BALTIMORE, MD September 3, 2011 – Humaid Al Masaood and Steven Kane won their first American Le Mans Series race today at the Baltimore Grand Prix in their #20 Oryx Dyson Racing entry. Chris Dyson and Guy Smith finished second in the #16 G-OIL ModSpace/Construct Corps Lola Mazda, giving Dyson Racing their first one-two finish since the 2005 Mid-Ohio race, and providing an appropriate bookend to their one-two qualifying effort.
After starting in second place behind Series leaders, Dyson Racing, Oryx Racing took the lead on lap 34, some 45 minutes into the race, taking advantage of a Dyson Racing pit-stop. In a thrilling climax, Al Masaood and race partner Steven Kane battled hard to hold the lead, posting the fastest lap of the race, and eventually securing victory with a lead of just 6.962 seconds.

Taking in the historic achievement, Abu Dhabi-based Al Masaood said: “I am thrilled with the success and extremely proud to be the first victorious Emirati in the American Le Mans Series. The pit-stop was a major turning point in the race, and our pit crew was able to demonstrate how far we’ve come in such a short time. Steven got away quickly as we changed drivers, which meant we came out in front. We still had to drive smart to keep the win. Driving smart is definitely a challenge, and it is easy to make a mistake especially with the cold tyres. There is no run off on a street circuit so it is easy to go off and end up in the wall – you really have to be very precise.”

The tight street circuit around the harbour leaves no room for error

“I know it is a cliché, but this is still sinking in,” commented Al Masaood. “This is our fifth race in the ALMS with Dyson Racing and it has been an unbelievable experience. The win today shows our shared values and commitment and solidifies our good future.”

This feels unreal to get this win in such a short period of time,” remarked Kane. “Everyone has done such a fantastic job. You know, as soon as I first drove with Humaid, I knew he had something special. I told him from the very beginning that he could take it to the top and race at the highest levels.”

Humaid Al Masaood and Steven Kane take their first win for Oryx Racing this season

“You look at the way Humaid and Steven have been driving, and it has enhanced our overall effort. To have two cars running this well is not an easy task.” said Dyson

Leading overall in only his fifth ALMS race, Kane never let it go and crossed the finish line 6.961 seconds ahead of Smith.

“I want to start off thanking everyone in Baltimore for putting on such a great race,” Kane said. “The crowd was great. To me it looks like a great success already. It might be because we won, but this might be my favorite race so far. It was great to come into this series, and in only five circuits – new ones – to win a race. This is the first street race for my co-driver, and it shows how much talent he really has and is a testament to his ability driving this car. I`m not surprised [Al Masaood] won so early. We met at the 24 Hours of Dubai and I knew he had something special. I`ve been teaching guys for 12 years so I can spot someone who is really talented, and I told him early on; he has it and can go a long way.”

Kane and Al Masaood also collected their first MICHELIN® GREEN X® Challenge win. Their car had a faster average speed and better energy consumption throughout.

Smith noted that “Chris and I picked up valuable points today for our lead and Mazda’s lead in the championships. Today’s accomplishment ads momentum going into the last two races of the season. Both are among the toughest of the year – six hours at Mazda Raceway, and the season-ending ten hours at Petit. And to have both cars running strongly is great for all the team guys who put in such long hours week in and week out. Those hours are what make it happen.”

The win cements Oryx Racing’s arrival in the ALMS and sees them move up into third place in the LMP1 Team Championship standings. After the celebrations in Baltimore, the focus now shifts to the Modspace AMLS Monterey presented by Patron, at the legendary Laguna Seca circuit, which takes place the weekend of 28th September – 1st October 2011, where Oryx Racing will be hoping for a similar success.

To keep up with all the action and results, UAE motorsport fans can visit the Oryx Racing Facebook page, which will carry regular updates from the team. More information is also available on the Oryx Racing website – www.oryxracing.com – and the ALMS website, www.americanlemans.com

Baltimore Grand Prix
Baltimore street circuit, Baltimore, Md.
Saturday`s result
1. (2) Humaid Al Masaood, Abu Dhabi, UAE; Steven Kane, Newtownards, Northern Ireland; Lola B09/86 Mazda (1, LMP1), 71.
2. (1) Chris Dyson, Pleasant Valley, New York; Guy Smith, Bracken, Yorkshire, UK; Lola B09 86/Mazda (2, LMP1), 71.
3. (4) Tomy Drissi, Los Angeles, Calif.; Kyle Marcelli, Barrie, Ontario, Canada; Oreca FLM09 (1, LMPC), 71.
4. (5) Eric Lux, Jacksonville, Fla.; Elton Julian, Los Angeles, Calif.; Oreca FLM09 (2, LMPC), 71.
5. (12) Jon Bennett, Fort Mill, South Carolina; Frankie Montecalvo, Highlands, New Jersey; Oreca FLM09 (3, LMPC), 71.
6. (11) Wolf Henzler, Nuertingen, Germany; Bryan Sellers, Braselton, Ga.; Porsche 911 GT3 RSR (1, GT), 71.
7. (3) Ricardo Gonzalez, Monterrey, Mexico; Gunnar Jeannette, Salt Lake City, Utah; Oreca FLM09 (4, LMPC), 71.
8. (8) Joey Hand, Sacramento, Calif.; Dirk Mueller, Monte Carlo, Monaco; BMW M3 GT (2, GT), 70.
9. (7) Jan Magnussen, Roskilde, Denmark; Oliver Gavin, Yardley Hastings, UK; Chevrolet Corvette C6 ZR1 (3, GT), 70.
10. (17) Anthony Nicolosi, Palm Beach, Fla.; Jarrett Boon, Phoenix, Ariz.; Oreca FLM09 (5, LMPC), 70.