Christopher Dyson (born February 24, 1978) is an American professional racing driver who competed in the American Le Mans Series for Dyson Racing from 2002 to 2013. He is currently competing in the Trans-Am Series in the TA class under the CD Racing banner where he just clinched his third consecutive TA championship (2021-2023). The son of team owner Rob Dyson, Chris is a two-time ALMS champion, having taken the LMP675 Drivers title in 2003 and earning the LMP1 Championship in 2011. He is the Vice President and Sporting Director of Dyson Racing.[citation needed]

Racing career

Early career

Dyson began his racing career at the age of 17, competing in the Skip Barber Formula Dodge championship at Lime Rock Park.[citation needed]

Dyson drove in seven Atlantic Championship races in 2004 and 2005, earning a best finish of 4th at Long Beach in 2005.

Grand-Am

Dyson made his professional racing debut in the 2001 Grand American Road Racing Championship season, driving a Riley & Scott Mk III in the final two races of the season. In 2002, he finished second in the Grand-Am SRP1 points, winning five races.

Dyson has since made sporadic starts in the Rolex Sports Car Series and Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge.[citation needed]

American Le Mans Series

Dyson with his 2011 LMP1 championship trophy

Having made his American Le Mans Series debut at the 2002 12 Hours of Sebring, Dyson went on to drive full-time in the series one year later, teaming with Andy Wallace in their MG-Lola EX257. Dyson took four wins and the drivers championship in the LMP 675 class.

The 2004 season saw the MG-Lola reclassified into the LMP1 category against the Audi R8s; Dyson and Wallace scored six podiums in eight races together. In 2005, he finished second in the LMP1 drivers' championship, scoring six runner-up finishes.

Dyson finished fifth in driver points in 2006, with a best finish of 2nd at Mosport. Dyson also finished fourth at Laguna Seca with James Weaver, in Weaver's final race. 2007 saw Dyson team with Guy Smith in a Porsche RS Spyder; the pair finished fourth in points.[citation needed]

Dyson finished sixth in points in 2008 and 5th in 2009. In 2010, he finished fourth in LMP1 points and won one race with Guy Smith.

In 2011, despite winning only one race, Dyson and Guy Smith won the LMP1 drivers' championship. In 2012, Dyson kicked off the season with a class victory at the 12 Hours of Sebring, debuting the new Lola B12/60 Mazda with Guy Smith and Steven Kane.[citation needed]

24 Hours of Le Mans

Dyson's first start came in the 2004 24 Hours of Le Mans for Jan Lammers' Racing for Holland team with Lammers and Katsutomo Kaneishi, finishing seventh overall and sixth in the LMP1 class. Dyson returned to La Sarthe in the Le Mans for Ray Mallock, retiring after 19 hours.

NASCAR

In August 2019, Dyson joined DGM Racing to drive their No. 90 car in the NASCAR Xfinity Series' race at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course as a road course ringer. He would start 27th and finish 34th after crashing out of the race. Dyson returned to NASCAR in 2022, driving for Emerling-Gase Motorsports in the Xfinity Series event at Road America.

Awards

Motorsports career results

Complete American Le Mans Series results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; results in italics indicate fastest lap)

YearEntrantClassChassisEngine123456789101112RankPointsRef
2002Dyson Racing TeamLMP900Riley & Scott Mk IIILincoln (Élan) 6.0 L V8SEB 8SON 4MIDAMEWAS 7TRO 6MOSMONMIAPET
2003Dyson RacingLMP675MG-Lola EX257MG (AER) XP20 2.0 L Turbo I4SEB 1ATL 3SON 2TRO RetMOS 1AME 1MON RetMIA 1PET 2
2004Dyson RacingLMP1MG-Lola EX257MG (AER) XP20 2.0 L Turbo I4SEB RetMID 2LIM 3SON 2POR 3MOS 3AME RetPET 3MON Ret
2005Dyson RacingLMP1MG-Lola EX257MG (AER) XP20 2.0 L Turbo I4SEB 4†ATL 2MID 2LIM 4†SON 2POR 2AME 2MOS 4PET 2MON 3
2006Dyson RacingLMP1Lola B06/10AER P32T 3.6L Turbo V8SEB RetTEX 3MID RetLIM RetUTA 4POR 3AME 5MOS 2PET RetMON 57th73
2007Dyson RacingLMP2Porsche RS Spyder EvoPorsche MR6 3.4 L V8SEB 6STP 6†LNB 5TEX 5UTA 4LIM 4MID 5AME 4MOS 5DET 5PET 2MON 57th124
2008Dyson RacingLMP2Porsche RS Spyder EvoPorsche MR6 3.4 L V8SEB 3STP 4LNB 7UTA 6LIM RetMID 5AME 6MOS 7DET 6PET 6MON 59th101
2009Dyson Racing TeamLMP2Lola B09/86Mazda MZR-R 2.0 L Turbo I4SEB RetSTP 2LBH 2UTA 3LRP RetMOH RetELK 4†MOS Ret6th55
UNCPET 1LAG 1NC-
2010Dyson Racing TeamLMP2Lola B09/86Mazda MZR-R 2.0 L Turbo I4SEB 3PET Ret4th98
LMPLNB 4MON 3UTA 6†LIM RetMID 1AME 4MOS 5
2011Dyson Racing TeamLMP1Lola B09/86Mazda MZR-R 2.0 L Turbo I4SEB 6LNB 2LIM 1MOS 2MID 2AME 2BAL 2MON 2PET 8†1st186
2012Dyson Racing TeamP1Lola B12/60Mazda MZR-R 2.0 L Turbo I4 (Isobutanol)SEB 4LBH 2LAG 2LRP 2MOS 2MOH 2ELK 1BAL 2VIR 2PET 22nd186
2013Dyson Racing TeamP1Lola B12/60Mazda MZR-R 2.0 L Turbo I4 (Isobutanol)SEB RetLBH RetLAG RetLRP 2MOSELKBAL 2COAVIRPET 2†4th52

† Did not finish the race but was classified as his car completed more than 70% of the overall winner's race distance.

24 Hours of Le Mans

YearTeamCo-DriversCarClassLapsPos.Class Pos.
2004Netherlands Racing for HollandNetherlands Jan Lammers Japan Katsutomo KaneishiDome S101-JuddLMP13417th6th
2009United Kingdom RMLBrazil Thomas Erdos United Kingdom Mike NewtonLola B08/86-MazdaLMP2273DNFDNF
2014Malaysia Caterham RacingUnited Kingdom Tom Kimber-Smith United States Matt McMurryZytek Z11SN-NissanLMP232925th11th
Sources:

Complete FIA World Endurance Championship results

YearEntrantClassCarEngine12345678RankPoints
2013Greaves MotorsportLMP2Zytek Z11SNNissan VK45DE 4.5 L V8SIL 5SPA DNSLMSSÃOCOA 5FUJSHABHR18th20
2019–20Team LNTLMP1Ginetta G60-LT-P1AER P60C 2.4 L Turbo V6SILFUJSHABHR RetCOASPALMSBHR25th0
Sources:

NASCAR

(key) (Bold– Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics– Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. *– Most laps led.)

Xfinity Series

NASCAR Xfinity Series results
YearTeamNo.Make123456789101112131415161718192021222324252627282930313233NXSCPtsRef
2019DGM Racing90ChevyDAYATLLVSPHOCALTEXBRIRCHTALDOVCLTPOCMCHIOWCHIDAYKENNHAIOWGLNMOH 34BRIROADARINDLVSRCHCLTDOVKANTEXPHOHOM104th01
2022Emerling-Gase Motorsports35ToyotaDAYCALLVSPHOATLCOARCHMARTALDOVDARTEXCLTPIRNSHROA 28ATLNHAPOCINDMCHGLNDAYDARKANBRITEXTALCLTLVSHOMMARPHO67th9

1 Ineligible for series points

External links

  • driver statistics at Racing-Reference
Sporting positions
PrecededbyJon FieldAmerican Le Mans Series LMP675 champion 2003SucceededbyIan James (LMP2)
PrecededbyDavid Brabham Simon PagenaudAmerican Le Mans Series LMP1 champion 2011 with Guy SmithSucceededbyKlaus Graf Lucas Luhr (P1)