically advanced racing. Dyson talked about some of his more memorable races: “For me, it would be either Portland 2004 or Mid-Ohio 2010.  Both of those events were pretty special as they were up front, exciting battles the whole time and the 2010 Mid-Ohio race we won.  In terms of the most  rewarding moments, I would say winning my first ALMS championship here at the Petit Le Mans in 2003 was huge for me personally and winning the championship again in 2011 was great.  It is so rewarding when you finally scale the mountain because the effort you have to put in is so large.”

Burgess looked back and reflected on “the races where we did well and I contributed. Most recently that would be at Elkhart last year and again this year. Also, my first time at Mosport when I got on the P1 podium and we were third overall was special.  The best races are where you are competitive, you have a job to do, and you are racing the whole time and not just holding on. The most satisfying are when you are in a competitive position for the whole race.”

McMurry was a little more forward thinking on picking his most memorable race. “I hope it is going to be Petit Le Mans 2013!  We have an excellent chance.  The car has been running great and we have good pace, but looking back, I would say Sebring 2005 with Miracle Motorsports was special.  We won our class P2 with what I think is still the largest margin of victory in class.  I got to do the final lap and take the checkered flag with all the fireworks going off and was able to savor the moment.”

POUGHKEEPSIE, NY October 16, 2013 — September 18, 1999 marked the first Petit Le Mans under the aegis of the American Le Mans Series.  The event came off without a hitch, and Don Panoz and his new for 1999 American Le Mans Series celebrated another successful inaugural-year race.  It was the kind of memorable racing event that over time would make the Petit Georgia’s largest single-day sporting event and one of international sports car racing’s true classic endurance races.

At the 1999 race, the number 20 Dyson Racing car with James Weaver, Butch Leitzinger and Elliott Forbes-Robinson qualified eighth out of forty-nine entries for the 1,000 mile Road Atlanta race and finished fourth in their Riley & Scott Mark III Ford. The result was a crucial one as the team was fighting to defend successive 1997 and 1998 IMSA series championships.  Two races later at the season-ending race in Las Vegas, Nevada, Elliott Forbes-Robinson would take home the inaugural American Le Mans Series Drivers’ Championship, concluding a season where the 57 year-old veteran star had also won the Rolex Daytona 24 Hours with Dyson Racing for the second time.

Over the years at the Petit Le Mans, Dyson Racing has two class wins, three class poles and four class podiums including a class win in 2009. The team also has one overall pole and two overall podiums.  Guy Smith was second overall with Chris Dyson in 2005 in his second race with the team, and the year before, Chris Dyson and Jan Lammers were third. In 2011, Dyson and Smith were first in ALMS P1, adding to their first place driver’s championship points for the year. Last year they repeated their Petit prowess and came home first again in ALMS P1.

Joining Chris Dyson this year for the last race of the American Le Mans Series will be Tony Burgess and Chris McMurry.  This will be the fourth race for them this year in the #16 Lola Mazda.  They were second in P1 at the Canadian Tire Motorsport Park race and second overall at both Road America and at the Circuit of the Americas.

Tony Burgess drove the number 20 Dyson entry at last year’s Petit Le Mans with Chris McMurry and Mark Paterson and took home third place ALMS P1 points.  He started racing in the ALMS in 2000.  Burgess has raced in the series thirteen of its fifteen years and has a total of seventeen 24 hour races to his credit.

Chris McMurry’s first Petit Le Mans was in 2001 and he has also raced in the series for thirteen years. There are eleven drivers in this year’s race that were driving in his first Petit in 2001.  Of those eleven, only four were in prototypes then and now: Chris McMurry, Klaus Graf, David Brabham and Stefan Johansson.  In addition, Tony Burgess has sixty-two ALMS starts, Chris McMurry sixty-eight, and Chris Dyson one hundred and seven, giving the Dyson driving trio a total of two hundred and thirty-seven starts – among the most of any pairing at this year’s event.  A lot of great team memories in all of those races as we bid a fond farewell to the American Le Mans Series at its last race.

AUSTN, TX September 20, 2013 – The remnants of Hurricane Manuel brought additional flavor to this afternoon’s qualifying for the International Sports Car Weekend at the Circuit of the Americas.  Chris McMurry qualified the #16 Lola Mazda in the rain, setting the second fastest P1 time and fifth overall best for tomorrow’s inaugural American Le Mans Series race here at COTA, the only FIA Grade 1 facility in the U.S.

“I would have loved to have had another ten laps. I am actually getting to enjoy the rain,” said McMurry. “The car was really quite good, so that was giving me confidence. There was another two or three seconds in the car, but it went well and I am happy.”

This is the third of four races this year for Tony Burgess and Chris McMurry in the #16 Dyson entry.  Tony Burgess drove the majority of the initial test session Tuesday here at the home of the American F1 race. “It is a great facility.  The track is a modern Formula One track which means it is very smooth and has a big mix of corners, including various super tight and technical corners. Turn One is an interesting turn with the speed you carry down the front straight and then steep uphill  while at the top, it is such a slow corner– very unique, and different. Normally you would not get that sort of combination on a natural terrain track.”

This is the first time here for both Tony Burgess and Chris McMurry and Chris was impressed. “It is a great to have this in the United States because it is an incredible circuit.  There is literally not a bump in the track. For people who drive in the United States, we are used to bumpy tracks but here, it is as smooth as silk. It is a fairly demanding circuit, and is quite technical, much more than I imagined. I played it on Xbox and watched videos, and did as much preparation as I could.  It is a tighter circuit than I thought it would be:  there are four corners where you are coming down to first or second gear.  But all in all, really fun to drive.”

This inaugural ALMS race at COTA is the eighth round of the ten-race 2013 ALMS season and the only shared weekend with the FIA World Endurance Championship this year.  Chris Dyson is also participating in this weekend’s sports car doubleheader and will be co-driving the #41 Greaves Motorsport Zytek P2 entry in Sunday’s six-hour WEC race. “This track has an amazing combination of corners which are pretty relentless. It is one of the more technical tracks that we race on in the U.S. You have a combination of corners which is unlike what you will see anywhere else. It creates a unique challenge for the engineers and as a driver, you have to be really disciplined in your execution.  So it ends up being a lap that is very satisfying when you get it right.”

POUGHKEEPSIE, NY September 17, 2013 — It will be a full weekend for the Dyson Racing group with participation in both the American Le Mans Series race and the FIA World Endurance Championship race this weekend at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas.  Tony Burgess and Chris McMurry return to the #16 Dyson Racing Lola Mazda for the ALMS race Saturday afternoon and Chris Dyson rejoins Greaves Motorsport in their #41 P2 entry for the 6 Hour FIA World Endurance Championship race on Sunday.

This will be the third of four races this year for Tony Burgess and Chris McMurry in the #16 Dyson Racing entry. On July 21st at the Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, they finished second in P1 and three weeks later, the driving duo took home second overall at Road America.  After this weekend’s race at COTA, they will join Chris Dyson at the season-ending 1000 mile Petit Le Mans Powered by Mazda

Dyson Racing’s last race at Baltimore on Labor Day weekend saw Chris Dyson and   Guy Smith finish a strong second, less than four seconds behind the leader. “We are bringing good momentum into this weekend’s international sports car double header.  This is a fantastic facility with a really challenging collection of corners,” said Dyson.  “The layout is very technical and it is important to get the setup right because there are a lot of transitional sections, corners into corners and other intricacies.  It is an F1 track and extremely smooth, so the grip level is really temperature-dependent.”

This will be the third race for Chris Dyson with Greaves Motorsport, having driven their P2 entry at the first two races of the WEC season: the 6 Hours of Silverstone on April 14th and the 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps on May 4th earlier this year. Co-driving with Chris will be Christian Zugel and Tom-Kimber-Smith.

“It will be good to be back with Greaves Motorsport,” stated Dyson.  “It is definitely a family team and coming from one myself, it is great to be in a close knit atmosphere.  I enjoy working with Tim and Jacob Greaves. They are a strong team that knows what it takes, having won the P2 class in the 2011 24 Hours of Le Mans and the 2011 P2 Le Mans Series championship. I am thrilled to be back driving with Tom (Kimber-Smith).  We had a great run together at Silverstone and he has become a good friend this year.  I have traveled a lot with Christian, and we have always talked about doing something together and it is nice to finally have it come together. He is coming off a good run in Brazil three weeks ago. Both the Dyson and Greaves’ teams have good momentum going into this weekend. Here’s to it all coming together for Tony Burgess and Chris McMurry on Saturday and for us on Sunday.”

Honda Performance Development’s extended run of victories in the 2013 American Le Mans Series continued Saturday on the streets of Baltimore’s Inner Harbor, as Muscle Milk Pickett Racing’s Klaus Graf and Lucas Luhr prevailed in an incident-filled event to claim their sixth consecutive victory of the season, clinching both the LMP1 drivers’ and team championships for the Honda Performance Development-equipped team. 

In the LMP2 category, the Level 5 Motorsports duo of new driver Guy Cosmo and incumbent Marino Franchitti successfully negotiated their way through the multiple incidents that either delayed or eliminated their competition to finish first in class, and third overall, in their HPD ARX-03b Honda. 

The scheduled two-hour event got off to a chaotic start, when a multi-car accident took place just behind the leaders as the field came to the green flag.  Defending race winner and LMP2 championship leader Scott Tucker’s day ended almost immediately, as his HPD ARX-03b was struck from behind, spun into the concrete barriers, and then received heavy contact from several following GT machines. 

Tucker escaped serious injury in the crash, but the incident brought out the red flag so that the course could be cleared.  When the race eventually restarted, just over an hour later and now shortened to 77 minutes due to time constraints, another multi-car incident at Turn Four resulted in damage to Ed Brown’s Extreme Speed Motorsports ARX-02b, sending the Honda-powered prototype to the pits for extended repairs. 

The Pickett Racing team took advantage of the early caution to make its one scheduled pit stop and driver change in their HPD ARX-03c Honda, with Luhr taking over from Graf.  With most other teams remaining on track, Luhr resumed the race in 13th place overall, but moved through the field to regain the lead with approximately 35 minutes remaining.

On a late-race restart, however, Luhr found himself losing traction after driving over liquid on the track surface and slid wide at Turn 9, falling back to fourth overall as he was passed by both his LMP1 rival Guy Smith in the Dyson Racing Lola Mazda, and the pair of GT class-leading Chevrolet Corvettes, one of which struck the rear of the HPD machine, damaging the right rear fender and diffuser.

Luhr quickly re-passed the Corvettes, then fought with Smith for several laps before regaining the lead for good with just over 12 minutes remaining, despite handling issues resulting from the damaged rear bodywork.  Smith and the Dyson machine continued to challenge for several laps, before Luhr edged away to a 3.87-second advantage at the checkers.

In LMP2, Cosmo successfully avoided the chaos taking place all around him in the opening laps to claim the lead, while fellow HPD-equipped challenger Extreme Speed Motorsports saw both of its ARX-03b’s sent to Pit Lane to serve penalties:  Anthony Lazzaro for contact during the aborted first start; and teammate Ed Brown for contact with an LMPC entry shortly after the second race start.  Brown would later make contact with the tire barriers, resulting in a long pit stop for repairs.

After taking over from teammate Cosmo during their single scheduled pit stop, Franchitti held the class lead for Level 5, despite a late-race caution that closed up the field, with Scott Sharp finishing just over nine seconds in arrears after replacing Lazzaro in the Extreme Speed HPD.

The 2013 American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patron now heads to the Circuit of the Americas, just outside of Austin, Texas, for its September 21 inaugural event at the newest major motorsports facility in North America.

Klaus Graf (#6 Muscle Milk Pickett Racing HPD ARX-03c Honda) 1st overall and in LMP1 with co-driver Lucas Luhr; ALMS series record 6th consecutive win for Muscle Milk Pickett Racing and Honda in 2013; clinched team and drivers’ championship:  “It was a great day for Muscle Milk Pickett Racing.  Winning a second championship in a row and six wins in a row this year is very rewarding.  We were never able to win this race before, so it’s a good day!  The team did a great job.  Since last year at this race, we haven’t had a mechanical failure of any kind, and I think that speaks for our organization around Greg Pickett, and our partners at HPD.  We have great engineering, great mechanics and a great team.  Whatever the future holds, I think we will bring a good package and have a lot of fun.”

Allen Miller (Sports Car Racing Large Project Leader, Honda Performance Development) on Sunday’s double victory for HPD in Baltimore:  “Despite the shortened distance, I think this turned out to be a long, hard race for everyone!  Congratulations to Muscle Milk Pickett Racing on setting an American Le Mans Series record with its sixth win this year, and to everyone on the team for securing the team and drivers’ championships.  Our next goal is to lock down the manufacturers’ title, hopefully at the next race at Circuit of the Americas.  Congratulations also to Level 5 Motorsports for its fifth LMP2 win this year, and the first in the class for Guy Cosmo.  It’s unfortunate that Scott Tucker’s race ended so soon through no fault of his own, but it sets up an interesting battle for the drivers’ championship in the closing races with [teammate] Marino [Franchitti] and Scott Sharp in the Extreme Speed HPD.”

BALTIMORE, MD  August 31, 2013 – As Rob Dyson explained to the Dyson Racing guests in the pits, “They are not all like this.”  In fact, very few.  A quick look through American Le Mans Series records shows only two races red flagged due to accidents in its fourteen year history: Mosport in 2010 and today’s race at Baltimore. At the end, the #16 Thetford/RACER Dyson Racing entry with Chris Dyson and Guy Smith finished a hard-fought second.

The Grand Prix of Baltimore got under way at 3:45.59 PM. At 3:46 PM, the red flag was thrown stopping the race.  Behind the starting front rows, eight cars had violently come together, totally blocking the race course.  It took more than an hour to clear the track before the race could resume.  It ran for an hour and fourteen minutes, making it the shortest race in ALMS history.  

Chris Dyson started the race (and stayed in the car for the hour as all remaining competitors were parked on the main straight during the clean-up). The first restart was waved off and at the second, Chris slotted in second behind the Muscle Milk entry. The race went yellow and Chris pitted on lap five for fuel and driver change with Guy Smith getting in the car. The #16 Lola Mazda had to then serve a stop and go penalty for jumping the start, which put it down to 21st.  Twenty laps later, Guy took the lead.

“It was a crazy race,” said Guy. “We had a good run but we got a penalty which dropped us out of contention at the restart, but we put our head down, ran hard and got a run on the Muscle Milk car and I was able to pass him. The car was good, but the last couple of laps, there was a lot of GT traffic and he was able to repass me. I hung on as best as I could, but did not get another opportunity to take back the lead, and we finished a couple seconds back.  We are here to win, but it is nice to be racing and pushing those guys and making them work for it.”

“We really picked up right where we left off at Lime Rock,” stated Chris. “We missed it a bit in qualifying yesterday but I was confident about our chances in the race.  We had what I would describe as an unnecessary penalty that we had to serve but at the end of the day, Guy gave it a great run at the end.  I think everyone knew we were here and we are back up front and that is what we came here to do.”

The eighth race of the ten-race ALMS season will be held at the Circuit of the Americas, the new world-class facility in Austin, Texas on September 21st, sharing   the weekend with the FIA World Endurance Championship.

BALTIMORE, MD  August 30, 2013 – Dyson Racing enters the final stretch of the 2013 American Le Mans Series season  with a front row start for the Grand Prix of Baltimore. Chris Dyson qualified the #16 Mazda Lola second for the Labor Day weekend race on the street circuit around the Inner Harbor here.  This is the third consecutive front row start for the team in the city they call Charm City.  Guy Smith won the pole in the inaugural 2011 race and started second last year.

“It is a shame about the red flag during qualifying,” said Dyson. “The car was just starting to come in. We had just made a big step on the predictive time.  I don’t think we were going to be on the pole but we could have been a lot closer. It is a thrill to get back in the car and really feel like I am picking up right where we left off at Lime Rock.”

After two races with Tony Burgess and Chris McMurry in the #16 Mazda Lola, Chris Dyson and Guy Smith are back in the car for Baltimore. “It has been a busy two months,” Dyson said.  “It was great that Tony and Chris were keen to do some events with us because it gave me an opportunity to focus on 2014. We have a couple initiatives we are working on. I have still been doing testing and driving and working on the Catherham SP/300.R program. I had the opportunity to drive a 360 non-wing sprint car when I was out in California at Corey Kruseman’s school in Ventura. It is quite the experience with 725 horsepower and only 1150 pounds. Having started my career racing karts on dirt it felt to a certain extent like coming home. It is always something I have wanted to do and I was thrilled to have the opportunity.”

Guy Smith also had a busy “how I spent my summer vacation.” He debuted the Bentley GT3 race car at Goodwood and drove his winning 2003 24 Hours of Le Mans Bentley at the Festival, commemorating the tenth anniversary of their victory.  He drove demonstration laps of the new Bentley GT3 car at Silverstone, and traveled to Pebble Beach as an ambassador for Bentley.  “I am very glad to be back in this car. You forget how quick these LPM1 cars are, especially here at Baltimore, the tightest and twistiest race of the season.  It is great to come back to the ALMS paddock and see all your old friends again.  Dyson Racing is like family and it is always good to be back.”

ELKHART LAKE, WI, August 10, 2013 – 2014 came early here at Road America this weekend.  The American Le Mans Series and the Grand-Am Rolex Series are sharing the weekend for the first time as a precursor to their combination next year as United SportsCar Racing.  The Dyson duo of Tony Burgess and Chris McMurry will start second for tomorrow’s Orion Energy Systems 245.  McMurry qualified the Dyson Racing Lola Mazda four seconds quicker than his fastest time from Friday practice.

McMurry commented on qualifying: “A lot of time, it boils down to the car. The car was excellent: it was very confident with no moments and there is a little bit left in it.  We made some changes that allowed us to rail through turn one and the Carousel. And through the Kink, the car was truly amazing. You throw in some gusto from the driver and it was a good run.”

This is Chris McMurry’s home track.  “I grew up near Milwaukee and we use to come up here for the June Sprints and this is where I really started to enjoy racing. We would go to Canada Corner and sit on the inside with my mother and my friends. To be honest, I think the combination of Hot Wheels and Road America is the reason why I got into racing initially! For me, racing is is a great mind clearing activity because your focus is totally and completely without  exception on your driving. Nothing else goes into your mind.  I love the challenge of pushing myself.  I have always been a very progress oriented person and racing is great for people like us – every lap and every corner is a new opportunity for progress.”

At over four miles, Road America is the longest track of the ALMS season. There are fourteen turns and three straights and the Dyson Racing Lola Mazda reaches 180 mph on the almost mile-long front straight.  Tony Burgess compares Road America to his home track: “This is a classic road course like my home track, Mosport. This track suits me and I have always been fast here and done well here. Unlike some of today’s man-made courses with their artificial chicanes, this is classic course that follows the natural terrain. It has all the elements – elevation changes, long straights, and a good variety of corners. Tracks like Mosport and Road America define why I race: I am a technical person who likes to experience the physical forces and challenges of a high speed sport. My background is in aerospace engineering and racing combines both the technical aspects and physical challenges.  Everyday life tends to be slower paced and I find the pace of racing just right for me.”

Last year Chris Dyson and Guy Smith won here with Guy Smith setting the record for the closest ever overall finish in ALMS history with his 0.083 margin of victory.

ELKHART LAKE, WI, August 11, 2013 – Tony Burgess and Chris McMurry finished second today in the Orion Energy Systems 245 at Road America. Last year, Dyson Racing won the American Le Mans Series race here, setting the record for the closest ever overall finish in ALMS history and in 2010, the team came in second, setting the record at the time for the closest ever ALMS overall finish.

The race got under way under a steady light rain.  Chris McMurry started the #16 P1 Lola Mazda and drove a careful stint in the wet, settling into a top-five pace and moving back up to second as the track dried.  Chris stopped under green for slicks and fuel forty-five minutes into the race. The car rejoined the race fifteenth and Chris worked his way back up to second again when he pitted for tires, fuel and driver change    to Tony Burgess. The determining race call for the Dyson car came with the decision to pit for fuel only at the end of the race’s third yellow with fifty-five minutes remaining.  While the other front running cars had to stop for fuel before race end, Tony was able to save fuel while driving a competitive pace and take the car home for the third consecutive top-two finish for the team  at Road America.

Team Manager Michael White said, “It was a collective call between myself, race engineer Vince Wood and assistant race engineer, Dillon Brout. It just seemed like the right thing to do. Would it be a better gamble to fuel under yellow, run hard, and hope we have another yellow for a final splash, or hope that we could save fuel and make that our last stop but still push them to the point where they would have to pit under green? Tony did a super job bringing it home.” 

Tony Burgess enjoyed a close contest with Marino Franchitti the last part of the race.  “We  had a very interesting battle with Marino,” noted Tony.  “Because we were pursuing a lean fuel strategy, we had the exact same speed down the straight and it was all about the corners. When you can stay ahead of a driver like Marino in the corners and stay ahead of him overall, you know you are doing a good job.  This is one of my most satisfying finishes because there were no forced errors on the track.  We accomplished exactly what we wanted to do.  It was a good day.”

Chris McMurry disclosed that “it was somewhat of a new experience for me. It is a bit miraculous, but with about 80 ALMS races under my belt, I have never raced in the rain before!  So that was something new for me and it went well.  The team did a great job and once it got dry again, the car was rocking and rolling just like it has been all weekend.  It was great to start second and finish second. Muscle Milk did a great job with no hiccups and the Delta Wing ran very well today. It was great to start second and finish second. This is going to be a race to remember, especially since it is my home track.  Definitely a good day.”

ELKHART LAKE, WI, August 10, 2013 – 2014 came early here at Road America this weekend.  The American Le Mans Series and the Grand-Am Rolex Series are sharing the weekend for the first time as a precursor to their combination next year as United SportsCar Racing.  The Dyson duo of Tony Burgess and Chris McMurry will start second for tomorrow’s Orion Energy Systems 245.  McMurry qualified the Dyson Racing Lola Mazda four seconds quicker than his fastest time from Friday practice.

McMurry commented on qualifying: “A lot of time, it boils down to the car. The car was excellent: it was very confident with no moments and there is a little bit left in it.  We made some changes that allowed us to rail through turn one and the Carousel. And through the Kink, the car was truly amazing. You throw in some gusto from the driver and it was a good run.”

This is Chris McMurry’s home track.  “I grew up near Milwaukee and we use to come up here for the June Sprints and this is where I really started to enjoy racing. We would go to Canada Corner and sit on the inside with my mother and my friends. To be honest, I think the combination of Hot Wheels and Road America is the reason why I got into racing initially! For me, racing is is a great mind clearing activity because your focus is totally and completely without  exception on your driving. Nothing else goes into your mind.  I love the challenge of pushing myself.  I have always been a very progress oriented person and racing is great for people like us – every lap and every corner is a new opportunity for progress.”

At over four miles, Road America is the longest track of the ALMS season. There are fourteen turns and three straights and the Dyson Racing Lola Mazda reaches 180 mph on the almost mile-long front straight.  Tony Burgess compares Road America to his home track: “This is a classic road course like my home track, Mosport. This track suits me and I have always been fast here and done well here. Unlike some of today’s man-made courses with their artificial chicanes, this is classic course that follows the natural terrain. It has all the elements – elevation changes, long straights, and a good variety of corners. Tracks like Mosport and Road America define why I race: I am a technical person who likes to experience the physical forces and challenges of a high speed sport. My background is in aerospace engineering and racing combines both the technical aspects and physical challenges.  Everyday life tends to be slower paced and I find the pace of racing just right for me.”

Last year Chris Dyson and Guy Smith won here with Guy Smith setting the record for the closest ever overall finish in ALMS history with his 0.083 margin of victory.

BOWMANVILLE, ONT July 21, 2013 – Unlike Lime Rock, it was not the Humidex 400.  It was a nice day in the neighborhood for racing today at the Canadian Tire Motorsport Park. Tony Burgess and Chris McMurry finished second in P1 and sixth overall in the fifth race of the American Le Mans Series, the Mobil 1 SportsCar Grand Prix, the half-way point of the 2013 ALMS season.

Tony Burgess qualified and started the car. He pitted the #16 Dyson Racing Lola Mazda on lap 43, fifty minutes into the race for fuel, tires and a driver change over to Chris McMurry.  Pit stop confusion a lap earlier necessitated the car driving through the pits and taking another lap around the track. This put them down the running order, with McMurry tasked with moving the car up the timing charts.  He made up eight spots, and brought the car in on lap 89, an hour and fifty minutes into the race with Tony getting back into the car.  Tony set the car’s fastest race lap during his second stint and brought the car home second in P1.  It was the second consecutive second place ALMS points finish for the #16 Dyson Racing entry with Chris Dyson and Guy Smith finishing second two weeks ago at Lime Rock Park.   

“There was one problem which was a combination of things in the pits but we were good on track,” said Burgess. “I was very conservative. I was not going to do some of the other things the other drivers were doing as I wanted to make sure we finished   the race.  This was a good finish on my favorite track.  I have been coming here for 43 years in total, and this will be a good add to the memories.”

Chris McMurry added, “A lot of credit goes to the team. The car was really good and quite easy to drive. I could have gotten a little bit more out of it, but we wanted to be wise on how we ran the race. Muscle Milk was very quick so congratulations to them on their win. I really enjoyed the drive and Tony did a great job.  This is the first time we have been in the #16 car together, so overall, a good weekend for us.”

“Chris and Tony did a terrific job on the race track,” stated Rob Dyson.  “They will be back with us for our next race at Road America, which we won last year in the closest ever overall finish in ALMS history. Here’s to history repeating itself.”

BOWMANVILLE, ONT, July 20, 2013 – Tony Burgess and Chris McMurry kicked off their four race stint with Dyson Racing with a second row qualifying effort for tomorrow’s Mobil 1 SportsCar Grand Prix.  Tony Burgess qualified the #16 Mazda Lola second fastest in P1 with an average speed of 127.235 MPH  around the 10 turn, 2.5 mile Canadian Tire Motorsport Park track. One of racing’s more challenging tracks, Canada’s oldest track has long been a drivers’ favorite.

No stranger to Mosport, the Toronto native has raced here twelve times including a 24 hour race for motorcycles early in his career. Tony raced with Dyson Racing three times last year, with the first here at the Canadian Tire track.  He has over one hundred sports car races to his credit and has raced in more than ten countries with seventeen 24 hour sports car races to his credit including this year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans.

“Given where Chris and I are at in our cycle of development with the car, we got a good amount out of it in qualifying,” Tony said.  “This is my first time driving a car with the wide front tires and you can feel the difference.  You pay a price in terms of feel from initial turn in to the apex, but overall, you are not worried about the front end giving up, and under braking it is much better.”

Chris McMurry returns to Dyson Racing after placing third in ALMS points at last year’s season-ending Petit Le Mans with the Dyson squad. He has raced sixty-five times in the ALMS since his first Petit Le Mans in 2001, with twenty-seven podiums to his credit. Chris will be pairing with Tony this year here and Road America, Circuit of the Americas and Petit Le Mans.  He tested at Road Atlanta a couple weeks ago, and said “I was surprised how quickly it comes back.  I think a large part of it is this car is a very confidence inspiring car, so it is easy to come back to it. Your brain is not playing games with you about whether you can do it or not.  The car is so good you can hop right in and you can get right back to your driving.  It actually motivates you to attack and pushes you to go faster.”

On a non-racing note, there was a Dyson first here today in 39 years of racing.  There was a marriage proposal in the race car at lunch time.  Ian Browning made arrangements with the team to have his girlfriend Sarah Bunting sit in the car, followed by Ian proposing to her and slipping the ring on her finger while she was in the car.  She was totally surprised, and yes, she said yes. They have known each other since second grade.  The word is she did not originally like him, but that eventually changed over the years.  Dyson Racing wishes them all the happiness in their future life together.

POUGHKEEPSIE, NY  July 11, 2013 – With an eye toward 2014 and beyond, Dyson Racing will feature different driver combinations in upcoming events. Chris McMurry and Tony Burgess will rejoin the team for four of the remaining six rounds of the American Le Mans Series starting at the upcoming race at the Canadian Tire Motorsport Park on July 21, while Johnny Mowlem will return to the team at Virginia International Raceway.

McMurry and Burgess, series veterans who joined the team last year and drove well together in the #20 Dyson car at the Petit Le Mans, will co-drive the team’s #16 Lola-Mazda at Mosport, Road America and the Circuit of the Americas, and will pair with Chris Dyson at the season-ending Petit Le Mans race. Mowlem, who joined Dyson and Guy Smith for two events in 2012 at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca and VIR, is thrilled to be returning to the team after a successful test with McMurry and Burgess at Road Atlanta two weeks ago.

“We’ve known since the start of this season that with the merger of IMSA and Grand-Am, 2014 would mark a major inflection point in North American sports car racing,” said Chris Dyson. “While IMSA has not yet issued its technical rules calibrating the performance of P2 and Daytona Prototypes for 2014, we’ve known that success next season for Dyson Racing will require an early start. 

“We are no longer in this year’s championship hunt, and as our team will likely campaign a P2 car next year, we want to get started on that program sooner rather than later – similar to what the top Formula One teams are presently doing to prepare for their new technical package in 2014.  This will take up a good deal of my time and energy. Being able to put Chris McMurry and Tony Burgess in our P1 car for these four races allows us to build on existing relationships and fully honor our 2013 commitments to Mazda and our other partners while at the same time applying the resources required to get an early start on the technical and competition aspects of our 2014 program. Chris and Tony have been working with us to put together a program this year and are keen to work with the team in the future, so this was an opportune and pragmatic decision with the team’s long-term interests in mind.  

“The team had a strong race at Lime Rock and I’m confident that we have a solid platform for the drivers. Personally, I look forward to competing along with Guy Smith again in Baltimore and it will be great to have Johnny Mowlem back with the team at the Virginia race.”

Chris McMurry’s inaugural race with Dyson Racing was last year’s Petit Le Mans Powered by Mazda.  He took home a podium finish after 394 laps and over nine hours of racing, finishing third in ALMS P1 points at the season-ending event.  “As a competitor, I have admired Rob and Chris Dyson and their team for many years.  At Petit Le Mans in 2012, I drove for them for the first time and the experience was eye-opening and  phenomenal,” said Chris McMurry who has sixty-five ALMS starts and twenty-seven podiums since 2001.  “Combine that with what may be the last stateside running of the P1 class for a while and how could I say no?”

American Le Mans Series veteran Tony Burgess raced with Dyson Racing at three events last year, placing third in P1 at his home race, the Grand Prix of Mosport, followed by a third in P1 at the Road Race Showcase at Road America and finished the season with third place ALMS P1 points at the nine and a half hour Petit Le Mans Powered by Mazda.  “I am very pleased and excited to be back with Dyson Racing during their thirtieth year in motorsports,” said Tony Burgess.  “The Dyson organization has all the attributes that I consider important to successful sports car racing. I feel privileged to be among the best in this very special form of motor racing.”

This past weekend’s Lime Rock race marked the celebration of Dyson Racing’s thirty years in professional sports car racing.  At a roast for Rob Dyson Friday evening, one of the common themes among the speakers was that the team has established the standards for the sport over the past three decades.  At the core of the team’s success during these decades that saw constant change and a multitude of sanctioning bodies, has been to always look forward and be prepared. That winning formula will continue to be the touchstone for many more years to come.

LAKEVILLE, CT July 6, 2013 – The Twitter summary would say Dyson Racing started second and finished second, but there was more to the story here at the American Le Mans Northeast Grand Prix at Lime Rock.

Chris Dyson started the race in the Thetford/RACER Lola Mazda.  It was nose-to-tail Lime Rock racing at its best. Chris took the lead at the start from Lucas Luhr in the Muscle Milk entry.  And for forty-five minutes, he stayed in front, the margin averaging two tenths of a second as both cars dealt with heavy traffic. “The battle I had with Lucas was one of the best races I have had head to head with anybody in terms of the sheer enjoyment factor in going up against one of the best guys there is.  It was clean, it was busy and I hope the fans enjoyed it, because I sure did,” reflected Dyson.

The next two hours brought some racing slings and arrows.  At the first pit stop and driver change, there was a delay in hooking up the belts, followed by the car slowing on track as the master switch was recycled, and some green lap stops for topping up with water.  Guy did the middle stint, making up two spots in the oppressive heat and humidity which has replaced the constant rain here on the east coast.  Chris got back in the car forty minutes from the end, and brought the car up to its second place finish.

Guy Smith noted that “the car had good pace and we  were able to work the traffic, but it was tough in the car   in this heat and humidity.  I think Chris ran into the same challenge with the work rate being quite high. All told, it was good to finish a race after our problematical start     to the season.”

Chris added “there is never a dull moment at Lime Rock.  We ran up front and we proved that we can be on par with the Muscle Milk guys.  At the end of the day, we got it home and I am grateful for that and I am grateful for the guy’s efforts. They have worked very hard between Monterey and here and I think the team should have a better second half.”

The American Le Mans Series enters the meat of their season with seven races in   the next seventeen weeks.  Two weeks from now, the series will be racing north of the border at the Canadian Tire Motorsport Park near Toronto.

LAKEVILLE, CT, July 5, 2013 – Chris Dyson will start from the front row after his second place qualifying effort today for the American Le Mans Northeast Grand Prix on the weekend Dyson Racing is celebrating their thirtieth anniversary in professional sports car racing.  He took the #16 Thetford/RACER entry he shares with Guy Smith around the team’s home track at an average speed of 117.287 MPH.

“We missed the first session with some mechanical issues and extensive red flag periods, and that was costly,” said Chris Dyson.  “We took a step with the car we thought intuitively would work but it was a step too far, so we will just go back to how it was the previous session and continue to focus on the race set-up at this point.  We had really good tests at VIR and Road Atlanta before coming here, and we have a good handle on the car in its current state.”

After the late afternoon qualifying session, there was a roast for Rob Dyson to commemorate his thirty year anniversary.  Chris Dyson summed up what those years have meant.  “It has been an honor to grow up with the race team in my life and with all the wonderful people in this paddock. It has been a privilege that that has been given to me because Dad created the platform for us and it is nice to carry on what he started.  I am thrilled to be up here celebrating our 30th anniverasy and looking forward to many more years.”

Rob Dyson finished off the roast by saying that “finally, I want to thank my son Chris.  He has been a great fan of mine and I have been a great fan of his. I remember watching him race go-karts in one of my old helmets at the old Rt. 55 Speedway, and I knew I was in trouble from then on!  We were actually in the same weight class and I used to race him in go-karts.  It is a whole different deal when you run against your son. Chris beat me all but once, and I got to tell you, that one race that I beat him, I feel really good about to this day! 

“But I must say that for all of the drivers that have driven for our team, the key was  they were great human beings and they loved sports car racing, and they wanted to compete, and they wanted to win. But most importantly, they were decent, hardworking great guys.  I want to tell you how much of an honor it is to have become friends with them and so very many great people in racing.”