CHILI BOWL: Dyson returns after season-ending crash

Two-time IMSA American Le Mans Series champion Chris Dyson will return for the third time to compete in the 31st annual Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Nationals at Tulsa Expo Raceway.

Dyson has recovered from back and rib injuries he suffered in an end-over-end tumble at Pennsylvania's Big Diamond Speedway – which forced the car out of the oval track.

"I won't kid you, the crash last summer was the worst one of my career, but I never doubted for a moment my desire to get back in a race car, and my family was really supportive," said Dyson, who won the ALMS titles in 2003 and 2011. "But getting physically healthy was a real challenge. It was frustrating having to scratch last year's schedule, because we'd had a ton of races planned in August and September. And it was even tougher to have to wait a couple of months before I could really start working out and rebuilding my strength, but I had to accept that as part of a healing process. My first cycle of workouts was pretty humbling and challenging, but I knew getting strong again was a critical element in getting back in the car. That was really motivating.

"When I started training again, I was pretty careful. I'd had a shoulder injury all year in 2015 that had really affected my gym time that whole season, and then there was the long layoff after the crash (at Big Diamond Speedway). So it had been a while since I'd really able to train properly. The first two weeks back in the gym, I was wondering what the hell I was doing, because it just wasn't happening. Then, a week or so later, it was like a light switch went on, and for the last two months I've been pushing myself to the best conditioning I've enjoyed in years."

"I am so eager to be racing again," he added. "And I'm extremely pleased and so grateful to be doing the Chili Bowl with Cory Kruseman again, and with my #16k in Smokey Mountain Chew colors."

Dyson's sponsor, Smokey Mountain Herbal Snuff, returns for a second consecutive season. It also marks Dyson's third consecutive start in the event that annually marks the start of the North American racing season. As in the past two years, Dyson will be driving a Spike / Esslinger car fielded by two-time Chili bowl champion Cory Kruseman.

Once his physical condition permitted, Dyson did some testing with his 2003 IMSA championship-winning Lola-AER sports-racing car at the Historic Sportscar Racing event at Sebring. "We just managed a day at the track," Dyson noted, "but it was a great reminder of how much I love driving race cars. And more than anything else, driving a lightweight, high downforce car again was a great way to see where the fitness was, and I was pleased with how quickly my physical responses returned." A few days later, it was back into his Chili Bowl midget for a shakedown test at Kruseman's home track in Ventura, California.

"You couldn't get the smile off my face after those few days (in Sebring and Ventura)," Dyson said. "You don't know how much you've missed competition until you get back in the car after an enforced layoff. It's like a part of your soul lights back up. If you want something badly enough, you'll be amazed how hard you can push yourself to get there. I'm honored to be able to compete again next week and to have the support a sponsor with such a positive mission as Smokey Mountain Chew is very gratifying."

As a pre-Chili Bowl tune-up, Dyson had planned on competing in the #16k in last month's Junior Knepper 55 USAC indoor midget race. But severe weather prevented Dyson, whose home is in upstate New York, from getting to the race venue in Du Quoin, IL. Still, he was encouraged by the strong performance of his Kruseman Motorsports teammates at the event.

"It shows that our cars have what it takes to compete against the best of the best that will be in Tulsa next week," Dyson said.