Dyson Takes Big Trans Am Win at Laguna; Matos Victorious in CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series
May 5, 2025
POUGHKEEPSIE, NY (May 5, 2025) – Hot off a second-place finish last weekend at Sonoma, Chris Dyson scored a convincing win Sunday in the Trans Am by Pirelli race at Laguna Seca, finishing 8.349 seconds ahead of Adam Andretti, his surprise CD Racing teammate for the weekend. It was Dyson’s 27th career Trans Am win and his first of the 2025 season.
Dyson shadowed early leader Paul Menard for the first half of the race before pouncing just after the halfway mark and then steadily opening up a lead on the Sonoma race winner. A pair of yellow flags bunched up field and on the restart following the second one Menard made a move on Dyson that saw Menard spin himself out of contention for the win, though he recovered to take the final place on the podium.
“Since the track's repaving (in 2023), we really didn't have a lot of information to apply from the past races here, and with so little practice, we had a few unknowns heading into the race. But we made some changes overnight and today the car was fantastic -- just so hooked up," Dyson said in the GYM WEED Winners Circle. “To come to California and set fastest lap and have a great fight with Paul (Menard) in Sonoma and then come here at Laguna and win. I am pumped after this one!”
The victory, at the wheel of his #16 GYM WEED Ford Mustang, served as further confirmation that Dyson is fully recovered from the injuries he suffered in the season-opening race at Sebring.
“Three weeks ago I wasn’t even sure I’d be able to drive (in the West Coast races),” Dyson admitted, turning to gaze at the second-place CD Racing Mustang driven by Andretti, who is locked in a battle with Menard for the season championship point lead. “Look at #21 car parked here. What a great race for Adam!”
The deal to drive the team’s second car came after Andretti’s regular Burtin Racing ride was too badly damaged in a serious crash at Sonoma to be repaired in time for Laguna Seca. "The Dyson family and Andretti family are great friends and Adam and I are especially close" Dyson noted. "So when Claudio Burtin called and wanted to put Top Liner behind Adam this weekend to keep him in the title race, it was an easy decision to add him to the roster."
“This was the best possible outcome for us,” Andretti said. “I can’t thank Chris enough,” also noting “the #16 car was the class of the field. Chris never put a wheel wrong all weekend. I’m proud to bring this 1-2 home for the team.”
Sunday's Laguna Seca 1-2 capped one of the most successful race weekends in CD Racing's partnership history, with triumphs also coming in TA2 and USAC National Sprint car racing.
Matos Takes First TA2 Win of Season in Concord American Flagpole Entry
Defending CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series champion Rafa Matos scored a decisive triumph at Laguna Seca, taking his first win of the season and vaults to the top of the championship points standings. At the green flag Matos took a strong lead. And while two yellow flags for incidents in the hard-fought race behind him bunched up the field, each time the track went green Matos pulled away from the field.
A third yellow saw Matos shuffled back to fourth place as the green flag signaled a two-lap shoot-out to the checker. On the final lap Matos seized the lead at the circuit’s famed Corkscrew and held it to the finish.
“Just super proud of the Concord American Flagpole Silver Hare Racing boys,” Matos said following the race, “This should put us in a good position for the championship. Hopefully, we'll keep plugging away and this will be our year.”
Bacon Scores Big Eldora Win in USAC Sprint Car Race
Friday evening at Ohio’s legendary half-mile dirt Eldora Speedway USAC sprint car ace Brady Bacon drove the Chris Dyson Racing/Concord American Flagpole entry to a dominant victory. From his third-place starting spot Bacon passed the two front row starters before the first lap was completed and went on to lead the rest of the 30-lap event.
An accident with five laps remaining bunched up the field – yellow flag laps don’t count in short-track racing – but when the track went green Bacon pulled away from his closest pursuers by more than a half-second per lap on his way to his 60th USAC National Sprint Car Series victory and first at Eldora since 2018.
“The restart really made me nervous,” Bacon acknowledged. “I didn’t really know what I should do, so I tried to maybe catch (2nd place Justin Grant) off guard. I knew if I cleared him, I was going to have to make some pretty big mistakes to lose.”
Bacon, still in the prime of his career, is now just two victories behind the career total of retired USAC legend Dave Darland.
"I am so proud of my crew chief Sean Michael and our oval Racing program's success," Dyson said. "Brady Bacon is making history this season and we are helping him do it. Really, what a remarkable weekend for our affiliated team programs across the board. You have to savor weekends like this whenever they come, and aim to repeat this special feeling as much as possible.”
