via Trans Am

LAKEVILLE, Conn. (May 29, 2023) ― Justin Marks overcame multiple mechanical challenges this weekend on his way to victory in the Memorial Day Classic, where he broke Chris Dyson’s three-race winning streak at CD Racing’s home track of Lime Rock Park. After starting the race seventh, Marks drove through the field to earn his first win of 2023 in the Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli.

Matthew Brabham in the No. 20 GYM WEED Ford Mustang started from the pole after a record-breaking lap in qualifying and started side-by-side with CD Racing owner Dyson in the No. 16 GYM WEED Ford Mustang. Marks started the weekend at Lime Rock by topping the speed charts in practice, but his No. 99 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet Camaro required an engine change after the session and then broke a rotor in qualifying, putting him seventh overall for the green flag.

Brabham got off to a solid start when the race began, but by lap two, Dyson was able to make the pass for the lead, taking control of the race. Marks was also on the move, advancing to fourth by lap two, then taking over the third position on lap four. The two CD Racing cars had opened up quite a gap in front of Marks, but with consistently faster lap times, Marks began to chip away at their lead each lap. However, the gap opened up one more time when Marks went wide and put a tire off the racing surface on lap 18, leaving him to once again need forward progress to get within striking range.

On lap 28, Brabham would make the same mistake as Marks, and when he went too wide, Marks was able to pounce, getting around the No. 20. Marks set his sights on Dyson’s bumper, and after hitting his marks on the next three laps, he was breathing down the 2022 champion’s neck. Lapped traffic began to hold up Dyson, and on lap 32, Marks made his move to take over the point position. With the race less than halfway complete, Marks was holding off Dyson and opened up a three-second gap over second place by lap 42. Unfortunately, Tomy Drissi in the No. 8 Lucas Oil Ford Mustang, who had been laying down impressive laps in the fourth position, missed a corner and went off track, burying his car in the tire barrier. Drissi emerged from his car safely, but a lengthy red flag followed to allow for cleanup and wall repair.

Racing resumed on lap 47, and the restart would be key to determining who would ultimately prevail at Lime Rock. Marks pulled off a flawless restart and once again made consistently fast lap times, creating an insurmountable gap in the final 13 laps. He crossed the finish line to earn his first victory of the season, followed by Dyson and Brabham nine seconds behind him. Behind the trio, David Pintaric in the No. 57 Kryderacing Ford Mustang and Amy Ruman in the No. 23 McNichols Co. Corvette had an impassioned battle the entire race, but Ruman experienced trouble with three laps to go, giving Pintaric the fourth position while Ruman was scored fifth in class. On the cooldown lap, Marks celebrated his win with a NASCAR-style victory burnout.

“Winning feels good,” said Marks. “You know, we were on pole the first two races, so it’s been a good start to the year, but we weren’t able to translate either of those into wins. It’s so good to get the win today. My crew had to work a lot harder than they signed up for this weekend, having to replace a motor after first practice and a rotor after qualifying. It’s nice to reward those guys with a win. It was tricky; both of the CD Racing cars were fast and I had to really use lapped traffic to try to get by them. I think in a straight-up dog fight it would have been tricky to get around them. I’m so proud of my team and all these guys, and I’m so glad to be here in Victory Circle at Lime Rock.”

Notes of Interest:

Marks’ win today breaks a five-race win streak for CD Racing. Between Dyson and Brabham, the team had won every race since VIRginia International Raceway last November until the series’ last outing at Road Atlanta. The victory also breaks Chris Dyson’s three-race winning streak in the Memorial Day Classic.

Marks was the last driver to defeat the Dyson teammates when he scored his win at Watkins Glen International last fall in the race before CD Racing’s streak began.

Dyson, Brabham and the CD Racing team are celebrating the 40th anniversary of Dyson’s family team, Dyson Racing, which debuted at Lime Rock Park in 1983.

Following his hard impact, Drissi spoke to the crowd of fans at Lime Rock Park.

“I want to thank the response team that got me out of the car safely today,” said Drissi. “I was having a great race, and I was trying to run the kinds of laps that I would need to run if we got closed up with a caution. I was just trying to go too fast and cooked it too hard. The incident was all on me. I hate that we wrecked the car, but I’m so grateful to all the fans, crew members and track officials who checked to make sure I was okay.”

TA Top Five:

1. Justin Marks, No. 99 Trackhouse Chevrolet Camaro

2. Chris Dyson, No. 16 GYM WEED Ford Mustang

3. Matthew Brabham, No. 20 GYM WEED Ford Mustang

4. David Pintaric, No. 57 Kryderacing Ford Mustang

5. Amy Ruman, No. 23 McNichols Co. Chevrolet Corvette

TA Masters Award:

Kerry Hitt, No. 22 Advanced Composite Products Inc. Chevrolet Camaro

COOLSHIRT Cool Move of the Race:

Justin Marks, No. 99 Trackhouse Chevrolet Camaro