Memorial Day Monday: Fast Family Traditions Continue at Lime Rock Park

Memorial Day Monday: Fast Family Traditions Continue at Lime Rock Park
Lakeville, CT (30 May 2022) With a huge crowd fanning across Spectator Hill, Rob Dyson delivering the call to start engines ahead of the race start as the Grand Marshall, a flyover from the Connecticut Air National Guard 103rd Airlift Wing and perfect weather, Lime Rock Park celebrated Memorial Day the only way it knows how- in style.

 

DYSON FAMILY WINNING TRADITION CONTINUES AT LIME ROCK IN TRANS AM
Family legacies saw new chapters written at Lime Rock Park on Monday as Dyson and Brabham topped the podium for Dyson Racing in the Trans Am Memorial Day Classic finale.

 

Claiming the checkered five seconds ahead of teammate Matthew Brabham, Chris Dyson remained undefeated in Trans Am at Lime Rock- winning in 2019, 2021 and 2022 (no race held in 2020). Dyson started from pole after setting a new track lap record in qualifying with a 49.832-second flyer, beating the benchmark he set in 2019 of 50.262-seconds.

 

Indy 500 veteran and current Andretti Autosport Indy Lights driver Brabham was a last-minute addition to the Dyson Racing roster after the team’s regular-season driver Humaid Masaood was unable to make the trip from England. Monday morning’s qualifying session was Brabham’s first time turning laps at Lime Rock Park.

 

Both drivers’ fathers have a winning history at Lime Rock on Memorial Day. In 1985, Rob Dyson won his first IMSA GTP race at Lime Rock while Geoff Brabham won back-to-back Memorial Day races in 1988-89 piloting the Electramotive Nissan GTP. Rob returned to Lime Rock this weekend as the Trans Am Memorial Day Classic Grand Marshall.

 

Ken Thwaits rounded out the podium by taking third overall, first in the Master Class.

 

Local drivers Randy Hale (first in XGT) of Old Saybrook, Conn. and Jason Berkely (second in SGT) of Falls Village, Conn. also drove to podium finishes in front of their home crowd.

 

“This place just means so much to me, it’s overwhelming,” said Dyson as he emerged from his car. “This place meant the world to me growing up, coming out here with my family and watching my dad race. It really planted the seed of my love for this sport. Now, to come back here and have success, a 20-year career, I’m very fortunate. I have a sense of perspective that I obviously didn’t have as a kid, but I have the same sense of love for this place. Winning on Memorial Day never gets old. And it being Memorial Day, we’ve got to be mindful of why we’re celebrating today and honor those who have given their lives so we can come out here and enjoy our freedoms.”

 

SUCCESSFUL DAY FOR SVRA AND SKIP BARBER RACING
The Skip Barber Racing hosted a pair of homecoming races on Monday. Dean Lambros was victorious in the opening round while Elvis Rankin closed out the weekend with a win.

 

Boris Said Jr. made his open-wheel debut with his best result coming in the second race with a fifth-place finish. His dad Boris Said supported him from the pits.

 

“Now I know what I put my mom through when I raced,” laughed Said about being a spectating parent during the luncheon with the Skip Barber alumni.

 

Sportscar Vintage Racing Association (SVRA) also held a full day of racing vintage race cars. The highlight of the day came from the Miata class which featured several members from the Lime Rock Drivers Club (LRDC). Local driver Matt Car, who earned his racing license through the LRDC program, swept the day, finishing with two class wins.

 

NEXT UP
Lime Rock Park will host IMSA July 15-16 for the highly anticipated Northeast Grand Prix. For tickets and event information visit

 

IMPORTANT LINKS

Trans Am TA2 Results: https://gotransam.com/standings/?cat_id=530#13622

SVRA/SBRS Results: Race (race-monitor.com)