Every racing team experiences high points and low points, especially when a squad has been competing in the sport's highest levels for twenty-seven years like Dyson Racing has. The family oriented team from Poughkeepsie, New York had been struggling through a heartbreaking 2010 campaign in the American Le Mans Series, marked by engine failure and other disappointments, until drivers Chris Dyson and Guy Smith broke through in their Mazda powered Lola for a win filled with firsts at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio.
Photo: John Dagys
In the opening stages of the race it appeared to be a different Lola's day, the AER powered roadster of Intersport Racing. Driver Clint Field used the AER's horsepower advantage to rocket himself from his fourth place starting position, to the lead on the opening lap. Clint put in a masterful drive and managed to maintain a healthy gap for the first two hours of the race, until he handed over to his father Jon, who had to retire when the engine expired.
Photo: americanlemans.com
After Intersport retired, Dyson Racing's Chris Dyson took the point and managed to hold off a hard-charging Simon Pagenaud in the Highcroft HPD to take the overall victory by half a second. The win was filled with firsts; it marked Mazda's first overall win in the series, the first victory for Isobutonal fuel, the first overall victory for Dunlop Tires and was Chris Dyson's and Guy Smith's first overall victories in the series.
Photo: John Dagys
In the ultra-competitive GT class, Gianmaria Bruni and Jaime Melo brought home the victory in the #62 Ferrari F430 for Risi Competizione by
0.582 of a second over the #4 Corvette of Oliver Gavin and Olivier Beretta, but they had to fight until the end for it. The car's primary fuel pump failed early in the running, dropping Melo back to 6th place where some great overtaking maneuvers and brilliant strategy calls helped get Melo back into the lead.
Photo: John Dagys
Rounding out the GT podium was the BMW M3 of Bill Auberlen and Tommy Milner. BMW has managed to get one of their cars on the podium in each of the races so far in 2010, an impressive feat considering the level of competition they are facing.
Photo: John Dagys
In LMPC, Level 5 drivers Scott Tucker and Christope Bouchut took the victory and did it without changing tires! Rounding out he podium was the PR1 duo of Luis Diaz and Ricardo Gonzalez and the Green Earth Team Gunnar team.
Photo: John Dagys
In GTC, Black Swan Racing maintained their impressive season by winning another race and taking the championship lead in the process. Jeroen Bleekemolen has shown why he won the 2009 Porsche Supercup, with some great performances so far. The GT teams will probably be keeping an eye on this Porsche ace. Rounding out the podium was the Alex Job Porsche of Bill Sweedler and Romeo Kapudija and the GMG Porsche of James Sofronas and Brett Curtis.
Photo: John Dagys
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