klamathpro
Viper Owner
So I attended the Alfa Romeo Waterford track day, my third track event so far. There were about 50 other cars there with only one other Viper, a red 2008 SRT10 vert. I don’t remember the guy’s name but he was from Ohio I believe. I saw that he appeared to have an upgraded exhaust, a roll bar, and Pilot Super Sports. He said he tracks his Viper all the time and had racing numbers on his doors. In case he’s a member on this board, I don’t want to delve so far as to hurt anyone’s feelings and the purpose of this post is not to brag (ok, a little). But after I got acclimated with this track and the RT/10, which was the first all-day event at this track with my Viper (had been there with my crossfire before), I started to gain some confidence and really pushed hard in the afternoon, and I mean to the very limit of my capabilities. Two out of the three cars that passed me in the morning were getting passed by me in the afternoon. Then the SRT10 came up ahead after I made a few passes and I was feeling really good about my car. My buddy in the passenger seat said go after him, so I gave it all I had, and what do you know, I ran up on his tail and stayed there a couple of laps before we turned in for the session.
The next session he’s behind me by a couple cars, which he eventually passes, then he’s coming up behind me. I start taking chances and push harder than ever, to a point where I start getting some distance from him in the corners, but would lose some of it in the straights. Now at this point there was an STI that got in front of me that I basically was just following and he wouldn’t let me pass, so the SRT10 is hanging on my bumper. But I had nowhere to go so it went like that for about three or four laps and then I just let the SRT10 pass because for whatever reason he was riding my tail possibly thinking I wasn’t letting him pass though I was trying to stay a few car lengths away from the STI until he would let me pass. My tires were scrubbed anyway so I then pulled in the pits to cool down. I looked at my G-Tech and it showed that each time I went out there I was a second faster than the previous session. My buddy then told me I had a chance to actually overtake the SRT10 if I ever got behind him.
We then went out for our last session. The SRT10 was three cars in front. I first battled with a FIAT 500 Abarth (driven by a local Viper racer and a real cool dude) and then after passing him and the next guy, I set my sights on the SRT10. I pushed my RT/10 as hard as I could. I was melting away the cheap Riken Raptors in every turn, but I pushed them anyway. I starting getting within two car lengths, and then the dreaded straight away came, where his 200HP advantage always showed. So I decided to ride the straight as far as I could before braking, and what do you know, I’m right on his bumper by the next turn and I held my position for two laps, until he pointed to let me pass. My buddy then screamed, "You got him!". Upon passing, I was now in the hotseat. He tried to stay on me as long as he could, but then he got passed by another car. That car disappeared into the pits and then that dreaded STI was in front of me again so the SRT caught back up. But after we both passed him, I started gaining car lengths and by about three laps, I had managed to maintain a noticeable distance between us, so I pulled off before my tires started to go on me again.
I was astounded. My 94’ had just taken down an 08’. I had a passenger the whole day and a NOS bottle in the trunk (250lbs of dead weight, and no I didn’t use the NOS). The only real mod I have is an exhaust, but I can’t take all the credit. I would like to thank Dave “Bo” Buchesky for writing on a napkin the plans for a simple outboard deflector made out of lexan that created a vacuum that literally dropped the temps of my pads and rotors. And also Dick Winkles for convincing me to put Mobil One 15w/50 oil to solve my low oil pressure problems at the track. The car simply performed beyond my expectations. It was able to keep up with the newer big boys and really showed me what it had.
I can’t wait to dump my front Riken Raptors and my bald PS2’s and get real track tires.
The next session he’s behind me by a couple cars, which he eventually passes, then he’s coming up behind me. I start taking chances and push harder than ever, to a point where I start getting some distance from him in the corners, but would lose some of it in the straights. Now at this point there was an STI that got in front of me that I basically was just following and he wouldn’t let me pass, so the SRT10 is hanging on my bumper. But I had nowhere to go so it went like that for about three or four laps and then I just let the SRT10 pass because for whatever reason he was riding my tail possibly thinking I wasn’t letting him pass though I was trying to stay a few car lengths away from the STI until he would let me pass. My tires were scrubbed anyway so I then pulled in the pits to cool down. I looked at my G-Tech and it showed that each time I went out there I was a second faster than the previous session. My buddy then told me I had a chance to actually overtake the SRT10 if I ever got behind him.
We then went out for our last session. The SRT10 was three cars in front. I first battled with a FIAT 500 Abarth (driven by a local Viper racer and a real cool dude) and then after passing him and the next guy, I set my sights on the SRT10. I pushed my RT/10 as hard as I could. I was melting away the cheap Riken Raptors in every turn, but I pushed them anyway. I starting getting within two car lengths, and then the dreaded straight away came, where his 200HP advantage always showed. So I decided to ride the straight as far as I could before braking, and what do you know, I’m right on his bumper by the next turn and I held my position for two laps, until he pointed to let me pass. My buddy then screamed, "You got him!". Upon passing, I was now in the hotseat. He tried to stay on me as long as he could, but then he got passed by another car. That car disappeared into the pits and then that dreaded STI was in front of me again so the SRT caught back up. But after we both passed him, I started gaining car lengths and by about three laps, I had managed to maintain a noticeable distance between us, so I pulled off before my tires started to go on me again.
I was astounded. My 94’ had just taken down an 08’. I had a passenger the whole day and a NOS bottle in the trunk (250lbs of dead weight, and no I didn’t use the NOS). The only real mod I have is an exhaust, but I can’t take all the credit. I would like to thank Dave “Bo” Buchesky for writing on a napkin the plans for a simple outboard deflector made out of lexan that created a vacuum that literally dropped the temps of my pads and rotors. And also Dick Winkles for convincing me to put Mobil One 15w/50 oil to solve my low oil pressure problems at the track. The car simply performed beyond my expectations. It was able to keep up with the newer big boys and really showed me what it had.
I can’t wait to dump my front Riken Raptors and my bald PS2’s and get real track tires.
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sounds like you had a great time and experience. many track drivers underestimate "driving experience ' or the "ability to drive" and get fixated on mods and more horsepower. your driving skill is obviously better than that of the SRT driver. why else would a car with 200 HP less be faster around the track.
