Al Masaood for Oryx Racing at Lime Rock Part, Image-Regis-Lefebure

Sat 9th Jul 2011– The #16 G-OIL ModSpace/Construct Corps Lola Mazda with Chris Dyson and Guy Smith started first and finished first and the #20 Oryx Dyson Racing Lola Mazda with Humaid Al Masaood and Steven Kane started second and finished third in today’s American Le Mans Series race at Lime Rock Park. The #16 Dyson entry was the car to beat all day, leading 165 laps of the 187 lap race. Smith set fastest race lap and Kane pulled down the second fastest of the race.

Dyson take the flag at Lime Rock-Image Regus Lefebere

This was the first time Al Masaood and Kane have raced in America. The #20 car started the race with a deficit after battery problems necessitated starting the car from pit lane. Al Masaood took the car from thirty-first to seventh. Kane got in the car on lap fifty-nine and did the podium run, taking the car to its third place finish.
Dyson started his pole-setting Mazda and traded the lead with the Muscle Milk car four times, leading forty of his sixty-lap run. Smith drove the final stint and took the lead for good on lap seventy-eight, setting fastest race lap forty-one laps latter.

Humaid Al Masaood driving the team Oryx Racing Mazda Lola Coupé, the Emirati and his team-mate, Steven Kane, took third place in the American Le Mans Northeast Grand Prix.

Humaid and Team at autograph session with Lime Rock spectators

Al Masaood’s U.S. adventure started in dramatic fashion. Despite having qualified in second place on the grid, a battery problem meant that his car was forced to start from the pit lane. Undaunted, in his 58 laps behind the wheel the Abu-Dhabi based racer took the car from thirty-first to seventh place, battling his way through a very tight field on the 2.4 kilometre circuit – the shortest one in this year’s ALMS

Steven Kane, the experienced British driver, then took over from the Abu-Dhabi based driver to complete the race, steering the team’s No 20 Mazda Lola Coupé, which is run by the ALMS Teams points leader, Dyson Racing, in conjunction with Al Masaood’s Oryx Racing team, to third overall.

“Everything about the race felt really good, and I am very happy to have finished well,” said Al Masaood. “Our goal was to come here and do a good job and we have done exactly that.

“Despite the very different conditions we experience at home, the lessons I learnt at the 24hr of Dubai about racing in a tightly packed field really stood me in good stead here.

“To overtake 24 cars in under 60 laps was a great achievement.”

Al Masaood and Kane also recorded the second fastest lap time of the race, just a tenth of a second slower than the eventual winners, and Dyson Racing teammates, Chris Dyson and Guy Smith.

Al Masaood’s participation at the Lime Rock Park circuit was a historic moment for Middle East motorsport.

Competing against some of the world’s top sports car drivers, he became the first Emirati to take part in top-flight international sports car racing, a move that elevated him to the highest level of any circuit-based driver in the region.

“This strong result demonstrates that it is possible for Arabic racing drivers to successfully compete at the highest global levels,” said Al Masaood after the race.

“The UAE boasts some of the best racing facilities in the world, and it is great to be able to represent the country in one of the world’s top sports car racing series.”

Al Masaood and Kane will contest the remaining six rounds of this year’s ALMS in their Mazda Lola Coupé. This LMP1 category car is fitted with a turbocharged Mazda MZR-R engine, which delivers over 500bp and over 400lb-ft of torque, powering it from 0-100kph in 3.2 seconds and on to a top speed of 320kph.

LMP1 cars are regarded as the leaders of sports prototype racing, and are the front running cars in the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup, the European and American Le Mans Series and the legendary Le Mans 24 hour race.

Dyson Team -Chris Dyson and Guy Smith are the race winners-Image Regus Lefebure

Race Results

1. (1) Chris Dyson, Pleasant Valley, NY; Guy Smith, Bracken, Yorkshire; Lola B09 86/Mazda (1, LMP1), 187.
2. (3) Lucas Luhr, Monte Carlo; Klaus Graf, Dornham; AMR/ Lola Coupe B08 62 (2, LMP1), 187.
3. (2) Humaid Al Masaood, Abu Dhabi; Steven Kane, Newtownards; Lola B09/86 Mazda (3, LMP1), 182.
4. (4) Eric Lux, Jacksonville, FL; Elton Julian, Santa Monica, CA; Oreca FLM09 (1, LMPC), 181.
5. (5) Ricardo Gonzalez, Monterrey; Gunnar Jeannette, Salt Lake City, UT; Oreca FLM09 (2, LMPC), 181.
6. (6) Tomy Drissi, Los Angeles, CA; Kyle Marcelli, Barrie, ON; Oreca FLM09 (3, LMPC), 180.
7. (10) Joey Hand, Sacramento, CA; Dirk Mueller, Monte Carlo; BMW M3 GT (1, GT), 176.
8. (12) Patrick Long, Bellaire, FL; Joerg Bergmeister, Langenfield; Porsche 911 GT3 RSR (2, GT), 176.
9. (9) Jarrett Boon, Phoenix, AZ; Anthony Nicolosi, Palm Beach, FL; Oreca FLM09 (4, LMPC), 175.
10. (7) Frankie Montecalvo, Highlands, NJ; Jon Bennett, Fort Mill, SC; Oreca FLM09 (5, LMPC), 175.
11. (18) Bryan Sellers, Braselton, GA; Wolf Henzler, Nuertingen; Porsche 911 GT3 RSR (3, GT), 174.
12. (16) David Murry, Atlanta, GA; Anthony Lazzaro, Atlanta, GA; Doran Ford GT (4, GT), 174.
13. (19) Scott Sharp, Jupiter, FL; Johannes van Overbeek, San Francisco, CA; Ferrari F458 Italia (5, GT), 174.
14. (21) Bryce Miller, Summit, NJ; Sascha Maassen, Lontzen; Porsche 911 GT3 RSR (6, GT), 172.
15. (15) Seth Neiman, San Francisco, CA; Marco Holzer; Porsche 911 GT3 RSR (7, GT), 165.
16. (25) Mike Piera, Newtown, Conn.; Dion von Moltke, Coral Gables, FL; Porsche 911 GT3 Cup (1, GTC), 164.
17. (26) Duncan Ende, Los Angeles, CA; Spencer Pumpelly, Mason Neck, VA; Porsche 911 GT3 Cup (2, GTC), 164.
18. (27) Bill Sweedler, Westport, CT; Butch Leitzinger, Rebersburg, PA; Porsche 911 GT3 Cup (3, GTC), 164.
19. (23) Tim Pappas, Boston, MA; Damien Faulkner, County Donegal; Porsche 911 GT3 Cup (4, GTC), 164.
20. (11) Dirk Werner, Kissenbrück; Bill Auberlen, Redondo Beach, CA; BMW M3 GT (8, GT), 163.
21. (14) Olivier Beretta, Monte Carlo; Tommy Milner, Leesburg, VA; Chevrolet Corvette C6 ZR1 (9, GT), 161.
22. (29) James Sofronas, Newport Beach, CA; Alex Welch, Englewood, Colo.; Porsche 911 GT3 Cup (5, GTC), 160.
23. (13) Jan Magnussen, Roskilde; Oliver Gavin, Yardley Hastings; Chevrolet Corvette C6 ZR1 (10, GT), 156.
24. (17) Ed Brown, Las Vegas, NV; Guy Cosmo, West Palm Beach, FL; Ferrari F458 Italia (11, GT), 153.
25. (24) Chris Thompson, Englewood, Colo.; Nick Ham, Evergreen, CO; Porsche 911 GT3 Cup (6, GTC), 149.
26. (20) Cristiano da Matta, Belo, Horizonte; Bruno Junqueira, Brazil; Jaguar XKR (12, GT), 149.
27. (8) James Kovacic, Forrester Beach; Jon Field, Dublin, OH; Oreca FLM09 (6, LMPC), 126, Mechanical.
28. (28) Andrea Robertson, Ray, MI; David Robertson, Ray, MI; Doran Ford GT/Elan (13, GT), 116, Mechanical.
29. (31) Toni Vilander, Kankaanpaa; Jaime Melo, Milan; Ferrari F458 Italia (14, GT), 79, Mechanical.
30. (22) Peter Lesaffre, Rye, NH; Jaap van Lagen, Ede; Porsche 911 GT3 Cup (7, GTC), 74.
31. (30) PJ Jones, Torrance, CA; Rocky Moran, Ladera Ranch, CA; Jaguar XKR (15, GT), 49.