TORONTO, Canada (December 11, 2003) — Chris Dyson may be only 25 years old, but he has come a long way in a short time – all the way to the 2003 LMP 675 Championship in the American Le Mans series in his first full year with the team. Although the battle with the Intersport team was close all year, Dyson steadily improved during the season, all the way to the roller coaster finish at Road Atlanta’s Petit Le Mans where the very happy team of Rob (his dad and team owner) and Chris Dyson sat before the press and Rob Dyson told us all, “I am so very proud of him!” We were very pleased that Chris agreed to give us a Winter Interview about Dyson’s very successful 2003 and some of his thoughts about the 2004 season upcoming.

Kate Shaw: Dyson Racing had a very successful year overall, with a few memorable moments of great trial and tribulation. For the team, what do you consider the high point of the year? What about for yourself (taking as read the driving championship being THE high point, of course).

Chris Dyson: Without a doubt, winning the Grand Prix of Sonoma was our highlight of the season. We took on the MG-Lola program with the intention of winning ALMS races overall, and the Sonoma win was the fulfillment of a goal. Personally, winning the championship was wonderful, as was taking a class win at Sebring. I’ll never forget the sight of the fireworks on the back straightaway on the cooldown lap. It was special.

KS: Were there any “lowlights” you would care to remember, or would you rather forget them?

CD: We had some reliability problems earlier in the year, but we persevered through them. If you get caught thinking about lowlights you forget to look ahead. We choose to focus on the positives and the rest will take care of itself.

KS: With wins in Sebring, Mosport, Miami and Road America, it would seem that the MG-Lola has disposed of its reliably problems in 2003, particularly its habit of catching fire. Do you think the major development headaches are over, or does the car need further work to bring it consistently to the front of the pack?

CD: I really do think that we’ve eliminated all of the problems that plagued the early days of the car’s development. 2003 was really our first year running the car and we made many changes to improve it. I think we’ve proven by our pace in qualifying and races that the car’s certainly quick enough to win races and consistently run at the front. For 2004 we’re poised to run up front all year with the configuration we’ve arrived at this year.

KS: Which track that you raced on in 2003 was your personal favourite? Which track do you think suited the car best and why? What do you think of Mosport as a drivers track? Have you ever been to a Corner 2 Racing Dinner at Mosport? Would you like to attend one?

CD: Mosport is everything that is good in auto racing, and it ranks as the team’s favorite track. With its high-speed sweepers and elevation changes, the track is one of those great North American venues that dates back to the pure days of motorsport when drivers were rewarded for their commitment. After Lime Rock, we consider Mosport our home track. We’ve been racing there for eight years and we love the people there and the fans. I’ve usually been flying by Turn Two at 150 mph, so I haven’t had much time to stop by for dinner! If there’s time during the next race weekend there I’d try to join the group.

KS: Turning to your personal career, I believe you began racing in a Barber Dodge open wheel car. Did you originally plan to drive in open wheel competition? What made you decide to go into sports car racing instead?

CD: I began my racing career in karts, and then I attended the Skip Barber School and did a few lapping days when I was 17. At the time, I knew I wanted to race but it was important to my parents and me to finish my education first. So I continued with my karts on a limited basis for three years. Initially, I began racing a Spec Racer Ford in SCCA competition and I wasn’t planning on doing any open-wheel racing. Having grown up watching my dad race a Porsche 962 during the IMSA GTP days, prototype sportscar racing has always been my first love and my dream. At times I still can’t believe it’s happened so quickly.

KS: Are there any other kinds of racing that you would like to try? Rally, for example – the Baja or the Paris-Dakar? Would you like to try bike racing?

CD: I’m not really interested in rallying, although I have a lot of respect for those who do it. You won’t ever see me racing a motorcycle. I’ll leave that to Didier de Radiguez, with whom I drove at two races this year. I’m still interested in single-seaters and there might be some opportunities there, so I’m keeping all of my options open for the future. It would be wonderful to do the 500 one of these days.

KS: When did you begin to realize that, in your second season (and indeed, your first full season) of racing, you were going to win the driver championship for your class? Was there any special incentive that kept your eye on the prize through the extremely fraught Petit Le Mans?

CD: I lost the Rolex Grand-Am SRP-1 championship last year by two points, and I learned an incredible amount about preparation and consistency. After Sebring, where I was the only full-time team member to earn points, I knew that I was going to have to fight all year and the team backed me up. I learned last year that you can never let up during a championship fight and you can’t make any mistakes, so I always drove with that in mind. Intersport proved to be a pretty formidable and pesky competitor, and it was only with a half-hour to go in the Petit Le Mans that I knew we had the championship in the bag. The Petit was fraught and made the situation pretty stressful, but in my heart I knew if we didn’t give up we would be rewarded. Thankfully the boys were able to get the car back on track after my co-driver’s accident and we managed to score just enough points to take the championship. Afterwards, I was drained emotionally and physically but sitting here two months later it feels much better.

KS: What are your personal goals in or outside the ALMS for 2004? Do you think you will be racing at Le Mans, for example, or in the Grand Am Series?

CD: My personal goal is to win races and we are all aiming for another championship in 2004. Le Mans is always intriguing and we’re seriously looking at doing it next year. As a racing driver, I’m always looking for opportunities to race competitive cars. If the right opportunity came along with the Grand-Am, or any other series for that matter, I’d be sure to jump at it.

KS: What is the one question you hope somebody will ask you in your next interview?

CD: Is racing all-consuming?

KS: Have you seen the photos on the internet of Peter Baron (Orbit Racing) and the goat?

CD: I know Peter well, but by God I don’t want to see him doing anything with a goat—especially on the internet!

KS: Is there anything else you would like us to know about the team, the series or the 2004 season?

CD: Let’s just say that we’re looking forward to the 2004 season running the MG-Lolas exactly as we ended the 2003 season—competitively, well-developed and only slightly refined. There’s some unfinished business for Dyson Racing with the MG-Lola program and we intend to come out swinging. As always with IMSA, we hope they continue to be pragmatic and sensitive to their competitors’ needs.

KS: Well, best of luck in 2004 and we look forward to cheering you on at Sebring!

Next week: Butch Leitzinger and Guy Cosmo!