2001 Riley & Scott Mk3C
LMP900 / LMP1
Delivered new to the prolific Dyson Racing Team and the first Mk3C to race. Finished in Dyson’s familiar white and blue livery with Thetford sponsorship, 01-002 was driven for the team by the all-star line-up of James Weaver, Butch Leitzinger and Elliot Forbes-Robinson.
A multiple veteran of the Sebring 12 Hours in both LMP900 and LMP1 after the advent of the class in 2004.
Equipped with a strong, aluminium Elan built Ford 6000cc V8 engine and paddle shift XTRAC gearbox.
Prepared by Crubile Sport, with 2022 Peter Auto technical passport and EU taxes paid.
Proven to be an absolute front runner in, and importantly eligible for, Peter Auto’s popular Endurance Racing Legends series and the Le Mans Classic. Further eligibility includes Masters Endurance Legends and HSR in the USA, with it being a potential race winner.
Price: €695,000 Euro
Status: European Taxes Paid
Chassis Number: 01-002
Formed by Bob Riley and Mark Scott in 1990, Riley & Scott went on to create a number of highly effective sports-racing cars which proved themselves on track against main manufacturer competition and became decorated with high-profile race wins. With a long career developing and designing racing cars, including being part of the Le Mans winning Ford GT programme and AJ Foyt’s Indycar endeavours, Bob Riley was no stranger to success.
The company’s most successful model was designed in 1993, the Mk3. A strong, well executed design, it paired a large square tube space frame with V8 or V10 engines and was clothed with a high downforce carbon aero package with similar visual cues to Ferrari’s 333SP.
Over a seven year on-track career, the 21 Mk3 chassis produced competed in 135 races, taking 48 wins and several championships. Highlight results included victory at the Sebring 12 Hours and two at the Daytona 24 Hours, defeating the Ferraris in the process.
The most prolific of Riley & Scott entrants has been Dyson Racing. The New York State based outfit has competition beginnings from 1974 when leader Rob Dyson began racing. Having achieved successes over the years, Dyson Racing was the first customer to receive the new Riley & Scott Mk3.
As well as being the first to receive the Mk3, they were the first to win with it, and went on to take 36 wins over 8 years with the model, including winning the Daytona 24 Hours outright.
As the rate of development in the top-flight LMP900 category of sports car racing rose, Riley & Scott produced a new car dubbed the Mk3C. Building on the proven Mk3 package, the new Mk3C incorporated some of the lessons learnt in the Riley & Scott developed Cadillac Northstar LMP.
The chassis of the Mk3C used the strong, large square tube construction of the Mk3 but with carbon panels added for extra strength. X-Trac provided a new 6 speed sequential gearbox for the Mk3C, operated by a pneumatic Megaline paddle-shift system.
One of the largest developments of the Mk3C was the aerodynamic features incorporated with the bodywork which was a generation change from the previous Mk3. Carbon/carbon brakes completed the new Mk3C, bringing exceptional stopping power and longevity.
This car, 01-002
When orders for the new Mk3C became possible, Dyson put their name down for the successor to their Mk3s. Completed in time for the 2001 ALMS season, it was Dyson who were first to race the new car having taken delivery of this car, chassis number Mk3C 01-002.
They opened 01-002’s career with the Sebring 12 Hours in March 2001. Finished in white and carrying the familiar Thetford branding, 01-002 was piloted by a trio of highly experienced Dyson regulars. James Weaver, Butch Leitzinger and Elliot Forbes-Robinson were all previous winners of the Daytona 24.
With Elan built Lincoln V8 power, 01-002 qualified 7th at Sebring and eventually retired from the 12 Hours with overheating issues. At Mosport in August 2001, 01-002 raced again, this time with Weaver and Leitzinger behind the wheel. The duo set 5th fastest time in qualifying but were demoted to 23rd on the grid with a penalty. In the 2 hour 45 minute race, 01-002 climbed the order to finish 5th.
The following weekend saw 01-002 back on track with Weaver and Leitzinger at Mid-Ohio for round 8 of the American Le Mans Series. 7th fastest time was set in qualifying and in the race, the pairing had a strong run through to take 3rd place, splitting the Audi R8s.
Forbes-Robinson rejoined the team for the season closing Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta in October. After setting 8th fastest time in qualifying, they ultimately retired 01-002 due to clutch failure.
Following the end of the 2001 ALMS season, Dyson Racing sold 01-002 to American Spirit Racing. Remaining white, 01-002 was adorned in AmeriSuites sponsorship with patriotic red and blue flames adding to the livery.
American Spirit Racing made their racing debut with 01-002 at the 2003 Sebring 12 Hours with drivers Michael Lewis, Tomy Drissi and Guy Cosmo. They started the 12 Hours in 12th place and held the position to finish 12th at the conclusion of the endurance classic.
01-002 continued through the 2003 ALMS season with American Spirit Racing and with Lewis pairing with Drissi behind the wheel. At Road Atlanta they qualified 10th and finished 12th, while at the Trois-Rivières 3 Hours in August they qualified 7th and finished 7th.
At Mosport, 01-002 set 10th fastest time in qualifying but retired from the race with engine failure. The Road America 500 Miles saw another 10th place in qualifying and 01-002 finished 14th at the flag.
Laguna Seca at the beginning of September yielded the best result of the season for American Spirit Racing. After setting 9th fastest time in qualifying, Lewis and Drissi had a great race to finish 5th overall. Petit Le Mans rounded out the year, with Melanie Paterson joining the squad as the third driver. The trio qualified 01-002 9th and took 10th place at the end of the 1000 miles.
For 2004, 01-002 remained in the hands of Lewis and Drissi while the team was renamed Autocon Motorsports. With this change, 01-002’s livery became black and was used as an advertising billboard for upcoming film releases, starting with DodgeBall. The Sebring 12 Hours opened the season with the premier class now called LMP1, and Vic Rice joined Autocon as third driver. Having qualified 9th, 01-002 rose to finish 7th at the end of the famously challenging 12 Hours.
01-002 only competed in two races during 2004, with the second being Petit Le Mans at the end of the year. Melanie Paterson rejoined the team at Road Atlanta, and after being penalised during qualifying, 01-002 lined up down in 35th. The race ended with disappointment as an accident for Lewis caused retirement.
Autocon Motorsports returned to the ALMS in 2005 with a six race campaign. Beginning at the Sebring 12 Hours, gearbox failure prevented a result in Florida. At Sonoma in July, Lewis partnered with Bryan Willman in 01-002 and set 7th fastest time in qualifying but clutch failure there put pay to the team’s efforts. Portland followed and delivered a 7th place result for Lewis and Willman.
Road America in August saw a repeat of Portland, with 01-002 starting 7th on the grid and finishing 7th at the flag. For the Petit Le Mans, rather than expanding to three drivers, Autocon kept to Lewis and Willman. They set 10th best time in qualifying and finished 15th at the conclusion of the race.
The final contemporary race for 01-002 came at the Laguna Secs 4 Hours in October 2005. After issues in qualifying, Lewis and Willman climbed from 27th to finish 13th and round out the car’s career.
Having retired from service with Autocon Motorsports, 01-002 was bought by Mark Brannon. Brannon repainted the car in red and proceeded to participate in a number of HSR, Masters and SVRA historic events across the USA, including the Classic Daytona 24 Hours.
Brannon had 01-002 rebuilt from a bare chassis during his ownership and in 2020 a refresh included fitment of a new fuel cell and the engine being rebuilt by Savannah Race Engineering.
In 2022, 01-002 was sold by Brannon and travelled to France with Emmanuel Brigand. Brigand had Crubile Sport prepare the Riley with work including crack testing and returning the car to the AmeriSuites livery. A new Peter Auto Technical Passport was obtained at this time. Brigand debuted it at the 2022 Le Mans Classic in the Endurance Racing Legends grid, finishing 6th overall. Brigand also raced 01-002 at the Paul Ricard Dix Mille Tours meeting and he took a 3rd place podium finish in ERL.
Following the Paul Ricard weekend, Crubile Sport re-prepared 01-002 and completed works to check the gearbox over. Other work done while there included the fitment of a new clutch, replacement of gearbox actuation valves, servicing of the EFI data logging system and setting the car up on a rolling road with the correction size restrictors fitted.
01-002 entered the current ownership in late 2022 and has been unused since. Remaining low mileage since rebuilt by Crubile Sport and with a Peter Auto Technical Passport alongside its running logs, 01-002 is also accompanied by a spare set of wheels.
The first Riley & Scott Mk3C to race and fielded by Dyson Racing, one of the most successful teams in North American sports car racing, 01-002 is today a highly competitive contender for Peter Auto’s popular Endurance Racing Legends series. Well engineered with practical components, 01-002 delivers huge performance for value and driver-friendly accessibility with it.
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