By finishing second with Didier de Radigues and Chad Block in the 1000-mile Petit Le Mans enduro, Dyson edged Intersport Racing`s Jon Field and Duncan Dayton for the championship.

In a season that was never lacking for drama, today`s race was no exception for the crew of the #20 Dyson MG-Lola EX257. After de Radigues had moved the car up to third place overall, Block crashed in the race`s second hour shortly after taking over the controls. The Pennsylvanian was fortunate to return the wounded #20 machine to the pits, where the crew worked feverishly to make repairs. Rejoining the field more than an hour later, and needing to cover seventy percent of the race distance to score necessary points, Dyson and de Radigues set out on a steady pace. Eventually, the car had moved up to 21st position overall in the thirty-eight car field.

Dyson was thrilled with the result. “We certainly did not make it easy for ourselves today,” he said. “But racing is all about triumphing over adversity, and we have had some great success this year. This is really a credit to the team and my great teammates, without whom this would not have happened. No one in this organization– and that includes all of our suppliers– is ever satisfied, and we are always looking for the edge over our competition. I happened to be the beneficiary of our good fortune, and for that I am really grateful.”

The sister car of James Weaver, Andy Wallace and Butch Leitzinger suffered electrical woes that eliminated their #16 machine from the event in the first hour. Weaver`s early race form promised a day-long batte with the winning Audi R8 Champion team, the Englishman running for the outright lead after matching or bettering their times all week. It was not to be, sadly, and Weaver was forced to retire the car after a faulty voltage regulator led to a broken turbo.

“The car was mighty all week, and it is really annoying to have something like this take us out of contention,” Weaver said. “We did learn quite a bit this weekend, and we have got several things we will be dealing with in offseason testing and development.”

With the conclusion of the nine-round American Le Mans Series, the Dyson team will return to its Poughkeepsie, New York headquarters to prepare the cars for more testing in advance of the 2004 season.

Dyson Racing`s most recent accomplishment underscores its position as North America`s most successful sportscar team, with eight Driver`s and six Team championships in the last seven seasons of sportscar competition.

Leading the ALMS LMP675 championship tables is 25 year-old Chris Dyson of Poughkeepsie, NY. Dyson enters the weekend`s ten-hour, 1000-mile endurance event having won four of eight ALMS races in 2003. Dyson holds a substantial twenty-point lead in the championship over Intersport Racing teammates Jon Field and Duncan Dayton. To wrap up the title, Dyson`s #20 MG-Lola EX257 must complete at least seventy percent of the event, while his Intersport rivals are in a must-win situation.

“It is a great feeling to come into the last race of the season with a points lead,” said Dyson, who, having missed out on the 2002 Rolex Series championship by two points, is familiar with his rivals` situation. “We have had a pretty solid year, and I think we will have a great car this weekend. I am very confident. The Intersport guys have to beat us this weekend, and all we have to do is finish. Anything can happen in this game but from experience I prefer being where we are this year.”

Dyson will share his MG-Lola sports-prototype with Pennsylvanian Chad Block and Belgian Didier de Radigues, who co-drove in the team`s victory in the 12 Hours of Sebring in March. “They are super drivers,” Dyson said. “Easy on equipment and fast. And that is what we need this weekend.”

The team is also seeking the IMSA Cup, which is awarded to organizations with the best aggregate results. Having run two cars all year, and claimed six overall podium finishes, the Dyson squad is leading the team championship comfortably.

James Weaver, Butch Leitzinger and Andy Wallace form the driving strength on the team`s #16 machine, and collectively represent the most successful sportscar pairing in the modern era.

The two drivers will be sharing the same #20 MG-Lola with Chris Dyson in which they took a class victory at the 12 Hours of Sebring in March.

De Radigues, the 2001 ALMS LMP675 champion and former motorcycling star, is delighted to return to the Dyson team`s stable. “I am very happy to be rejoining the Dyson team,” the Belgian said. “They are one of the best teams I have ever worked with, and the Lola is a fantastic car. When Chris asked me to come back, I had only one word.” De Radigues set pole and fastest lap at the Petit in the LMP675 division two years ago.

Chris Dyson heads the championship tables coming into the Petit Le Mans, the final race in the 2003 American Le Mans Series. In order to clinch the title, Dyson`s #20 car needs to complete at least seventy percent of the race distance, expected to be ten hours or 1000 miles.

Chad Block, the 25 year-old who helped Knighthawk Racing claim the 2002 series Team Championship at last year`s Petit, is fully aware of the team`s championship implications. In a steady drive at Sebring, Block proved that he knows that reliability and patience are key elements. “It is awesome once again to be driving with Chris and Didier in the Dyson Racing #20 car,” Block said. “With Chris leading the driver`s championship it is important we bring the car home in one piece, and I am flattered that the Dyson team feels Didier and myself can contribute to that effort. It will be a fun 10 hours and I am looking forward to it.”

Chris Dyson welcomes the return of his winning Sebring co-drivers. “These guys did such a fantastic job at Sebring that picking co-drivers for the Petit was a pretty easy decision,” Dyson said. “Both Didier and Chad are smooth, fast, and easy on the equipment. That is what you need in sportscar racing, and I am really looking foreward to the race.”

Action for the October 18 Petit Le Mans gets underway with testing on October 15.

In a race that was never lacking for drama, the Goodyear-shod Dyson cars focused on winning their class and furthering Chris Dyson`s run for the series championship. Leitzinger and Wallace started third and fourth overall, respectively, and held station until the second caution of the race. Weaver and Dyson took over for their teammates and Weaver ran as high as fourth overall before his prototype fell victim to drivetrain woes in the last few moments of the event. He was able to return to action and secure the runner-up position in the end.

For Andy Wallace and Chris Dyson, the class win represented another strong result. Sixth overall in the final results, the Anglo-American duo drove a conservative but flawless race around a tight 1.1 mile temporary street course whose walls seemed to invite contact for many others.

“I really liked this track. As lively as it is, you have to really be on your toes at all times, and there is absolutely no room for error,” Wallace said afterwards.

“This was a great result for the team,” Chris Dyson continued. “We made some big gains in the championship today and most importantly we achieved the result without hitting anything, really. We all figured this would be a battle of survival and that is exactly how it played out.”

James Weaver was philosophical about his #16 car`s result. “We could not really match the Audis today,” he said. “But the setup was decent in the race and we have learned a lot about tires and setup for low-grip circuits like this one. I think the team`s result was really the story today and it is our goal to win championships. Now we are all really looking forward to the Petit Le Mans in a few weeks.”

The nine-race American Le Mans Series championship concludes at the Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta on October 18.

Weaver started the race from the outside pole and ran a steady second for the bulk of his ninety minute stint. He handed off to Leitzinger and the Dyson team`s skilled pitwork meant that the Pennsylvanian held onto second place upon rejoining the action. Leitzinger ran lap times equal to Joest`s Marco Werner but the German`s gap was substantial enough that Leitzinger had to settle for second.

“It was not the result we had hoped for today, but we will take it,” Leitzinger said afterwards. “I think if we had been able to capitalize on a late-race yellow we might have been a position to challenge for the overall, but they (Joest) were quick today. I am happy we were able to take the 675 win, and the car ran perfectly, so we are making some progress.”

The sister #20 machine of Chris Dyson and Andy Wallace, which had started fourth, had a difficult day. Dyson found himself the victim of a first-corner bottleneck and was punted off the road only moments after the green flag flew. The 25 year-old rejoined the action and managed to haul the car back up to second in class, and ninth overall before suffering engine failure.

“After the first corner shunt, I was happy just to get going again,” Dyson said. “The car felt okay but as we went along we picked up a vibration in the engine, and we think it was an indirect result of the impact, which was pretty hard. It is a shame because we did not earn any points today, and we really needed a good result. All we can do is find out what caused the problem, and keep our heads up for Miami.”

Dyson still holds onto a lead in the LMP675 championship standings over Intersport Racing`s Jon Field with two rounds remaining.

The team`s next stop on the American Le Mans Series calendar is the Miami Grand Prix of the Americas, on September 28.

The Anglo-American pairing, who finished second after starting from the rear at Mosport a week ago, had to duplicate the feat at Road America after their #20 MG-Lola EX257 had problems starting before the race. Chris Dyson drove the first stint and worked his way up from 36th position to second overall at the end of the first hour. He handed the car to Andy Wallace, who briefly fell back to third before regaining the position from Panoz`s David Saelens. Wallace drove for an hour and a half, and his solid effort yielded his second LMP675 victory of 2003, and Dyson`s third. Dyson now leads Jon Field by 23 points in the drivers` championship.

“What a great finish for us today,” Chris Dyson said afterwards. “I told the guys that we have to stop with this start from the back business, but you can not argue with the result. I did not like the car`s balance on full tanks, but I was really concentrating on moving up through the field and keeping my nose clean after the starter problem. Once the car burned off some fuel, it came to life and I could push. I knew we were making progress, but I could not believe it when (Team Manager) Randall (Kelsey) came on the radio and said “P2 Overall.” This was an important finish for the championship, and I am happy for the guys.

Wallace was delighted. “I am just so happy for the guys on the team,” he said. “Chris and I were leaning on them all weekend to improve the car and in the race, the car and the Goodyear tires were perfect.”

Butch Leitzinger and James Weaver had a short day after convincingly leading the first six laps of the event. Leitzinger had set the early pace but he was hit from behind by a Panoz LMP at turn 5 which spun him into the wall, and ended the #16 car`s day prematurely.

“It is too bad, because I really think our car was good today,” James Weaver said afterwards. “Thankfully Butch is okay, and the car`s damage is not extensive.”

The team returns to its Poughkeepsie, NY shop this week to prepare the cars for the upcoming September 7 American Le Mans Series race at Mazda Raceway.

The Anglo-American duo, who were forced to start the race from the pit lane after Wallace had an accident in the morning warmup, drove a nearly perfect race. Dyson started the event and drove up through the field during his hour and a half opening stint. Dyson handed over the car to his teammate in fifth position. Wallace drove a solid final hour and capitalized on others` blunders to capture a briliant second-place overall finish. The result represented one of the most staggering comebacks in ALMS series` history, and the drivers were thrilled afterwards.

“I am just so happy to be a part of Dyson Racing,” Andy Wallace said. “Everyone pitched in this morning after the warmup accident and the car was absolutely perfect in the race. It is great to be on the podium again, and I could not have done it without my teammate doing such a good job. I love Mosport and it is great to see such a good crowd out there, supporting us.”

Chris Dyson was delighted with the result, and having regained the lead in the LMP675 championship standings. “I knew that we had a good car today, and I was very confident coming into the race, even though we had to start from the pitlane,” Dyson said. “My number-one objective today was to get points for the championship, and I just concentrated on driving a good race and keeping my nose clean. I am ecstatic, because not only were able to regain the lead in the points, but because we were able to finish second-overall. This is just superb, and I am so proud of the team.”

Polesitter James Weaver and his partner Butch Leitzinger starred in the race`s early stages, with Weaver leading the first 29 laps convincingly and setting the race`s fastest lap in the sister #16 machine. Leitzinger took over the car in the second hour and ran a strong third, behind the Audis that had pitted earlier. Leitzinger was just starting to reel the R8`s in when he began suffering electrical problems. The team lost several laps in the pits servicing the car, and Leitzinger soldiered on to the end, finishing twenty-fourth overall and third in LMP675.

Weaver was disappointed after the car had shown so much pace all weekend. “It is a shame when these little things happen, because the car was blinding today,” Weaver said. “These fast corners suited the car to a “T,” and the Goodyear tires were spectacular. I am looking forward to Elkhart Lake next week.”

The team heads out to Wisconsin next weekend to Road America, the fifth round in the nine-race American Le Mans Series championship.

Butch Leitzinger and James Weaver, victors at Sonoma last weekend, ran a competitive third in their #16 machine before electrical problems eliminated the car a little more than one hour into the three-hour event. Teammates Andy Wallace and Chris Dyson saw their hopes vanish in the first laps of the race when the engine in their #20 car expired.

“We had a decent car today,” Leitzinger said afterwards. “This was not going to be our best track, but we did learn quite a bit here for the future street races.”

“I think that the engine ran quite well all weekend,” Leitzinger`s teammate James Weaver said. “This was really the first time we have run this car in street course trim, and we are still learning what direction we need to go on setup. Goodyear has done a massively good job with the tires, and they are only going to get better. I am still quite optimistic and we are all looking forward to Mosport in two weeks.”

Despite the early race exit, Andy Wallace was pleased that the #20 car`s setup was a huge improvement over earlier sessions. “We discovered some things after the warmup, and the car had much better turn-in everywhere in the race. It is a shame that we had the engine problem, but at the very least we figured out what we had been doing wrong. The car should be fantastic at Mosport.”

Chris Dyson was philosophical. Despite losing his lead in the LMP675 championship standings, Dyson remains upbeat about upcoming events. “There are still five races left in this championship, and a lot can happen,” Dyson said. “Our engine reliability up to now has been really quite excellent, so I am sure everyone at AER will be working hard to find out what went wrong. I am sure it will not happen again. We tested up at Mosport two months ago and went well, so I am confident we can turn things around there.”

The team`s next event is the Grand Prix of Mosport, on August 17.

A heated battle from the start, the two-hour, forty-five race was marked by Leitzinger`s opening stint and Weaver`s late-race pass of Joest`s Marco Werner and the Englishman`s spirited sprint to the finish. The race was the first ever overall victory for Dyson Racing in the American Le Mans Series, and it was also the maiden win for Lola`s lightweight LMP675 prototype contender.

Butch Leitzinger was thrilled with the result. “I am sure it was exciting,” said Leitzinger, from State College, Penn. “I think this win is a very good thing for sports car racing. The LMP675 class was formed to give the privateer teams like Dyson a way to take on the big factory teams. We’ve just proven the vision for the sport. For a team like Dyson to be able to put up a fight is good for the sport overall.”

After Leitzinger`s stellar first stint, in which the Pennsylvanian polesitter was never headed, Weaver took over the controls and fought to the end, catching and brilliantly re-passing the Joest machine which overtaken the Dyson team only when the Lola pitted.

“That was unbelievable,” said a delighted Weaver afterwards. “It was a good, hard punch-up out there today. I managed to out-brake (Werner) at the final hairpin, and we ran the last few laps as hard as we possibly could. I felt I couldn`t have done a better job, and I am really happy that we won this race. So much hard work has gone into this effort and it is great to see us coming out on top.”

The sister #20 machine of Andy Wallace and Chris Dyson had the pace of the leading machines, but a staggered pit strategy with the sister car backfired due to a series of ill-timed caution periods. Wallace ran a strong third during a brief forty minute run, pitted for fuel under green, only to find the course brought under a full-course yellow moments later. So rather than gaining back the time lost during the stop as others were pitting, the Englishman would remain a lap down as the leaders pitted without losing any significant time. Fighting hard to gain back time, Wallace then became a victim of a wayward GTS Ferrari which hit him from behind and lodged him into a spin. The car was unhurt, thankfully, and Wallace soldiered on in seventh place, handing off to Chris Dyson for the race`s final hour. Dyson ran competitively, lapping within a second of the leaders, but the team could make no inroads on time lost and would finish seventh overall, but second in LMP675.

“We were really unlucky with the yellows today,” Wallace said. “Every time we pitted, it was under green and it was a caution period when we returned to the track. It was unfortunate, because I think we had a good car today.”

Dyson agreed. “Andy and I certainly had the pace today to finish up on the podium,” he said. “But ultimately our strategy worked against us, because we were never able to claw our time back because of the yellows. Somtimes that is how it goes. I am really happy for the boys today. We have made a lot of sacrifices and worked very hard to get these cars right, and we could not have achieved this result without all the hard work from Goodyear, AER and Lola. I am also extremely proud of our team members, all of whom have worked relentlessly to achieve this goal. Now we are just going to keep building on this and there is more to come.”

Team principal Rob Dyson was overjoyed with the win, which he enjoyed from his home in New York as he recovered from shoulder surgery. “I am proud of everyone, it is really staggering what we were able to accomplish today,” Dyson said.

The team`s next ALMS event, at Trois-Rivieres, takes place on August 1-3.

Randall Kelsey, who has been working with the team since 1994, has assumed the role of Crew Chief and Team Manager. Peter Weston, who has been working full-time with the team since January, remains the Head Engineer. Chris Dyson continues in the capacity of Sporting Director.

The management transition has been in progress for more than a year, in keeping with Smith`s stated wishes that he would not do a race after age 60. The team has been gradually moving toward its current structure, with Kelsey and Weston overseeing all at-track activities since April while Smith has remained at the team`s headquarters in New York.

Team principal Rob Dyson viewed the move as a positive one. “Pat took so much pride in his work and did such a great job for us. We had a discussion a couple of years ago and he outlined his wishes to retire in July of this year. We have had time to establish the new organizational structure, and I firmly believe that Chris and the guys will do a great job.”

“Pat and I will always be close, we have shared experiences together that neither of us could have imagined when we started,” Dyson added. “He is a remarkable man– undoubtably complex, but fundamentally decent, honest and loyal. It has been a great run.”

“This transition has been a fairly smooth process which has been in the works for quite some time,” Chris Dyson said. “Pat and my father built the foundation of this organization, and we intend to maintain their attention to detail and ensure that results remain our number-one priority. These are big shoes to fill, but Pat taught us well. We are all very excited and optimistic about the future.”

Smith began working with Rob Dyson in 1976, when Dyson was campaigning a Datsun 510 in SCCA National competition. Smith helped Dyson to the 1981 SCCA National Championship. In 1983, the team moved into professional competition with a Firebird GTO machine.

Two years later, Dyson purchased a Porsche 962 and the team began competing in the IMSA GTP division, shocking the establishment with victory in their very first race, at Lime Rock. It was in prototypes that the team made its name. Smith guided the team to three Porsche Cups and nine victories in four seasons of GTP racing.

The team made a brief foray into CART in 1989 and afterwards Smith decided to take a sabbattical from motor racing. He returned full-time to the team in mid-1994 and immediately the form of the team`s Spice-Ferrari World Sports Car improved, finishing on the podium twice in the final five races.

Smith`s engineering and strategic prowess were best showcased during the team`s eight-year effort with the Riley and Scott Mk. III-Ford, which began in 1995. With the R&S, the team scored an category-leading 36 overall victories, including two overall wins at the 24 Hours of Daytona and one class victory. Dyson Racing won five team championships, and Dyson pilots tallied seven championships between them.

Dyson`s class victory at this year`s 12 Hours of Sebring meant that Smith holds the honor of leading the team to victory at every track the team visited more than once under his command.

Dyson Racing`s next American Le Mans Series event is the Infineon Grand Prix of Sonoma, on July 27-29.