MONTEREY, CA October 18, 2008 – At times, it seemed like the Mobil Economy Run had been resurrected. Almost half of the ALMS season-ending four-hour Monterey Sports Car Championship was run under yellow, with green periods often few and far between. Avoiding the sand traps that claimed so many, Dyson Racing put in a solid run in a most fragmented race. Chris Dyson and Guy Smith were fifth in LMP2 and Marino Franchitti and Butch Leitzinger finished sixth.

The team started the eight-month, eleven-race series with a second and third at the Twelve Hours of Sebring. The team finished the year third in the P2 team championship and Franchitti and Leitzinger were fifth in the drivers’ points followed by Dyson and Smith in sixth. Porsche won both the engine and chassis manufacturer championships, the later by one point. Dyson Racing’s points made both those championships possible.

The # 20 Porsche RS Spyder of Franchitti and Leitzinger finished in the points in every race of the season and the #16 Thetford/Norcold entry missed the points in only one race, at Lime Rock in May. The Lime Rock race marked the 25th anniversary of Dyson racing in professional motorsports. Of the thirty-seven cars that raced at the Connecticut track 25 years ago, only Dyson Racing is still competing today. They have garnered 17 championships, 61 wins, 56 poles and 156 podiums during their run at the top of sportscar racing.

This year also marks the tenth anniversary of the American Le Mans Series. “The competition, the depth of the field, and the quality of the driving is as good as we have ever seen at any time in sportscar racing,” commented Rob Dyson.

“The 2008 season was a notable year,” added Chris Dyson. “For us, it was a mixed season with some great highs and some lows. The arc of this season may not have been what we hoped for, but we gave it our best shot every weekend. The team conducted itself with a high degree of diligence and integrity all year. We certainly ran a good campaign and when you have a group that is always putting forth this level of effort, it reinforces your motivation as a driver. If we had to sum up the season in one word, it would be very simple: pride.”

 

Pos Car# Class Drivers Difference Car Make
1. 2 P1 Luhr/Werner Audi R10
2. 1 P1 Albers/Pirro 1.941 Audi R10
3. 26 P2 Montagny/Kanaan 3.536 Acura ARX
4. 66 P2 de Ferran/Pagenaud 3.590 Acura ARX
5. 7 P2 Dumas/Bernhard 9.481 Porsche RS Spyder
6. 5 P2 Castroneves/Briscoe 26.178 Porsche RS Spyder
7. 16 P2 Dyson/Smith 45.278 Porsche RS Spyder
8. 20 P2 Franchitti/Leitzinger 1.18.045 Porsche RS Spyder
9. 15 P2 Fernandez/Diaz 1 lap Acura ARX
10. 6 P2 Maassen/Long 1 lap Porsche RS Spyder