Another great Viper Days event...

[Rich Wesorick]

Skip and the Viper Days gang put on another great event this past weekend at the Motorsport Ranch outside Ft. Worth, Texas. We had spectacular weather, a technically challenging track, and the usual fantastic group of people. Friday's Test and Tune started a little chilly, but it warmed up nicely by the time the pizzas arrived for lunch courtesy of Mark and Angie Stearns (thanks you two!). I left the track Friday stratching my head a bit about a few turns, but help would come Saturday after a ride with an experienced driver and talking with some of the other drivers.

Saturday was a gorgeous day at the track, and included a 19-lap VRL race won by Bobby Archer driving Johnny Yuma's GT-1 Viper. Many of us picked up our lap times on Saturday as we began to figure out the finer points of the track. Bobby Archer then hosted the entire Viper Days group (free!) for a delicious barbeque dinner at his shop in Ft. Worth. At the usual Viper Days charity auction, birthday-boy John Archer received two Dale Earnhardt auction items as gifts from Viper Days regulars Sonny Whelen and Don Cochran, respectively.

Sunday was the warmest day of the weekend (87 degrees) and provided lots of track time for all. With the help of Viper Days' supporting cast (Archer Racing and Bobby Archer Motorsports), my car ran the best it has in a while and I was able to lower my lap times even further (which always makes your day). The hour-long VRL race on Sunday saw Bobby Archer (driving Ben Madey's Comp. Coupe) go from last to first in 5 laps, only to bow out a few laps later with a water temperature problem. Joe Bliss started from the pole and went on to win the race.

As usual, it was a great weekend with some great people. Great to see some of the familiar faces I look forward to seeing at every event, and great to meet some new people (at least new to me...). Can't wait for next year's Viper Days season.

Rich

p.s. do you think Santa will bring me a barstool with a motor? Those things were hilarious!

 

[Nexus-6]

Sounds like a blast! Wish I'd been in town.

Dix - tell me ya got vid and pics man!

What kind of lap times were you guys running by the end of the weekend? Best? Median?

 

[Kurt 97 GTS]

Great weather and fast Vipers. Great event!!!

 

[Wild Bill]

This was mine and my wifes first event and it was fantastic! I can't say enough good stuff about all the people that helped set it up-Courtney, Gary and Skip (plus many many others) made this an excellent experience. The Archer teams were there to help get the car prepared and took a true interest in keeping her running safely.

The track was a technical challenge especially to us 'newbies'. We both learned so much about the handling and driving of our car.

To anybody that was there-I took 6 rolls of film if you want to e-mail me your car number I will check to see if I have any good pics of your car.

My only complaint is that there won't be another event at Motorsports next year.

Beware if you have never gone to a Viper Days and you go once you WILL go to another-we are now addicts.

Bill and DeeDee
(I was faster the she was )

 

[Steve-Indy]

Sounds like a GREAT weekend, Rich...wish that we could have been there...hope Ben's coupe is a simple problem.

I would also hope that the newer Viper drivers read this (and previous) thread closely...and begin to appreciate the FANTASTIC driving/learning opportunities exist in the Viper Days events...and the TREMENDOUS FRIENDSHIPS that await !!!

 

[Doc.]

All I can say is WOW. What a great time we all had at Viperdays at Texas MSR. I have been posing for about two years and finally decided to see what the Viper could do on the track. It is unbelievable. I appreciate the car so much more now than before the event. If you have not been to a Viper Days event yet, you owe it to yourself to get to one as soon as possible.
I met a lot of really great people this past weekend and I'm sure I will forget some of their names but they were all first class citizens. Thanks to Russ Oasis and Janni Cone for their friendly smiles and input to get me there in the first place. Also Newt, Bill, Dedee,Yall,the Austin brothers and Joe and his crew really made me feel at home.
I would be remiss if I didn't mention Mark Stearns (my driving instructor) and his lovely wife. They were awesome and I could not have asked for a better instructor or nicer guy to have ride shotgun with me.
Lastly, thanks goes out to Bobby Archer and his crew for working on my car at the event. They were awesome, it was like having a professional pit crew there for you at all times and they really know Vipers in side out.
See ya at the track.
Doc

 

[Rich Wesorick]

Great to meet you Kevin and hope to see you at another Viper Days again real soon.

I told you it was addicting...

Rich