Rob Dyson

{{short description|American racing driver}}

{{use mdy dates|date=June 2019}}

{{Infobox racing driver

|name = Rob Dyson

|image = Rob dyson crop.JPG

|caption = Dyson at the 2007 Petit Le Mans

|nationality = {{flagicon|USA}} American

|related to = Chris Dyson (son)

|birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1946|6|21}}

|birth_name = Robert Richard Dyson

}}

Robert Richard "Rob" Dyson (born June 21, 1946) is a retired American sports car racing driver and owner of Dyson Racing.

Dyson began competing in amateur SCCA competition in 1974 and began racing professionally in IMSA GTO and the Trans-Am Series in 1982. In 1985 he purchased a Porsche 962 from Bruce Leven and began racing in IMSA GTP. In 1995 his team was the first to run the new Riley & Scott Mk III, refusing to run the Ferrari 333 SP, as he felt it would make the World Sportscar Championship a "spec series" if all major teams were running the car.{{cite web |url=http://www.dysonracing.com/team/rob_dyson.php |title=Rob Dyson |website=Dyson Racing |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100918231141/http://www.dysonracing.com/team/rob_dyson.php |archive-date=September 18, 2010 |url-status=dead |access-date=January 9, 2010 }} Rob and his team with its R&S Mk III won the 1997 24 Hours of Daytona with an "all star" squad of seven drivers including sports car legends James Weaver, Elliott Forbes-Robinson, and Butch Leitzinger. The Dyson team again won the race in 1999, this time without Rob Dyson as one of the drivers. The team later purchased Lola chassis and began racing in the American Le Mans Series, where it currently competes. Dyson retired from full-time racing in 2003 but continued to drive part-time until 2007. Rob's son Chris Dyson drove for the team from 2001 to 2013.