Chris Dyson to join Kryderacing, Trans Am at Watkins Glen
August 17, 2017
Dyson to drive the No. 57 Cadillac CTS-V for owner David Pintaric
MIAMI, Fla. [August 17, 2017] – Longtime Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli participants Kryderacing and David Pintaric have announced that Chris Dyson will pilot the No. 57 Kryderacing Cadillac CTS-V in TA class competition at Watkins Glen International, Round 9 of the 2017 Trans Am Championship on September 10, 2017.
The race will mark the Trans Am debut for Dyson, a two-time IMSA American Le Mans Series champion and veteran of motorsport, as he teams up with Kryderacing, a veteran Trans Am team of five year’s experience.
“From the beginning of the year I’ve known I wouldn’t be able to compete full time due to personal obligations,” said David Pintaric, car owner and customary pilot of the No. 57. “I’ve been wanting to showcase this car; I feel like it’s one of the best out there— Tony Ave built, Kryderacing prepped. Since Sebring we’ve been looking for a driver to be a guest in the No. 57, a driver who would benefit us as a team and Trans Am as a series. I’m very pleased to announce that driver will be Chris Dyson.”
“I’m really looking forward to competing in Trans Am,” said Dyson. “We got to test together about a couple weeks ago, and it went very well. There’s been a lot of chemistry with David from the beginning, and I’ve gotten to know Matt Miller, who runs the team for David, and he and I have clicked pretty quickly. It’s an exciting Series, good competition, really powerful cars; and I think it’s going to be a great opportunity for me to go out and race again. I’m very grateful for this.”
The move was finalized following an early August test at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, one from which both Pintaric and Dyson left enthusiastic.
“The cars are thrilling,” said Dyson. “They’ve got enormous horsepower and the distances between the corners is pretty short as a result of that. There’s a decent amount of tire, and the cars are not overly dependent on aerodynamics, so I think that puts impetus on the driver to be smooth with the inputs and execute technically all the aspects of driving. With the monstrous torque, you really have to look after the tires; and I feel that brings a lot of skills to bare and I’m quite excited about. It’s definitely a driver’s car and a timeless formula.”
“The test was a really neat experience,” said Pintaric. “It was the first time Chris and I have met, after months of speaking on the phone together. I was pleased with how nice he was, how considerate of equipment he was—he gets it. There are a lot of fast drivers out there that abuse a car—he’s not one. Still, we were watching every lap, and he just kept getting faster. I think he had a great time—you start doing 177 miles per hour down the back straight at Mid-Ohio, you’re having a good time.”
“I’d like to thank David for the opportunity to compete in the Trans Am Series,” continued Dyson. “I’ve been wanting to race in Trans Am since I was a kid, in fact it was one of the first series I looked at when I was a teenager. I’m glad I’m finally getting the opportunity and it’s in a great car and at my favorite track in North America. And I’m hopeful I can get a great result for David and the team.”
For Pintaric, bringing Dyson’s talents to Watkins Glen plays into his desire to progress and grow the Trans Am platform, a Series he has called home since his 2013 debut at Sebring.
“It’s been amazing to have seen Trans Am’s growth over these past five years,” closed Pintaric. “Drivers need to come experience this, experience these cars, experience this competition—we have a good thing going here. And I mean we. Trans Am isn’t just about the sponsors or ownership, Trans Am is about the staff, the competitors, the fans—it’s all one family. That’s why I’m proud to be bringing Chris to Watkins Glen—it’s a good thing for Trans Am, Kryderacing, Tony Ave, and for Chris Dyson. I couldn’t be more excited.”
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About Chris Dyson: Chris Dyson, from Pleasant Valley, New York, has been immersed in auto racing since childhood. He grew up watching as his father Rob, an SCCA National Champion became a multiple race winner in IMSA GTP and a two-time winner of the 24 Hours of Daytona and established the Dyson Racing Team as one of North America’s most successful road racing teams. Chris Dyson rose from karting as a teen and progressed quickly through the SCCA amateur ranks to become one of the most accomplished professional road racers in the United States in the 2000s. He finished runner-up and Rookie of the Year in the Grand American Road Racing Association’s SRP championship in his first full season and won his first IMSA American Le Mans Championship in 2003. Dyson was one of IMSA’s top racers for the next decade, winning another series championship in 2011 and claiming ALMS championship runner-up finishes in 2005 and 2012. He competed full-time in the Pirelli World Challenge in 2015 and was a race winner who set pole positions and multiple fastest race laps. Dyson has also competed regularly in USAC open-wheel competition for the past three seasons, and has competed at the prestigious 24 Hours of Le Mans three times.
