LEEDS, Ala. — Scorching off a dominant last-to-first win final month at Virginia Worldwide Raceway, Chris Dyson is trying to capitalize on that momentum as he goals for a second consecutive victory within the Trans Am by Pirelli’s penultimate spherical of the season at Barber Motorsports Park.
This weekend marks the collection’ first go to to the Alabama circuit, however Dyson has raced there twice over the course of his profession – in 2003 within the Grand Am Cup after which in 2015 representing Bentley within the Pirelli World Problem Sequence.
Designed by famous monitor architect Alan Wilson as a complement to motorbike fanatic and collector George Barber’s museum, the hilly 2.38-mile circuit is the motion heart of the superbly landscaped suburban Birmingham facility.
“Barber could have been designed to be motorcycle-friendly,” Dyson mentioned. “But it surely’s additionally a enjoyable racetrack for vehicles. Tremendous difficult and technical, with plenty of elevation modifications and uneven entries and exits. Will my prior expertise right here give me a bonus over a few of my opponents who’ve by no means raced right here?
“Maybe slightly; within the Trans Am there’s not a lot monitor time earlier than qualifying and the race. Then again, I count on they’ve been spending time in simulators studying the circuit so that they’ll be just about in control even earlier than the primary apply session on Friday.”
It’s been a season of huge highs and disappointing lows for the three-time collection champion. The VIR win moved Dyson right into a tie for second place with Mark Donohue within the winner’s record compiled over the six-decade historical past of America’s longest-running road-racing collection.
Accidents suffered in a tough crash (resulting from mechanical failure) within the season-opener at Sebring compelled Dyson to additionally miss the season’s second race. However in six of the eight races since then Dyson has began on the entrance row, successful 3 times.
“Each race this yr the automobile’s been a possible winner once we roll the automobile off the trailer,” Dyson mentioned. “If it weren’t for that one massive mechanical failure and several other simply unfortunate on-track incidents we’d be within the thick of one other struggle for the championship. When it comes to outcomes it’s been feast or famine; we win a race after which have an issue the subsequent. That mentioned, whereas all of us on the staff could have been at occasions dissatisfied, nobody has gotten discouraged.
“After an unfortunate end result – shedding a race we should always have received – we simply put our heads down and begin preparing for the subsequent race. We aren’t going to win the championship this yr, however the objective stays the identical – go all out for the win each race.”
