Dyson drives from last to first for VIR Trans Am win

Chris Dyson put on a masterclass performance at VIRginia International Raceway, charging from last to first in the Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli TA/GT feature. After a four-tire change following qualifying forced him to start at the back of the field, Dyson methodically carved through the competition to claim his 29th-career TA class victory. The triumph not only showcased his skill and determination but also tied him with Trans Am Hall of Famer Mark Donohue for the second-most wins in TA history.

Paul Menard led the field to green in his No. 3 Pittsburgh Paints/Menards Ford Mustang, starting side by side with championship competitor Adam Andretti (No. 17 TOP LINER Chevrolet Camaro). At first, Andretti hung close behind Menard, but he had a brief off on lap five. The mistake not only slowed his progress, but it also led to an overheating issue due to grass on the grille, which required a stop on pit road to remedy. While Menard checked out at the front of the field, Dyson, who started 15th overall because he required a four-tire change after qualifying, climbed through the field in his No. 16 GYM WEED Ford Mustang, working his way up to second in just 10 laps.

A caution on lap 11 eliminated Menard’s 16-second gap on the field, putting Dyson right on his rear bumper for the lap-16 restart. Menard and Dyson battled for the next nine laps, with Dyson in Menard’s shadow the entire time. On lap 24, Dyson committed to a bold pass and made it stick, claiming the lead. Once in front, Dyson sailed away while lapped traffic slowed Menard, and when the checkered flag waved, Dyson crossed the finish line with a five-second lead. Menard finished second, and Tomy Drissi (No. 8 Trench Shoring Co./Motul Chevrolet Camaro) was the third to cross the finish line after taking the final podium spot away from Andretti on the last lap. However, Drissi received a post-race penalty for avoidable contact after he and Amy Ruman (No. 23 McNichols Co./Valley Automotive Group Chevrolet Corvette) tangled while racing side by side on lap 19. Andretti was promoted to third, with Drissi relegated to fourth. Ruman rounded out the top five. Brandon Jones (No. 31 Menards/Masterforce Tools Ford Mustang) finished sixth after retiring early due to a mechanical issue.

“I'm just thrilled,” said Dyson on the podium. “We blew qualifying yesterday, plain and simple. I made a mistake coming in at the snack bar and dropped it. Paul [Menard] took the pole away from us, and I knew we were going to have a long day ahead of us because these guys have their stuff together, and I knew Tommy [Drissi] was going to be quick. Thankfully, the car was as good as it had been in practice, and I just had to go out and execute. Those are special days, and I'm really proud of the guys for fighting through a lot of adversity. We've had a lot of cartoon anvil moments this year, and it was nice that it came together. It was great racing with Paul. We were nose-to-tail there, and we were just a bit better. I'm just really pumped to be here in GYM WEED Winner's Circle back here at VIR. This place has meant a lot to me. We've had some great days here, and this is one more for me and my personal history books. Thank God for that, and thank you for all the fans that came out to support us today.”

The XGT race was one of the most exciting of the day, with Billy Griffin in the No. 14 Griffin Auto Care Mercedes AMG GT3 fighting his way back to the front after a mid-race spin. Griffin started the race first and led through the first nine laps, but contact from a competitor in another class sent him spinning and dropped him to the back of his class. Teammate Danny Lowry (No. 42 Bennett/BridgeHaul/Pitboxes.com Mercedes AMG GT4) took over P1 while points leader Kaylee Bryson (No. 02 Logical Systems Inc. Chevrolet Corvette) ran second. Griffin passed Bryson for second on lap 19, but it took until there were only six laps remaining for him to get back past Lowry. Griffin crossed the finish line first, scoring his first-career XGT victory. Lowry finished second and Bryson finished third.

“Thank you, it was a great race,” said Griffin. “It was a little exciting at the top of the hill there when I got whacked. Thank you Danny [Lowry], thank you BridgeHaul and Bennett, thank you Renee, Gina, Asnee, and Scott. Without them, it wouldn't happen. Super fun day, I'm glad I'm stepping on top. That was tough to get back up in the front, but it was fun. Thank you, guys.”

Championship points leader Joshua Carlson (No. 36 Enseva/Diercks Ltd./TC Fab Ford Mustang) led the SGT class for the first nine laps of the race, but after damaging his front end while making contact with an XGT competitor, Carlson was forced to retire due to radiator damage, ending his seven-race win streak. From there, Patrick Paul (No. 34 Paul Racing Enterprises Ford Mustang) took over the lead, holding the point position until lap 18, when Carey Grant (No. 6 Grant Racing 2 Porsche GT3 Cup) took the helm. Paul regained the lead on lap 24 and held it until the checkered flag waved, earning his first-career SGT victory. Grant finished second, and Carlson was scored third.

“That was really fun,” said Paul. “I'd like to thank everybody: Trans Am, TRB, Nexgen and Evan Slater for his expert coaching and getting me fast. It was really fun. A good, clean race. A little slick out there because it's so hot, but you guys all know that because you're sweating. Really, really, really fun race.”

Chris Coffey (No. 97 Norwood Auto Italia/Traffic Grafix Maserati MC GT4) led the GT race from start to finish, laying down consistently fast laps throughout the event. His teammate, Colin Cohen (No. 38 Norwood Auto Italia/Traffic Grafix Maserati MC GT4), finished second. With a massive points advantage, Coffey has clinched his second-consecutive GT title.

“That was a pretty fun race,” said Coffey. “Thankfully, it went A to B and I didn't have any drama or anything like that. I really want to thank Josh Hurley. He absolutely transformed this car into something unreal. We did the fastest laps I've ever done consistently through the whole race. So, huge, huge, huge thanks to him. I also need to thank my sponsors, Pega Clutch and GTE Engineering, Chillout and Traffic Grafix, all those guys. Without them, I couldn't be here, I couldn't do this. I'm so happy to have another National championship. It's awesome.”

As the only competitor in GT1 Challenge, Jon DeGaynor (No. 04 Speed Dream’n Racing Ford Mustang) was the top finisher, but his day ended with a hard crash on the frontstretch 11 laps into the race.

An encore presentation of Sunday's race will air Sunday night on SPEED SPORT 1 at 8:30 p.m. ET.

The Trans Am Series next hits the track October 17-19 for the Trans Am Series’ first visit to Barber Motorsports Park. Tickets can be purchased here.

RESULTS