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American LeMans
ALMS: Dyson and Mazda Make it Official for 2009 and Beyond
The worst kept secret in sportscar racing is now finalized, bringing two storied competitors together in a bid for LMP2 glory.
Marshall Pruett  |  Posted December 11, 2008   Poughkeepsie, NY
Dyson will carry Mazda's BP sponsorship into 2009 using the same stunning Lola Coupe as fielded by Mazda in 2008. Dyson expands the effort to two cars for 2009. (Photo: Marshall Pruett)


The rumors of a Dyson Racing and Mazdaspeed marriage had circulated since September, and with the ink having just dried on the partnership, two of the most famous names in American sportscar racing have formed and incredibly potent challenge for their LMP2 competitors. Fielding two Lola Coupes -- the same closed top prototypes as seen in the final two ALMS rounds this year -- the team, sponsored by BP, will make use of the stout 2.0L AER-built MZR-R turbo engine.

With a carry over of the chassis and engine from 2008, Dyson Racing brings possibly the biggest upgrade to the program -- Michelin tires -- to help transform the gorgeous coupe into a race winner. “No other car company can match Mazda’s breadth of motorsports involvement,” stated Team Principal Rob Dyson. “They are an ascendant car company and while other car companies are cutting back their on-track programs, Mazda is strengthening theirs, which highlights the depth of their commitment and dedication. Throughout all of our discussions, it has impressed us how closely their passion for the sport matches ours.”

After struggling to keep pace with the rapid advancements in the P2 category, Mazda clearly understood partnering with a veteran team would be necessary if their goals were to be achieved. Robert T. Davis, Senior Vice-President Quality, Research and Development, said, “We are excited that the Dyson team is coming onboard. It was clear in the preparations they are making leading up to the announcement that they have a family mindset that will fit in well with the Mazda family of racers and teams. We’re expecting big successes together."
Dyson returns to Lola after two years with the Porsche RS Spyder. Driver lineup is still to be confirmed. (Photo: Marshall Pruett)

“We have enjoyed great success in the past with the Lola-AER combination. We know how to get race-winning speed from this package and our valued partner, Michelin, will be adding their competitive expertise. When you combine this experience with the enthused support of our new partners BP and Mazda, Dyson Racing has a very promising future,” said Vice President and Sporting Director Chris Dyson. “This is a long term commitment and we look forward to utilizing Mazda’s breadth of involvement in racing to build programs of driver training and team development. Our new facility is about to come on line shortly and will lend itself well to developing additional platforms in partnership with Mazda. It will be a good new year for Dyson Racing.”

Driver lineup is the only major area left to be defined. One Mazdaspeed driver is expected to be placed within the team as part of the relationship, and the makeup of the three remaining seats are said to look very similar to Dyson's driving team this year. Mazda was known to have received more than sixty inquiries by drivers within days of the split from B-K Motorsports, but stability brought by using many of Dyson's drivers will bring continuity to the program.

With the major task of developing the Lola-Mazda into a winner, fortifying the team's already impressive engineering staff would be a step in the right direction. As Champion Racing makes its staff redundant, the pool of championship-winning talent is there for the picking.

Mazda's expected announcement of additional ALMS teams using the MZR-R powerplant are still pending.
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Marshall Pruett

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