viper GTS-R
Enthusiast
I've been waiting to make this post for weeks, if not months and I can't take it anymore! I have to make it now...
Next week, June 2nd, It'll be 10 years since I was in my first Viper. It's always been my absolute favorite memory. I look at the calendar almost everyday, can't believe it's been that long and I've been in 14 others since then and remember each moment in perfect detail. I've had a steel grey RT/10 do a burnout in front of my house, my first autocross experience was in a red RT/10, I've been on a road course and at 140 mph in a SRT coupe, experienced drifting in a SRT vert, had a photoshoot with a yellow RT/10 in SNOW, when I first started building a portfolio for my photography business 4 NJ VCA Members (Phil, Ron, Blake and Aaron) met up with me to help me out. I've been to top Viper dealers in the Northeast (Tators, Warnock, Buhler and Fitzgerald Motorsports). I've met with Chuck coming back from a family vacation in Vermont and have met Sean Roe and visited his shop while in Florida. I've been to Englishtown for the Mopar Nationals (which I finally got to race and ended up winning in 09') for the Viper Rendezvous and the downtown Sommerville meets for as long as I can remember.
In fact, when I first learned about the Viper Rendezvous I was 12 YEARS OLD!
I couldn't WAIT to go down to the Red Bank Inn after school to see the cars and meet with Joe Houss. After all I was Viper crazy. (The concept appeared in Detroit in January 1989...so did I. Coincidence? ) My class took a field trip once, I believe to the liberty science center, and on the way back a 92' yellow RT/10 drove past us in the left lane...I caused a bit of a stir and soon after the whole right side of the bus was looking out the left. Oops. 
When I got to the Red Bank Inn on Friday I saw quite a few parked in a row, one even from Canada dressed up as the #91 GTS-R.
Oddly enough I also saw my first Lamborghini up close as well at that same event and just met Valentino Balboni about a year back. Anyway back to Vipers, I headed inside the restaurant where I had met Joe. Joe asked me and my family if I was able to come down to Englishtown Raceway Park the next day. He saw how enthused I was about the car and promised to set me up with a ride in a Viper at the track.
So that's exactly what we did! Woke up, went to the track and found Joe up in the tower. He introduced me to Evan Smith who said 'let's go!' and we were back down in the pits looking at my ride for the day, a 1996 Blue and White GTS. Now, remember I was 12, not really the greatest age to see everything in front of you in something so low. I however, had a wonderful view of the dash.
Evan told me 1st gear was primarily useless, as the car had 600HP at the time and wasn't setup to handle 1st. We chugged along past rows of Mopars before coming to the exit lane of the 1/4 mile. He got out to talk with the track workers while I sat in the car and pinched myself to make sure this was real and not some sick joke my brain was playing on me. He came back into the car and before I knew it I'm being sucked, SUCKED into the seat as the car reaches 95 mph in a hurry. 'Just wow, what just happened?' was all kept thinking as we turned around and did another blast up to 100 mph. We drove back up to the pits with a ***** smile on my face and I took a photo op in the drivers seat. Joe was nice enough to surprise me with a baggy of Viper related content including very nice red polo shirt that says 'Viper Club of America Zone Rendezvous 2001'.
And that was it. That was my first ride and it's a story that'll remain with me for the rest of my life. I'd like to thank Joe, Evan, Tony, Steve and Brian, Jon and Jon, Blake, Ron, Jay, Dimitrios, and Mike for giving me incredible memories and a positive spin on life. Thanks Chuck and Sean for taking the time to talk and allowing me to shoot whatever was available. Thanks to the VCA for being what it is, sharing a passion for a common thing and the workers at CAAP, thank you for building something awe inspiring since 1992.
OH, cause I know at least one of you is bound to ask, no I do not own one....YET. I'm still working on it and when the time comes I'm sure it'll be the greatest day of my life period! There's one thing about that GTS that will always remind me where the Viper came from...
The motor is red, the stripes are white, the exterior is blue.
--RS
Next week, June 2nd, It'll be 10 years since I was in my first Viper. It's always been my absolute favorite memory. I look at the calendar almost everyday, can't believe it's been that long and I've been in 14 others since then and remember each moment in perfect detail. I've had a steel grey RT/10 do a burnout in front of my house, my first autocross experience was in a red RT/10, I've been on a road course and at 140 mph in a SRT coupe, experienced drifting in a SRT vert, had a photoshoot with a yellow RT/10 in SNOW, when I first started building a portfolio for my photography business 4 NJ VCA Members (Phil, Ron, Blake and Aaron) met up with me to help me out. I've been to top Viper dealers in the Northeast (Tators, Warnock, Buhler and Fitzgerald Motorsports). I've met with Chuck coming back from a family vacation in Vermont and have met Sean Roe and visited his shop while in Florida. I've been to Englishtown for the Mopar Nationals (which I finally got to race and ended up winning in 09') for the Viper Rendezvous and the downtown Sommerville meets for as long as I can remember.
In fact, when I first learned about the Viper Rendezvous I was 12 YEARS OLD!
I couldn't WAIT to go down to the Red Bank Inn after school to see the cars and meet with Joe Houss. After all I was Viper crazy. (The concept appeared in Detroit in January 1989...so did I. Coincidence? ) My class took a field trip once, I believe to the liberty science center, and on the way back a 92' yellow RT/10 drove past us in the left lane...I caused a bit of a stir and soon after the whole right side of the bus was looking out the left. Oops. When I got to the Red Bank Inn on Friday I saw quite a few parked in a row, one even from Canada dressed up as the #91 GTS-R.
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You must be registered for see images attach
Oddly enough I also saw my first Lamborghini up close as well at that same event and just met Valentino Balboni about a year back. Anyway back to Vipers, I headed inside the restaurant where I had met Joe. Joe asked me and my family if I was able to come down to Englishtown Raceway Park the next day. He saw how enthused I was about the car and promised to set me up with a ride in a Viper at the track.
So that's exactly what we did! Woke up, went to the track and found Joe up in the tower. He introduced me to Evan Smith who said 'let's go!' and we were back down in the pits looking at my ride for the day, a 1996 Blue and White GTS. Now, remember I was 12, not really the greatest age to see everything in front of you in something so low. I however, had a wonderful view of the dash.
You must be registered for see images
Evan told me 1st gear was primarily useless, as the car had 600HP at the time and wasn't setup to handle 1st. We chugged along past rows of Mopars before coming to the exit lane of the 1/4 mile. He got out to talk with the track workers while I sat in the car and pinched myself to make sure this was real and not some sick joke my brain was playing on me. He came back into the car and before I knew it I'm being sucked, SUCKED into the seat as the car reaches 95 mph in a hurry. 'Just wow, what just happened?' was all kept thinking as we turned around and did another blast up to 100 mph. We drove back up to the pits with a ***** smile on my face and I took a photo op in the drivers seat. Joe was nice enough to surprise me with a baggy of Viper related content including very nice red polo shirt that says 'Viper Club of America Zone Rendezvous 2001'.
You must be registered for see images
And that was it. That was my first ride and it's a story that'll remain with me for the rest of my life. I'd like to thank Joe, Evan, Tony, Steve and Brian, Jon and Jon, Blake, Ron, Jay, Dimitrios, and Mike for giving me incredible memories and a positive spin on life. Thanks Chuck and Sean for taking the time to talk and allowing me to shoot whatever was available. Thanks to the VCA for being what it is, sharing a passion for a common thing and the workers at CAAP, thank you for building something awe inspiring since 1992.
OH, cause I know at least one of you is bound to ask, no I do not own one....YET. I'm still working on it and when the time comes I'm sure it'll be the greatest day of my life period! There's one thing about that GTS that will always remind me where the Viper came from...
The motor is red, the stripes are white, the exterior is blue.
--RS
