Chris Dyson Last to First At VIR For 29th Trans Am Win

September 22, 2025

POUGHKEEPSIE, NY (September 22, 2025) – After an issue in qualifying knocked his #16 GYM WEED Ford Mustang off the front row of the grid, Chris Dyson roared back from a last-place start in Sunday’s 100-mile Trans Am by Pirelli 100-race at Virginia International Raceway to take a 5.087-second win over pole-starter and defending race winner Paul Menard. The victory, Dyson’s 29th, ties him with the legendary Mark Donohue for second in career Trans Am victories.

“I messed up qualifying, to be entirely honest,” Dyson admitted in the GYM WEED Winners Circle following the event. “And that put us behind the eight-ball today. The guys helped me stay in the right mindset in the buildup to the race. And thankfully the car was really good in the race, as good as it was all weekend. I knew I just had to fight through the adversity and hope we could put ourself in the right spot to contend.”

From his 23rd starting spot Dyson rocketed his way up to second place by the 10th of the race’s 31 laps. Following a yellow flag, Dyson saved his tires while he shadowed Menard for eight laps and then made a bold move to seize the lead. Ten laps from the end, while extending his lead, Dyson set the race’s fastest lap.

“I knew Chris would be fast,” Menard said following the race. “We had a good car, just not as good as Chris at the end. He straight out beat us today.”

Dyson was effusive about the team's effort in delivering a car that could perform across the entire race distance.  "We came down here to VIR, which we all love, to test back in August.  We made some progress but I wasn't sure we had gone in the right direction.  That's what's so interesting and challenging about the sport.  The minute you think you've found something, something else comes up.  Or, sometimes when you're seemingly lost, one small tweak can fix things. It's been a demanding and at times uneven season for us, and so no one is taking anything for granted.  The team kept working away and we showed up with a really competitive package here that worked in all conditions; probably the best car I've raced here in a few years.  And Mike Lanci continues to give us all the performance we need under the hood.  I can't thank the team enough.  And it helped to have some breaks fall our way out there, too."