End of an Era!

[Wing King]

I'm sort of surprised there has not been more discussion building up to today's last "hurrah" for our beloved GTS-R of this generation.... and no one yet posting about this last victory. I guess it's become like space shuttle launches... **, hum.

I feel a little bit melancholy over this. What a GREAT run we had!!!!! What great drivers and true gentlemen we've been blessed with to compete with our Viper marque. Justin, David, Olivier, Karl, Tommy, etc, .... and of course EVERYONE at Team ORECA.... THANKS from the bottom of my heart for the memories!!!! Lou Patane, who looks like he will be gone soon, and many other guys at DC deserve our thanks as well. It's almost fitting that this last race came on the last day of the OLD Millennium, and tomorrow dawns the new one. What a great movie script!

As I look into my crystal ball, long after all of us guys around now are gone, I see the racing legend and history of this generation GTS-R becoming not just legendary, but almost mythical!!! We lived it! We enjoyed it! On this New Years Eve, let's raise our glasses ONE more time, and sing one extra verse of "Should old acquaintance be forgot, and never brought to mind..........." (I wish I was enough of a computer guru to attach the song to my post). Sigh. Hip, hip, Hooray!!!!!

Again, thanks for the memories!!

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[Jay H]

Well said Wing King, I also would like to say that its been a real pleasure watching Team Oreca threw all the highs and lows over the past few years. No one knows what the future holds for Chrysler or the Viper but from now and on the Dodge Vipers in which WE were apart of will last forever to us even if know one other than us Viper fans understand the passion for which this Viper meant to us...Good Job Dodge,Oreca,Drivers,and Viper Fans its been one heck of a ride....Every one just letting you know its ok to cry..Just kidding,have a safe New year and we will talk in 2001...

 

[GTS Bruce]

Not quite.The official factory backed effort may be over but there will be privaters taking over with under the table factory blessing and support. Bruce

 

[Steve-Indy]

Well said, guys! Thanks to ALL who have made the Viper experience what it is!! Happy New Year and Happy Vipering!

Steve and Elaine Ind/Ky and ILL VCA

 

[Frank 03SRT]

I agree - that was lame crap. Speedvision makes you feel you are there because they let you see the Viper brakes "smokin", etc.

 

[Gary Lashinsky]

NBC presented a condensed version of this six hour race to have time to present some old skating shows taped years ago. I hope their coverage of Nascar will be better. Grant you, six hours of coverage is difficult due to lack of television sponsorship of the ALMS. How many Panoz spots can one handle. They basically support the coverage with advertising. If they did not, you would be hard pressed to see any coverage other than the ocassional report on Speedvision. Oreca bows out a world class champion for Viper, but the privateers will continue and we as Viper owners should support them. GM and Corvette will attempt to compete in the ALMS in select races as well as the Rolex in Feb. Lets hope they have some exciting competiton from the private teams running the GTS-R this year.

 

[Guyver1]

Well, not a single Viper is on the entry list for Daytona. So I guess the only chance of having a Corvette not win is if the Saleen bests both cars, which doesn't seem very likely.

 

[George Farris]

It was a thrill watching the Vipes run so well - only wish the wide-butt vettes were there.

Still waiting for the ALMS site to post the top 5 drivers and cars for the Millenium. They had the vette rated as the #9 car, which is really hard to uinderstand. Very interseted to see if the Viper will be in the top 5. If not, I will be griping...
Major League...Big Time!!!

 

[Roland L-Ocala FL]

Hey, it was great of NBC to provide that coverage. If it would not have been for them we would not have seen anything about the last race the Vipers ran in. I do have to say however, they did not show much about the Viper, as it was already the ALMS champ, but the drivers were still fighting for top gun. I want to thank Dodge, Team Oreca and their drivers, the privateers that also ran the Vipers, and all the Viper fans for being so interested in Le Mans, Alms, Speedvision and FIA racing, the Viper whooped up on all of 'em at one time or another! It was a great run, I only wish it could have kept going, but let's see what Dodge does with NASCAR and the LMP car next year. Again, thanks Dodge and Viper, and we are going to keep knocking them dead on the smaller tracks all around the world, just no more factory sponsorship for a couple of years!
Don't worry Wing King, we did not get **-hum about the Viper, I think a lot of us are a little upset about Dodge dropping out for a couple of years. But wait till we come back with the "new" Viper in a couple of years, the bowties and ponies will be running for cover! In the meantime, let them fight it out, at least it will be American iron going for it, and who knows, a private Viper or two might just pull a surprise or two.