Beginner Drift Event in S Cal

[96-RT10 Supercharged]

There's a beginner Drift Event at El Toro Airforce Base on Sept 9th. I'd love to see some other Viper owners come out and participate or even just have fun and watch me spin out of control alot ...haha.

Here's a link:

http://www.driftday.com/frames.htm

PS: I would have posted in the events area, but I seem not to have permissions to do so 8-(

 

[GoCanes1]

This is like 5 miles from my house but there is no way in hell that I would drift in my Viper!!

 

[Camfab]

This is like 5 miles from my house but there is no way in hell that I would drift in my Viper!!

What better car than the Viper to Drift?

 

[MacManInfi]

I might go to this just to watch. I just put a set of Kumho Ecsta V700's on my Viper. Wouldn't make for a very good drifting tire!

 

[96-RT10 Supercharged]

Would love to see some Vipers out there for support, even if just to watch

Here's a youtube of a practice session a few weeks ago.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=road6vDBN1Y

 

[Camfab]

Where are you practicing, Willow Springs? I really could care less about the comp aspect of drifting. I just want to go out and learn how to do it. Really looking for a safe place to practice with some pointers. Would love to get a group of SoCal guys together.

 

[Denny Wagner]

Drifting = stooopid

 

[plumcrazy]

d love to watch and would even love to do it but i dont wanna wreck my new tires..

 

[black mamba1]

Can you even drift in a Viper? Seems to be almost perfectly designed to keep from doing just that!

 

[96-RT10 Supercharged]

Well as far as can you drift a Viper. Yes, Samuel Hubinette won the 2004 and 2006 Formula D national titles in his Viper. He's now in a Charger.

As far as practicing safe. Yes I practice out at Willow Springs, no walls on the Walt James track or the Balcony. If anyone wants they can come out with me. Also depending on # of people interested. If there are only a few you could use my car. If there are alot we'd have to arrange something with more tires ...haha.

As far as the debate over Drifting being stupid ... All I can say is that I've done ALL types of racing www.gstg.info and I can say from experience that Drifting is not only some of the most fun, but also VERY challenging.

As far as driving skill required, in my humble opinion it goes from hardest to easiest ...

1 - Rally racing (including Baja type racing)
2 - Drifting
3 - Road courses (including Auto X)
4 - Drag racing

Drifting requires MANY skills, downshift control, heel-toe braking / shifting, throttle lift control, braking, E-Brake control (although I don't use it in the Viper), tracktion control (not cpu), and some heavy pucker moments.

PS: Feel free to email me directly or get a thread / event going and I'll go. I normally rent the Willow Springs track for $100 per day (not weekends), but it requires a $100 per year license also with them to cover track insurance.

 

[GTS Bruce]

Write when a Viper goes back to Lemans.What's next for a Viper?A low rider bouncing up and down?Monster truck set up?I never thought of a Viper as a clown shoe.Must have something to do with the driver.Time to get a Vette. GTS Bruce

 

[96-RT10 Supercharged]

The event had 36 cars competing. They had 3 courses and were only planning
on giving out 1st place for each course. But after they did they then gave me
another award that they were not planning on.

From what I was told I ended up taking 2nd place on 2 of the events and 3rd
place in the other. So I had actually won overall point count apparently. But since they
only gave out 1st, they ended up adding a trophy for overall in order to qualify
me for the regionals ....haha.

So not sure if you would call that 1st or 4th, but either way it got me the
qualifying place I needed, so I'm happy

Here's a link to some practice stuff I was doing:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bcpwgCjSKgg

The practice stuff is not what you see at events, but I wanted to add some basics for those who have never seen it. Also if you spin at any time you DQ for the runs. So in the practice stuff it's important to work on control ...ALOT. If you've never done it before it's alot harder then it looks to control. It's easy to just spin out, but not to keep a controled turn. I'd love to see some other vids of people in Vipers smoking it up.

 

[96-RT10 Supercharged]

West Division ProAm series Regional event Sept 22nd at El Toro. I qualified for it and am hoping to qualify in this event to make it to the ProAm Nationals. If anyone is interested, would love to see more Viper owners out there for support.

Here's a link:

http://www.driftday.com/frames.htm

PS: Would be nice to add another title to the Viper family

 

[SoCal Rebell]

Drifting = stooopid

Drifting Vipers is for idiots, period.


Drifting harder then road racing = 96RT-10 an idiot also

 

[96-RT10 Supercharged]

Haha .. funny thing is I've heard that all my life

You're an idiot for skydiving ...

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You're an idiot for flying helicopters ...

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You're an idiot for handgliding ...

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You're an idiot for dragracing ...

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You're an idiot for getting married in a drive thru ...

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You're an idiot for SCUBA diving with sharks ...

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You're an idiot for joining the polar bear club ...

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You're an idiot for traveling so much ...

http://www.gstg.info/travel.htm

You're an idiot for racing so much ...

http://members.cox.net/gstg3/racing.htm

You're an idiot for driving your Viper so much ...

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and you know what .... in the end I'm really enjoying my life. I can hope you can say the same about yours

As far as the whole racing thing ... I've won TCRA division titles in road racing and unless you're won titles in both road-racing and drifting ... I'm not sure how you qualify as an expert to say it's not harder. To me it is. The car control needed is VERY skill based. Regardless of prejudice opinions ... I'd love to see some of these people try to put their skills to the test and see just how well they could control a car at limit.

Haha .. all said and done for me it's one of the most rewarding and fustrating sports I've ever done. Only skydiving has had the same adrenal rush. Road racing has many "pucker" moments, but not as many "rush" moments. At least that's my experience so far.

I'm still amazed at the negative feedback I've seen from some of the Viper community ... well most have just seen it as another sport, like drag racing and road racing, others seem to have been offended some how. Personally I'm not very prejudice and tend to try things to determine if I personally enjoy them or not and I can only assume there is some preconceived notion because of the foreign cars involved ... it's my only guesss.

In the end .. it's all about what you enjoy and I enjoy this alot. Hopefully I enjoy it enough to make it to the ProAm Nationals

www.gstg.info

 

[Dan Cragin]

Gerard is living life and a better person you will never meet, I wish him luck with all of his dreams.

Dan cragin
DC Performance Inc.

 

[SoCal Rebell]

My apologies, I didn't know you by your screen name, but I recognize you and your crew from this pic;

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We've road raced together ( I was faster )

 

[96-RT10 Supercharged]

Haha ... well not my crew for sure

Middle person in the pic is Samuel Hubinette (www.ToxicDrift.com)

2004 & 2006 Formula D Champion. A much better road course and drifter then me. He's also been Driving for Mopar for quite a while.

As far as being faster ... I don't doubt it. The last road course I competed in was Division II stock car, 415 hp. So if you were at some event with a newer car I would hope you were faster

PS: I was a little surprised at the negativity because of your previous reply to a post I had started:

"My lifetime career has been built around bringing "happiness" to literally millions of people, though maybe for a short time for some, it still brings joy to so many

Again I've literally touched millions of lives and am now retired but my gift keeps on giving."

I loved that post you had done and had sent you a PM to ask what you had done for a living ... it's always so rewarding to help others attain either their goals or if nothing else just a helping hand when they need it.

 

[SoCal Rebell]

Haha ... well not my crew for sure

Middle person in the pic is Samuel Hubinette (www.ToxicDrift.com)

2004 & 2006 Formula D Champion. A much better road course and drifter then me. He's also been Driving for Mopar for quite a while.

As far as being faster ... I don't doubt it. The last road course I competed in was Division II stock car, 415 hp. So if you were at some event with a newer car I would hope you were faster

PS: I was a little surprised at the negativity because of your previous reply to a post I had started:

"My lifetime career has been built around bringing "happiness" to literally millions of people, though maybe for a short time for some, it still brings joy to so many

Again I've literally touched millions of lives and am now retired but my gift keeps on giving."

I loved that post you had done and had sent you a PM to ask what you had done for a living ... it's always so rewarding to help others attain either their goals or if nothing else just a helping hand when they need it.

LOL, I really didn't mean crew, I meant "posse"

Exhaust and brake modified 2000 RT on Dot tires I managed a 1:30.04 at WSIR, damn sux not breaking 1:30

 

[96-RT10 Supercharged]

1:30 is still VERY good. I don't think I've ever beeaten 1:32 on WSIR. Yea sux on not breaking into the big boys 1:29 catagories.

 

[SoCal Rebell]

1:30 is still VERY good. I don't think I've ever beeaten 1:32 on WSIR. Yea sux on not breaking into the big boys 1:29 catagories.

Here I am at WSIR with one of my groupies

Pardon the "helmet hair" and the "paw" print on my shirt, my German Shepherd wanted to go

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[SSSSE YA]

Sounds like alot of fun or just watching..