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| Paddock Patter At DIS Saturday |
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© Andrew S. Hartwell
Are The Dyson's And Crawford's In A Family Way ?
We caught up with Rob and Chris Dyson and asked about their new baby, the Porsche LMP 2 cars they will run in this years ALMS season. As our conversation progressed, we were joined by Rick Howard, the owner of Howard Motorsports. Before long the idea of a new baby in the family switched from delivery of a brand new race car to the prospects of the delivery of a brand new Dyson family member.
Rob Dyson: The people at Porsche have been very cooperative with us and very friendly.
(Getting the new Porsche LMP 2 cars) has renewed a friendship that was never really broken over the years.
Chris Dyson: We are expecting delivery of the second car sometime this week. We sent some people over to Porsche in Germany to get to know some of the people there and to see how the cars were being put together. We wanted to match up names and faces because that is what really matters in the relationship. And I think we are off to a good start.
Rick Howard's team is fielding both the #20 and #16 Crawford cars in this race. He and the Dyson's came together a many years back and the friendly relationship between them continues to grow with each passing season. They seem more like family members than friends.
Howard: I started following these guys with my long time friends Max and Jan Crawford. They told me to come along one day and see some real racing. I guess that's been about 12 to 15 years ago now. The first race I went to they said they wanted a dead-man. I said I'm a pretty good dead-man and my wife is a pretty good dead-woman!
We worked on the #16 and 20 cars and actually worked the whole 12 hours of Sebring. We got off to a firsthand relationship with them right in the pits and it has been great ever since. I mean they are just like brothers to me. I think the world of Rob. He is a great businessman and his son Chris is following right along in his footsteps. And Chris just got married so we are really proud of him for that too!
Chris Dyson: I got married last September. Joy Elizabeth is my wife's name.
We asked if having children was on the horizon for the newest Dyson family.
Howard jumped right in with: Somewhere down the road I bet there will be some little ones coming along because both these gentlemen love kids.
But Chris Dyson put the Brakes on when he said: First things first. We would love to win a Rolex this year and then think about kids after that. I do think my dad is going to be a fantastic grandfather! He loves kids and I think he and my mom wanted to have more kids than just two. And now mom and dad have had the house to themselves long enough. We don't want them to get too comfortable so my sister and I have warned them it is in their near future!
Rob Dyson: (When we are babysitting) we will get the kid interested in hunting and fishing and if it's a girl then knitting, and cooking and painting. We are going to keep the grandchildren as far away from a race track as we can! Two generations is more than enough!
Howard: One thing I am looking forward to is for this gentleman to be a grandfather. And I am also looking forward to the Crawford's (Max and Jan) becoming grandparents some day too. (Andy Wallace and Catharine Crawford became Mr. and Mrs. Wallace last year.) That would be special because both families have such a passion for racing and that same passion will be unbelievable for grandkids.
Chris Dyson summed it up when he said: Family always comes first.
And anyone in racing will tell you the Dyson Team has always been with run very much a family atmosphere. We too think any child born into the Dyson clan will be loved and nurtured by its parents and grandparents alike.
Update on #97 Corvette
We said yesterday that the Stevenson Motorsports trailer nearly caught fire on the way down to Daytona. It was carrying everything that goes with the #97 Cor
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