“Bentley was founded on motor racing,” notes Bentley Motors’ Director of Motorsport, Brian Gush. “W.O. Bentley started racing with his customer cars and built the legend of the Bentley Boys along with the marque’s reputation for speed, reliability and robust construction.”

That legend has continued to grow over the past nine decades and was enhanced this year with Dyson Racing Team Bentley’s record in the Pirelli World Challenge.

Dyson Racing Team Bentley’s pair of Continental GT3 race cars showed good speed from the start, with Butch Leitzinger setting second-fastest race lap during the team’s debut at the Road America race weekend in June. Guy Smith, who drove a second car for the last two race weekends on the schedule started on the pole and also set fastest lap in three of the four races he contested. In addition to Smith’s race win, Leitzinger had a pair of podium finishes.

The team started its race program half-way through the season, starting at Road America in Wisconsin in June. At Sonoma Raceway in California in August, Leitzinger took the first Bentley podium and Guy Smith joined the team in the second car. Smith left the Sonoma weekend with two fastest race laps to his credit and at the following race at Miller Motorsports Park, in addition to his win, he started from pole for both races, and Leitzinger took his second consecutive podium.

Even with a partial season, at year’s end, Smith was tied for first in driver’s fastest race laps and Bentley was second in manufacturer’s fast laps, and third in manufacturer’s poles.

The victory at Miller Motorsports Park opened a new chapter in Bentley’s storied history, the marque’s first win in North America, while the team’s consistent speed during it’s exploratory PWC half season presaged a very competitive stance for 2015.

Dyson Racing Team Bentley personnel share their thoughts on the season:

Michael White, Team Manager – “2014 was a great start to the Bentley GT3 program. Despite coming together halfway through the season, from the start we’ve set fast laps, won pole positions and at the end season won a race.

“Thanks to Bentley Motors and particularly Brian Gush from Bentley Motors Ltd, and James Pillar, Jon DiVaio and Christophe Georges from the company’s North American arm, Bentley Motors, Inc., for their faith in Dyson Racing Team Bentley and our ability to represent such a prestigious brand in the Pirelli World Challenge series. I also congratulate our team, always ready to step up to the plate and put their hearts and souls into everything they do. Bring on 2015!”

Rob Dyson, Team Principal – “The season was a challenge in all good respects for us. It was learning not only a new car and a new configuration of car – GT vs. the prototypes we have raced in the past – plus we had to learn a new series and its protocols. Overall it was a challenge, but one we have met as the cars showed more pace each race culminating with our win at Miller.

“The working relationship we have with Bentley continues to grow stronger, from the top to the bottom and at all levels. The relationship we have with M-Sport, which built the cars and did the initial development, continues to grow stronger. That is probably the most rewarding part of this season – the unity of purpose that we all have behind this impressive racing effort we are all putting together.

“I am impressed with how the team has risen to the challenge of a new car in a new series. The technical interface we have had with the Bentley engineering staff and the M-Sport engineering staff has been terrific and totally cooperative because it is all for one and one for all on both sides worldwide. And that is one of the more rewarding aspects. Overall I am very satisfied with our program this year.”

Guy Smith, Driver of the #88 Bentley Continental GT3 – “The Pirelli World Challenge has been an excellent choice for Dyson Racing Team Bentley to compete. The great thing about GT racing is the performance of the cars is so balanced and the racing is so close. You have so many manufacturers – including Bentley, Audi, Porsche, McLaren, Ferrari, Cadillac and others – and yet all of them are competitive. That’s what makes GT racing so exciting, from both the drivers’ and fans’ points of view. I think it is a great championship and going forward it will only get better.

“The season has been one of steady improvement with the results getting better and better and culminating in a win at season’s end. Having an American program compliments what Bentley is doing in Europe. It provides more experience and more data and it is good to have people looking at things in different ways, different thoughts, and different ideas – it is just more information to pool. Dyson Racing Team Bentley has some good ideas and we certainly take on board in Europe what Butch Leitzinger and engineer Peter Weston and the guys have said about the car. So we all keep on improving and developing the product. It has been a really good situation and a good year.”

Butch Leitzinger, Driver of the #08 Bentley Continental GT3 – “It has been very enjoyable and challenging season. It has been so much fun jumping into the Bentley because the car was so good from the beginning and I was able to get back with all my old Dyson friends and go racing again. We started mid-season, but we were right in the thick of things at our first race at Elkhart Lake and since then we have learned more and more. It has been a great series to be in with really furious action, which is quite fun. The driving level is good and people are tough but fair, so you are able to really joust with them and enjoy the racing. In some ways the sprint format is a purer form of racing as you just go out and drive as hard as you can. I think I have passed more cars in this half season than I did in the prior fifteen years!

“The Bentley has definitely exceeded my expectations. My biggest surprise was how racy the car is and how much you are able to push on the limits of the car and how well it responds. I think a lot of it is down to Guy: he did such a good job on developing the car (in Europe) from day one.”

Chris Dyson, Vice President and Sporting Director – “This has been a very positive season. I think everyone from Bentley and M-Sport and the Dyson team has worked very well together and Butch and Guy have been brilliant in the cars. When you look at the progress in the past five race weekends relative to the established competition, it has been very gratifying. The team has jelled well and we are working very closely with Bentley in making the events very memorable for their guests and customers. I am thrilled to be involved with such a wonderful organization as Bentley.

“Race wins and championships have always been a hallmark of Dyson Racing. Contending for top qualifying positions and ending up on the podium was the primary objective for this year with the aim toward setting ourselves up to be a regular winner next year. We have already won this year, so we are positioning ourselves well. This is a very tough championship. The Pirelli World Challenge has impressed us tremendously in the depth and the variety and the closeness of the competition. You cannot let your guard down one second, so we know that we have to keep on working hard, but we have the right team behind us and we are all looking forward to making a run for the title in 2015.”

Smith started on pole for the final race of the 25th-anniversary season of the Pirelli World Challenge, but his day went awry while he was waiting for the green. “The engine overheated on the grid and went into protective limp-home mode, so when we went green, it just would not accelerate,” Smith explained. “By the time I got to the first corner, it had cooled down and it started working again but by then I had fallen to the back of the field. But we did prove this weekend that we have the speed to win.”

Smith had carved his way to 20th place by the fourth lap when he set the fastest race lap. He was 14th place six laps later and cracked the top ten on lap 17. His relentless push to the front netted him fifth position one lap from the end.

Leitzinger started the race fourth but fell back at the start to ninth. After a race-long duel with the Ferrari of Anthony Lazzaro and the Corvette of Johnny O’Connell and aggressive passes in the penultimate laps, Leitzinger missed his second consecutive podium by two seconds at the conclusion of the 50-minute (27-lap) race on Miller Motorsport Park’s 3.048-mile, 15-turn Outer Course.

“The Bentley was great,” Leitzinger said following the race. “We finally got a full race without yellow and the car kept on getting better and better. One of the strengths of the Bentley is how it is easy on the tires, so it’s consistently fast from beginning to end.”

Chris Dyson, Vice President and Sporting Director for Dyson Racing Team Bentley, praised the team’s two drivers. “Guy drove a perfect race – one of his best. He is a driver that gets faster each year of his career. Butch never placed a wheel wrong and showed why he is a fan favorite and one of the best racers in every series he races in. It would have been nice to close out the season with another win and we certainly showed the car is fast enough. But we have proven the pace of the Bentley this season and this weekend and will be testing next month as we already shift our focus to next year.”

Despite starting the season at the half-way point, Bentley still ended second in manufacturer’s fast laps and third in manufacturer’s poles. Perhaps more impressive, despite competing in only four races of the season’s 16 rounds, Smith is tied for first in fastest race laps to go along with his victory yesterday in the penultimate race of the 2014 season.

Upon the start of the race, Smith fell to sixth at the first corner, but the race went full-course yellow after an incident on the starting grid and stayed that way for the first 13 minutes of the 50-minute event. The rolling restart played to Smith’s and the Continental GT3’s strengths. “I did the restart just like I do in Europe – foot on the brakes and hold it in second gear coming down to the green,” Smith said. “And when we got the green I just pushed it to the limit of the car.”
Bentley Motors, Inc. President and CEO, Christophe Georges commented, “With the fastest lap and a first-place finish today, the Continental GT3 is now a proven winner in both North America and Europe. We’re elated with today’s results. The team put in a tremendous effort for this final competition of our inaugural season and I’m proud to share this excitement with our friends and fans.”

“It is a big day for everyone at Bentley and the team,” noted Chris Dyson, Vice President and Sporting Director for the team. “We are absolutely thrilled that this win comes on Guy’s 40th birthday. He is such a big part of the Bentley culture and Bentley folklore and for us to be part of it here in North America is very gratifying.

“And you have one of our longest-serving drivers, Butch Leitzinger, coming in third for his second podium in three races, which only adds icing to the cake” Dyson continued. “This is a great day all the way around for Bentley and we are very happy for them.”

Leitzinger had an equally exciting race to his position on the podium. He fell from third to eighth at the start, but over the course of the race used his speed and experience to put the second Bentley Continental GT3 back up to third at the finish, less than a tenth of a second behind the runner-up, Johnny O’Connell. On the penultimate lap Leitzinger passed O’Connell’s Cadillac teammate, Andy Pilgrim, after a duel that lasted for much of the race.

“It was great racing with Andy Pilgrim,” Leitzinger said. “He gave a master class in defending his position, cleanly and in a way that kept me at bay for a long time. I always like racing with Johnny. We had a dice on the last lap and he could have been aggressive with me but he was fair.

“This is a great day for Bentley. Guy drove a fantastic race. It was great fun and I was very glad to be on the podium with him. Guy did a brilliant job and I am glad to be part of this historic day for Bentley.”

Tomorrow’s race can be followed via live streaming at www.world-challengetv.com at 4:10 p.m. EDT. The broadcast of the weekend’s two races will be on September 28, at 2:30 p.m. EDT on NBC Sports Network. NBCSN will re-air it again on Thursday, Oct. 2 at 10 p.m. EDT and all races are on on www.world-challengeTV.com after initial their broadcasts.

Sonoma Recap — Following his season debut in the Bentley Continental GT3 #88 at the Sonoma Raceway double-header, Guy Smith will again join teammate and fellow Bentley Boy Butch Leitzinger. Piloting his #08 Continental GT3, Leitzinger earned his first podium finish of the season – third place – in Round 13 at Sonoma. The finish followed the team’s best qualifying effort of the year, with Leitzinger and Smith setting the second- and third-fastest times of the qualifying session. Smith had a dramatic race, recovering from an opening lap spin before charging charge back through the field. He made up 30 places during the 50 minute sprint, setting the fastest lap of the race and earning a ninth-place finish.

Smith’s fast lap in Saturday’s race earned him the pole position for Round 14, and Leitzinger’s performance placed him in fourth. However, a difficult getaway from the starting grid for Smith, and with Leitzinger caught up in an incident between two other racers, a podium finish wasn’t in the cards for either Bentley Boy. Leitzinger was awarded the ‘Move of the Race’ award after a daring pass of two fellow drivers during the 50 minute sprint. Smith again took fastest lap-honors and set a new track record while Leitzinger took second-fastest lap in the now proven Bentley racers.

Dyson Racing Team Bentley — Chris Dyson, Vice President and Sporting Director for the team, comments: “The Continental GT3 has shown its strength on the track. Our goal this season was to learn about the car and the series and we have gained important knowledge at each race. What we’ve learned at each track has allowed us to make advancements in each of the following rounds. Butch’s podium and Guy’s pole position and fastest race laps at our most recent event in Sonoma underlines our progress. Everyone on the team has worked extremely hard to optimize the car to meet the demands of the sprint race series. We’re excited about this weekend’s competition.”

Continental GT3 – A Proven Racer — Also competing this season in the Blancpain Endurance Series, the GT3 has two first-place finishes to its credit. Its initial victory was scored at Silverstone in May followed by a second victory at Paul Ricard in June. In its most recent European competition, the GT3 proved itself as a 24-hour racer completing the Total 24 Hours of Spa race, with both entered cars fielding finishes in the top 20. The Blancpain series’ next endurance race is the Nürburgring 1000, September 19-21.

Pirelli World Challenge — The Pirelli World Challenge completes its 25th-anniversary season at Miller Motorsports Park, September 12-13. Round 15 begins at 4:50 p.m. MDT Friday and Round 16 at 2:15 p.m. MDT Saturday. Dyson Racing Team Bentley’s performance can be followed via live stream at www.world-challengetv.com. The race can be seen Sunday, September 28 at 2:30 p.m. EDT on NBC Sports Network.

Smith eventually finished 16th in today’s race in his #88 Bentley Continental GT3 after falling down to 33rd when the car suffered a glitch thirty minutes into the fifty-minute sprint race. “I was approaching Turn Two when the engine lost power. I pulled over and recycled the master switch and fortunately got the power back again and quickly carved my way back through the field.”

Smith noted, “It has been an interesting weekend – my first in the Pirelli World Challenge. We have proven we have the speed with both cars qualifying strongly and taking the fastest lap in both races. We have taken a big step forward this weekend.”

Leitzinger described the incident that put him down the field early in the race in his #08 Continental GT3. “On the second lap, the cars behind me were battling and out-braking each other and ended up taking me out by accident,” he said. “But we have proved this weekend that our cars have the pace. We have learned much about the car this weekend and we will hit the ground running at the next race in Salt Lake City.”

This weekend’s Rounds 13 and 14 of the Pirelli World Challenge Series will air Saturday, August 30, at 1:00 p.m. ET on NBC Sports Network with a re-air Thursday, September 5, at 12:30 a.m. ET on NBC Sports Network.

“That was a huge amount of fun,” Leitzinger said shortly after climbing out of the #08 Bentley after the race. “I had a lot of fun racing with Ryan at the end. We gave each other room, so it was good hard clean racing. I can’t say enough about Bentley and Dyson Racing Team Bentley: the car was great and the team did an excellent job preparing it.”

Meanwhile, Smith, who was making his first series start as the team added a second entry, provided much of the afternoon’s excitement after he spun on the first lap and then proceeded to charge back through the field and made up 30 spots in 50 minutes, setting the fastest lap of the race on his way to an eventual ninth-place finish.

Smith’s fast lap means he’ll start Sunday’s race from the pole, while Leitzinger’s fourth-fastest race lap means he’ll line up on the outside of the second row. This weekend marked veteran Bentley Boy and long-time Dyson driver Smith’s return to North American competition. Smith will also drive the #88 Bentley Continental GT3 at the season’s final two-race meet at Miller Motorsports Park, September 12th and 13th.

“It is good to be back at Dyson and good to be back racing in America again” Smith said. “I have enjoyed racing in Europe and getting reacquainted with tracks I have not raced at in a long time. But I missed racing here in America.”

Smith was the lead development driver for the Bentley Continental GT3 and races the car in the Blancpain Series in Europe. This season he has wins to his credit at Silverstone and Paul Ricard. “I know the car well and having two of them at a race meet gives us the chance to compare contrasting approaches to setting up the car. We can try different things and get much more done in a weekend. With the short amount of practice time available on race weekends, this is an important advantage, one many of Bentley’s competitors had enjoyed over us before this weekend. Having a second entry helps push both cars further up the grid.”

Leitzinger, who has driven the #08 Bentley Continental GT3 since its mid-season introduction at Road America in June, seconded Smith’s appraisal as he welcomed Guy and the second car to the team. “If you have one car, you have to go through all the base line set-ups to find out where you are; you can start practice in a completely different direction with the second car, one you may not normally be as comfortable with. And if it turns out that doesn’t work, you know how the base line set-up worked with the first car, so you don’t get lost. You always have a touchstone you can come back to. That enables you to be more adventurous from the first practice session on – you can swing for the fences.”

Dyson Racing Team Bentley will be back at bat this afternoon and will aim for that 400 foot fence.

This weekend’s Rounds 13 and 14 of the Pirelli World Challenge Series will air Saturday, August 30, 1:00 p.m. ET on NBC Sports Network with a re-air Thursday, September 5, 12:30 a.m. ET on NBC Sports Network. Live race streaming is available on WorldChallengeTV.com with live timing and scoring on http://www.world-challenge.com/liverace.

Guy Smith — Guy Smith joins Dyson Racing Team Bentley concurrently with his performance in the European Blancpain Endurance Series as a member of the M-Sport Bentley race team. Butch Leitzinger will continue to pilot car number 08 through the season.

A Bentley Boy since 2001, Guy took the checkered flag at the 2003 24 Hours of Le Mans in the Bentley Speed 8. Following other successful racing competitions with Team Bentley, Guy joined Dyson Racing in the U.S. in 2005 and continued his winning career. That partnership led to further successful finishes – Guy and Dyson claimed the American Le Mans Series title in 2011 – followed by a close second in the 2012 championship.

With two wins this season as a member of the M-Sport Bentley team, Smith joins the American team with great insight into the Continental GT3’s prowess in endurance races. The sprint pace of the Pirelli World Challenge will provide a new experience that Smith is prepared for. “I’ve done extensive testing with the car in addition to my time behind the wheel during the endurance races. Bentley and the team have done a fantastic job. The Continental GT3 is a good, reliable, quick and easy-to-drive race car. I’m eager to join Butch and the team in Sonoma this weekend. The competition in the class is extremely strong and I’m looking forward to entering a second Bentley to compete in the circuit.”

Dyson Racing Team Bentley — Following a strong debut at Road America in Round 7 of this season’s Pirelli World Challenge, the team is focused on a strong finish in Sonoma. After a weather stop in Round 11 and an eighth-place finish in Round 12 at Mid-Ohio last month, the team will use knowledge gained over the course of the season to compete at Sonoma.

Chris Dyson, Vice President and Sporting Director for the team, comments: “The Continental GT3 has shown its strength on the track. This season has not been without challenges, but we have gained important knowledge about the car during each race. The differences from track to track have allowed us to make advancements in each of the following rounds. Butch’s lap times have continued to show progress and the team has worked extremely hard to meet the demands of the sprint race series. We’re excited about this weekend’s competition.”

Continental GT3 – A Proven Racer — Also competing this season in the Blancpain Endurance series, the GT3 has two first-place finishes to its credit. Its initial victory was scored at Silverstone in May followed by a second victory at Paul Ricard in June. In its most recent European competition, the GT3 proved itself as a 24-hour racer completing the Total 24 Hours of Spa race, with both entered cars fielding finishes in the top 20.

Bentley’s Director of Motorsport Brian Gush comments: “We’ve worked extremely hard this season. Both series present different challenges and the Continental GT3 has proven itself adept at competing in both of them. In many cases, the competition has several more years of testing and racing experience over us. However, we’ve proven that our team and the car are more than capable.”

Pirelli World Challenge — The Pirelli World Challenge continues its 25th anniversary season at Sonoma Raceway, August 23-24. Round 13 begins at 2:35 PDT Saturday and Round 14 at 4:40 PDT Sunday. Dyson Racing Team Bentley’s performance can be followed via live stream at www.world-challengetv.com. The race can be seen Saturday, August 30 at 1:00 p.m. EDT on NBC Sports Network.

A stumble at the standing-start of the race dropped the Bentley from its eighth-place starting position, but Leitzinger raced his way into the top ten by the sixth lap. An outside pass around the tight Keyhole on a lap 28 green flag restart moved him into eighth place and gave Leitzinger his third top-ten finish since joining the series at Road America three race weekends ago.

“We had a good car today and we were able to claw our way back into contention,” said Leitzinger.

Chris Dyson commented, “Butch showed great tenacity coming through the field and the car showed great pace. We ended up setting the fifth-fastest lap of the race which is encouraging and indicative of the progress we are making with our car. We need to work on improving our performance on the standing start that`s such an important aspect of the Pirelli World Challenge sprint races. The Continental GT3 doesn`t need that ability in the other series in which it competes, but we definitely do here and we`re working on it.”

Today`s race demonstrated the competiveness of the series. Eighteen manufacturers were represented in the 47 car field. Dyson noted the quality of the racing, the diversity of the equipment, the breadth of involvement from the manufacturers, and the quality of talent behind the wheel.

“These are fifty-minute sprint races featuring well-developed cars and top-level drivers,” Dyson said. “So everyone is going as hard as they can for a short period of time and that makes for a great spectacle for the fans.”

Leitzinger agreed that the variety of models elevates the series. “The best thing is that you have a collection of the greatest road cars in the world, the cars enthusiasts dream about owning,” he said. “You see some of the most exotic cars in the world racing in very close competition with speeds that are all within a couple miles per hour of each other through the turns and on the straights. Each car has its own particular strength so it performs a little better in different parts of the track. And that makes for close racing. It`s great racing and it shows in the number of fans that are coming up to us and saying how much they enjoy it.”

The next race for Dyson Racing Team Bentley will be at the Sonoma Grand Prix August 22-24. This weekend`s races will be on NBC Sports Network, Sunday, August 10 at 1:30 p.m. ET and re-air Saturday, Aug. 16 at 12 a.m. ET on NBC Sports Network. The race is also available on www.world-challengeTV.com after the initial broadcast.

“We called the tire stop right and put the rain tires on at the exact right time,” Leitzinger said. “The team did such a quick job that I was surprised when they told me to go because I thought they had only done two tires. We were the first car in the queue with wets on and all I wanted was for it to go green again and we would have made quick work to the front. But the race never restarted. The rain turned into a deluge and safety ultimately mandated that they did not restart, but we were prepared with the right strategy.”

Visiting the team this weekend is long-time Dyson Racing driver Guy Smith, who is also a veteran Bentley Boy and winner of the 2003 24 Hour of Le Mans winner for Bentley. Smith has been the lead development driver for the global Bentley Continental GT3 race program.

Currently driving in the Blancpain Endurance Series in Europe in the M-Sport Bentley Continental GT3, Smith has two wins to his credit this season, at Silverstone and Paul Ricard. He recounted the work that went into making it a winning race car.

“The Continental GT3 made its first run at Goodwood fourteen months ago,” Smith said. “M-Sport has done a fantastic job. We did extensive testing after Goodwood.”

Smith explained that for GT3 racing when a car is homologated the manufacturer must specify many of the technical elements of the car as it will be raced, including gear ratios, suspension set up and aero configuration. Once the car is homologated these cannot be changed, so it’s critically important to get them right.

“So you have to make sure that what you decide upon works well,” Smith continues. “We did 12- and 24-hour tests and it became evident early on that we had a good car. It was easy to drive and the balance and handling of the car was very good.

“This is what we have with the Bentley Continental GT3 – a good, reliable, quick and easy to drive race car. Butch said that to me after the first Pirelli World Challenge race at Road America last month and said so again to me this weekend. Butch said when he first jumped in the car and started pushing it, it felt like a proper race car. That was music to my ears.”

The second race of this weekend’s Pirelli World Challenge double-header is set for 1:40 pm ET tomorrow. This weekend’s races will be on NBC Sports Network, Sunday, August 10 at 1:30 p.m. ET and re-air Saturday, Aug. 16 at 12 a.m. ET on NBC Sports Network. The race is also available on www.world-challengeTV.com after the initial broadcast. Live timing and scoring is available at www.world-challenge.com/liverace

The weekend showcased the development of the Bentley Continental during its inaugural street race and put the team in a good position for future racing on tight courses. “The car really came into its potential during the race today,” said Leitzinger. “During long greens, the car got quicker and quicker. It was a challenge today to work through some of our competitors. But once we had some clear track, we were able to go hard at it and the car had good pace and we were the best we were all weekend. I have to keep on reminding myself that this is a development year. We are here to learn and not just concentrate on the results page. The goal was to come out of here this weekend with a lot of data to figure out how to come back here next year with a competitive package so we can challenge for a win.

“The best thing about the car is how predictable it is. On street tracks, the wall is your defining exit point as opposed to a road course where you can drop a wheel off and not lose any time. Here you end your day if you take it too far. But with the Bentley, I am able to exit right on the wall and feel confident that it is not going to do a last kick and catch the wall. That is a confidence building characteristic and bodes well for future street races.”

Jon DiVaio, Motorsports Manager for Bentley Motors, Inc., echoed the take-away: “Overall, it was a quite positive race weekend. This is the first time we have run on a track like this, and we learned a lot about the setup of the car. It is a tribute to the team that the car was much quicker today than on Friday.

“The program is moving at a quick pace. We are learning a lot, not just about the car, but about working together and the partnership between Dyson Racing and Bentley Motors. We both share the same goals and the program is showing positive traction. We could not ask for a better partner.”

This weekend’s races can be seen Sunday, August 10 at 1:30 p.m. ET on the NBC Sports Network with a re-air August 16, 12:00 a.m. ET on NBC Sports Network. Dyson Racing Team Bentley and the Pirelli World Challenge will next race in two weeks’ time at Mid-Ohio August 1-3.