Sports car ace Chris Dyson returns to the Chili Bowl - MotorSportsTalk

It’s always cool when drivers from different disciplines moonlight or make cameos in something outside their standard comfort zone.

Chris Dyson getting sideways in the Chili Bowl is no exception.

Dyson is a sports car veteran who is well known as both sporting director and driver for Dyson Racing, the team founded by his father Rob.

Next week meanwhile, he’ll be wheeling a Spike/Esslinger midget race car fielded by two-time Chili Bowl champion Cory Kruseman. Smokey Mountain Herbal Snuff, one of America’s more well known tobacco-free smokeless brands, will support the effort.

“I’m very pleased to be representing Smokey Mountain Herbal Snuff at the Chili Bowl,” said Dyson, who plans an expanded open-wheel racing schedule for 2016. “It’s a great option for people who want to quit or reduce their consumption of smokeless tobacco. I’m a big believer in Smokey Mountain and its mission. I want to help get the word out by getting my #16k running up front.

“It’s going to be a really competitive week with such a big entry,” Dyson added. “At the Chili Bowl you are racing against a ‘who’s who’ of dirt open-wheel racing. It’s become a truly national racing event, with a lot of interest, and all the really good guys will be there. I’m proud to begin building my relationship with the Smokey Mountain folks on such a prominent stage and I’m grateful to Cory Kruseman for once again giving me a great opportunity in Tulsa.”

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Benny Bloss will race for the factory Beta Motorcycles team in 2024 as that manufacturer joins SuperMotocross as the ninth brand to compete in the series. Beta Motorcycles will make their debut in the Monster Energy Supercross opener at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, California in January.

*Benny Bloss finished among the top 10 twice in Pro Motocross, in 2016 and 2018. – Beta Motorcycles*

“The wait is over and we can finally share everything we have been working towards,” said Carlen Gardner, Race Team Manager in a press release. “It has been a great experience being a part of this development and seeing the progression. The only missing part was finding a rider that would mesh well with our Beta Family.

“After a one phone call with Benny, we knew it would be a good fit for him, and for us. We are happy to have him on board for the next two years and can’t wait to see everyone at Anaheim in January.”

Bloss debuted in the 450 class in 2015 with a 15th-place finish overall at Ironman Raceway in Crawfordsville, Indiana.

Bloss has a pair of top-10 rankings in the division with a sixth-place finish in the Pro Motocross Championship in 2016 and a seventh in 2018. His best Supercross season ended 15th in the standings in 2018.

“I’m extremely excited to join the Beta Factory Racing team,” Bloss said. “It’s cool to see a brand with such a rich history in off-road racing to come into the US Supercross and Motocross space. I know this team will be capable of great things as we build and go racing in 2024.”

Bloss is currently 22nd in the SuperMotocross rankings and has not raced in the first two rounds of the Motocross season.

Testing for Beta Motorcycles is scheduled to begin in August and the team expects to announce a second rider at that time.

The family-owned brand adds to the international flare of the sport. The company was founded in Florence, Italy in 1905 as Società Giuseppe Bianchi as they built handmade bicycles, The transition to motorcycle production in the late 1940s.

Beta Motorcycles competed and won in motocross competition in the late 1970s and early 1980s with Jim Pomeroy and other riders.

Beta will join Triumph Motorcycles as a second historic brand to join the sport in 2024. First established in 1902, Triumph has won in nearly every division they have competed in, dating back to their first victory in the 1908 Isle of Man TT. Triumph will debut in the 250 class in 2024 and plans to expand into 450s in 2025.

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