Dyson Racing to Enter Second Lola for Remainder of the ALMS Season
"I am delighted to have put this program together," said Chris Dyson, Vice President and Sporting Director of Dyson Racing. "It's a great compliment to our championship efforts in the ALMS and we are thrilled to bring back the 20 car. I have been so impressed with Humaid, Steven and all the guys from Oryx Racing. Humaid has the passion, the focus and the drive that is necessary to succeed in top-line motorsport. He has surrounded himself with really capable people. Their vision and their priorities mirror ours, and this will truly enhance our effort. Steven is a great combination of speed and positive energy, and his technical feedback is superb. We welcome them to the team and we look forward to a great future of working together with Oryx Racing in the longer term."
"Dyson Racing is an extremely professional team with their G-OIL/Modspace/Construct Corps Mazda Lola coupe currently leading the drivers, team and engine championships," noted Humaid. "To be invited to race the second car in partnership with Dyson is an honor. Steven, the team, and I are looking forward to Lime Rock and have set ourselves the target of running the car professionally with good consistent lap times. The car is amazingly responsive. Everything about it is honed to perfection: the acceleration, mechanical grip, aerodynamics and braking are all in a different league."
Adding to the international cast of the ALMS, Humaid has been racing in the UAE and Europe. His recent accomplishments include third in the 2008/9 UAE Radical Championship. He continued to race the Radical SR3 in the 2009/10 season and ran selected races in the UAE GT championship in an Aston Martin GT4 and took an SP3 class win in the 2009 Dubai 24 Hour. Humaid raced the Aston Martin in a number of rounds of the 2010 FIA GT4 Championship in Europe with good results including a fifth at Paul Ricard. The 2011 season started well with a second place finish in the SP3 class in the Dubai 24 Hour with his own team.
Steven Kane started competing as a youth in motocross before switching to go-karts and was named Northern Ireland Kart Driver of the Year his first year. Steven progressed quickly through the ranks of British and international motorsports. In 2001 he won the prestigious British Racing Drivers Club McLaren Autosport Young Driver of the Year Award and in 2003 was selected for a McLaren F1 test at Silverstone. Successive years saw him grow quicker as he honed his craft in British Formula 3, World Series by Renault, Porsche Carrera Cup Great Britain and British Touring Car.
"Our ultimate goal on the race course is to showcase the Mazda brand, prove out the quality, durability and reliability of our vehicles and powertrains and to win races and championships," said John Doonan, Director, Mazda Motorsports. "Any time another Mazda is added to the grid, it speaks to these key points and gives us another chance to win and score points toward the season-ending championship. We are pleased that Dyson Racing has been able to put the #20 car back on track and we welcome Humaid, Steven and their partners to the Mazda family. We look forward to good success starting at Lime Rock."
Team principal Rob Dyson, whose teams have set the standard for sportscar success in North America, added, "Running two cars allows for parallel development programs throughout a race weekend. Not only does this broaden the team's knowledge base, it usually means a better setup on raceday. This partnership will enhance our run for the championship."