Jamie makes a good point here. I think quite a while back on a different thread I said that the average, and I emphasize average, stock Z06 and driver will run and 11.5-11.8 and the average stock Gen 3 driver will run and 11.9-12.2. I still stand by that. The Z06 DOES have some inherent advantages over a Viper in a quarter mile race, namely, less weight, better gearing, and better stock traction. It also has a higher redline and less torque. All of these things help in A STOCK TO STOCK matchup. Now, if we take a great driver in a stock Z06 it WILL turn a low 11 or even a very high 10. This is fact. What has been missing up to now is what will a Gen III do with great driving and the car run to its full potential. I believe that number is probably a high 11.3 to low 11.4 with great weather. If I had made last nights run with -1000 DA weather all things being equal I would have turned an 11.4 and maybe, and I emphasize maybe, a high 11.3. But when that is all said and done it is still 3-4 tenths behind a similarly run z06. In other words if Jamie and I line up in negative 1000 DA weather and he is driving his Z and I am in my Viper, he is going to beat me EVERY TIME by 3 tenths.
But here is what every one keeps missing. These matchups of the driver elite are not what goes on at the track on a typical night. And they virtually never happen with stock to stock cars anymore. As I have also stated I have not seen one remotely appearing stock Z06 at my track turn better than 11.31. I saw one with drag radials and nitrous go 10.98 at 133. Most of what I have seen is 11.40-11.70 on modified cars with traction improvments. Now I will make a prediction. I believe my Gen III with the same DRs these guys are running will put damn near every one of these guys on the trailer. Why? Because NOW we have left the stock category and are starting to cater to the the VIPERs strengths which is massive torque. This is what moves the car and it is NEVER fully utilized in the stock configuration because of traction problems. It gets better. The farther we get away from a stock to stock matchup the better the Viper will fare because the horsepower and torque gained BY THE SAME mods made to a Viper start to leave the Z in the dust. That is why I will bet you money that a Viper Gen III with DRs, headers and exhaust, computer tune, K&N, gears, throttle body, etc. will beat handily a similarly modifed Z. Now when the two "Average" drivers go at it again, the tide has turned and it will be tilting Viper.
So the moral here is if you want to beat Zs or anybody else FOCUS on making mods to the car that favoer the VIPER which are allowing full traction of the power plant, gear it more appropriately, and shed weight (two piece rotors, ACR wheels, battery, aluminum flywheel, etc.) and you will be very surprised how it peforms. Unfortunatley, what everybody does is add some more horsepower and all that does is make it all worse and give the edge to the Z. Without improved traction, improved horsepower is going to pay very weak rewards.
One of the best post I've read about drag racing the viper and comparing it to the Z06.
Speed you really hit it, wtg. Jamie's responce to you was right on it as well.