Dyson Racing left Laguna Seca early after seeing a promising weekend in their Mazda powered Lola coupe come to premature end with less that 30 minutes remaining, Guy Smith forced to abort the team's challenge for the lead.
“The more competitive your race weekend, the more you feel for the crew as they start to pack up before race end,” said Smith's teammate Chris Dyson. “We won the pole yesterday, set fastest lap today and chased down and passed last year's champion car. We had the measure of the field today and it is tough not to come away with a win here.”
The team had faced a battle through the entirety of the six hour race, taking a major role it what was perhaps and unexpectedly heated battle for the lead in the Prototype class.
Chris Dyson had started the car, though found his lead fro the pole short-lived, as the typically tenacious Intersport entry and the Cytosport Porsche Spyder leapt ahead of him in the opening corners.
However, as first the Intersport Lola, then the Porsche hit mechanical trouble the blue, white and red liveried ARCO car found itself in a battle with the Patron Highcroft Acura, the righing champions having made their way up from the start at the back of the field.
The car dropped a lap behind after a pitstop to replace a damaged nose, but was able to make the lap back up under one of ten full course cautions that punctuated the race. It was not an opportunity that Guy Smith was going to turn, having taken the car over when the nose was repaired he chased down Highcroft's Marion Franchitti, moving past inside the Scot into turn one to take he lead.
However, when Smith pitted seventeen laps he sacrificed the lead never to regain it, stopping on track ending the team's pursuit for the lead.
The team were classified, 15th overall and third in the Prototype class behind Highcroft and the recovering Porsche RS Spyder, which would take second, seven laps adrift.
Photo Credit: Dyson Racing/Regis Lefebure
