| POUGHKEEPSIE, NY (October 10, 2022) – Matthew Brabham missed qualifying at Virginia International Raceway following a practice session mechanical issue but then came the rear of the 22-car grid in his CD Racing #20 allgram / Concord American Flagpole Ford Mustang to win Sunday’s Trans Am by Pirelli 100-mile sprint race. “In the end this was a great day,” Brabham said after climbing from his car. “But it was a difficult one. At times it felt like it was just a matter of survival.” Brabham set the race’s fastest lap before settling into a controlling lead. A slight miscue on the penultimate lap of the race erased much of Brabham’s nine-second lead over second-place finisher Keith Grant. “It was a silly mistake on my part, going too deep (into the corner) trying to pass a car I was lapping. The team did a terrific job all weekend and I have to thank Chris and the whole Dyson team today.” It was Brabham’s second Trans Am win of the season for CD Racing. He won at Mid-Ohio and finished second behind Dyson at Lime Rock Park. Brabham claimed his first series victory at the final race of the 2021 season, substituting for Chris Dyson. For the first half of the Virginia International Raceway event it looked like it might be a CD Racing sweep of the podium. With the season championship already his, Dyson was using the race as a competition shakedown for the team’s new chassis. Dyson demonstrated the new #16 ALTWELL CBD Riley Technologies-designed Mustang’s potential by setting the fastest practice time and winning the pole with a track-record speed. Dyson’s domination of the weekend continued through the first half of the race, leading handily before tangling with a car that was already three laps down. “We had a commanding lead and I was really rolling but giving myself plenty of margin. I came up on that lapped car and gave him plenty of room and he saw me but he still turned right into me. It was shocking. But the new car was amazing to drive, a real dream. Over the summer, we’d tested it and addressed all the issues we could find. But you never really know until you race a car. I’m super happy with the Riley, but disappointed didn’t have the chance to run the full distance. I’m convinced we had a race winner. So we’ll go to CoTA and try to end the season with a victory. “Congratulations to Matty, who did his usual superb job,” Dyson said. “And hats off to our guys. They worked late into the night last night and we still took the win home. Paul made some good progress in the race, too. He ran strong at Watkins Glen, finishing fifth, and was even stronger here.” After running as high as third place, Fix finished sixth in the team’s #21 allgram/StopFlex.com/ClassicTube Ford Mustang. |
