Viper Days at VIR & the busted transmission

[slaughterj]

Viper Days at VIR was this past weekend, and was quite a fun event. The Carolinas club got 17 cars out, quite a showing! The times are getting lower and lower at VIR for the racers, next year, the 2 minute mark likely will get broken. Many people had some great times, including Gary Lashinsky. One of our local guys with a 2001 GTS, first time on a track, was able get a 2:17?!

I took some pics and video, will post some pics tomorrow, including one that Remster should be proud of.

I met some other board members, including Hoosier Daddy and Rocky Top, always cool to figure out who people are in real life

There were a number of mechanical problems there though, especially the first day with Skip Thomas's clutch, Bugeater's pressure plate (?; to be determined), and my transmission went out! Amazingly, master Viper Tech Tom Sessions was able to install a new one for me on Sunday morning in a little over an hour?! I "supervised" and took some video, while my pit crew of Hoosier Daddy and Bugeater helped out by pulling out the old one and holding up the new one with Tom.

Finally, Skip announced a new website, www.vdev2003.com (Viper Days European Vacation 2003), for the planned trip for 20 vipers to be shipped to Europe!

 

[SoCal Rebell]

Viperdays is a great event, glad to hear you had a good time. Sorry to hear about your tranny, did Tom bring his cape and mask

? About time you took that garage queen out to the track.

 

[slaughterj]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by SoCal Rebell:
Viperdays is a great event, glad to hear you had a good time. Sorry to hear about your tranny, did Tom bring his cape and mask

? About time you took that garage queen out to the track.

<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Yes, Tom has his full superhero outfit on that weekend!

Hey, it's no garage queen, it's attended 2 Viper Days and an auto-X, as well being a daily driver! The car is filthy now, between the dust there and the Brake Dust ...er Brake Man pads

and we're under mandatory water restrictions, i.e., not supposed to wash cars, we'll see about that...

 

[MadMaxx]

Sorry I didn't see all the good action

MM

 

[Chuck 98 RT/10]

Way to go Slaughter!

 

[slaughterj]

Oh, and I neglected to mention, Tom Sessions put in the transmission without powertools!! Talk about work!

 

[Qualitywires.com]

what happened to your transmission? Is this something I should worry about on my 1998?

 

[slaughterj]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by ab:
what happened to your transmission? Is this something I should worry about on my 1998?

<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

No difference in Gen 2 transmissions from year to year, as far as I know. Not sure what happened, couldn't get it to go into lower gears, trannys are replaced rather than rebuilt...


[BTW, there's a typo in "Member" in your sig.]

 

[Chuck 98 RT/10]

Nope Adam. Garage queens don't need to worry about it.

 

[JonB]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by slaughterj:
No difference in Gen 2 transmissions from year to year, as far as I know. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

In fact, early 1998 the trannys got upgraded to forged shift forks....all earlier trannies were cast forks.

Tom S is indeed an asset to Viper Days and NC VCA

 

[Hoosier Daddy]

I can attest to Mr. Slaughter's lack of credentials for membership in the Poser club! The undercarriage had at least 3 years of road grime which most ended up on Mr. Sessions

No Poser wannabe would go to sleep at night with that much verdigris present.

 

[Tom Glenn]

Hoosier, 2:13 on street tires and 1st place. Very nice, even if you are from Jersey!

 

[Bugeater]

Slaughter,

I want a copy of the video of me passing those 2 cars (looking cool) and then crapping out and looking like an idiot around turn 1. Still dont know if its purely hydraulics or clutch assembly. Should know thurs. Its in Tom's hands in Wilmington. Sunday was probably the only day I would have ever "prayed" for a broken tranny over a clutch, as (believe it or not) new ones seemed to grow on trees and clutches werent! Plus it only took what, an hour and 20 minutes to swap yours out? I thought they would be heavier than that...

Still pissed I missed sundays sessions, but overall I had a great time. Even after meeting that clean freak from NY!

Great times Hoosier.

 

[Hoosier Daddy]

Tom, That was still 2 seconds slower than the best street tire time so I'm a little disappointed. I don't want to sound to sappy but this was the third new track this year I've seen you at and with very few laps your under your belt your posting times that are unbelievable 2.07

When I slapped on the Hoosiers Sunday I could only get down to 2.10

I guess the saying the older you get the faster you become or less sense you have! I just need 25 more years to catch up to you old timer!

 

[slaughterj]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Hoosier Daddy:
I can attest to Mr. Slaughter's lack of credentials for membership in the Poser club! The undercarriage had at least 3 years of road grime which most ended up on Mr. Sessions

No Poser wannabe would go to sleep at night with that much verdigris present.

<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Thanks for the support!

Oh, and I can't believe you got that 93 Acura Integra to run 2:10s there

Speaking of Tom, here's a pic of him with the tranny:

 

[slaughterj]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Bugeater:
Slaughter,

I want a copy of the video of me passing those 2 cars (looking cool) and then crapping out and looking like an idiot around turn 1.
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I'll see what I can do, I'm new at this footage thing.


<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Bugeater:
Still pissed I missed sundays sessions, but overall I had a great time. Even after meeting that clean freak from NY!

Great times Hoosier.

<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

 

[slaughterj]

Here's a few other pics from Viper Days at VIR, including the first one of my car (Bugeater's in the background), the second one of Janni's new paintjob, and the third one for the Remster

 

[slaughterj]

Wow those pics come out bad when the resolution is decreased to meet this board's file size requirements...

 

[Janni]

OK, recovery from the weekend is now over... here are some random thoughts on this past weekend.

Slaughter - Dirtiest car award. Made up for lost time after the tranny repair AND managed to stay on the track this year!

bugeater (John) - Fun while it lasted, huh? I HATE it when things break and spoil your day. Not to worry, Tom'll get it fixed and back up in no time.

Seasnake - dropped several seconds off his time. This year will NOT be waiting for a point by on the drive home.

The Carolinas Region had a great turnout and did pretty well in the old trophy department, too.... One first, 2 seconds and a third. (Dang wil we ever beat Hoosier Daddy Alan at VIR???)

The rookies all did a GREAT job. Jesse and his 1400 mile 2001 GTS took the second in Prepared - pretty amazing in a VERY competitive class (read - Chris Adam won with a 2:11 on STREET TIRES!). (And while Jesse promised to "take it easy" he still put down a 2:20 lap with his MOM in the car!

) Jeff grabbed a 3rd place in the ultracompetitive Super Stock class with VERY few mods to his car. I think we have at least 3 folks that will be attending more ViperDays events in the near term.... Including another husband and wife team.

Club member and racer Kenny Hawkins let Henry drive his ex-Speedvision World Challange race car for a session. Based on the grin on Henry's face as he exited the car I fear this was an expensive experiment. Don't know whether to thank Kenny or kick him....

Club members Randy (97 GTS) and Don (00 ACR) and VIR members continue to do very well on their home track. Don taking his third (?) win in the modified class in as many events.

Stuart G. (99 ACR) sent Brendan on a vidoe and picture taking extravaganza. We should have some great footage to distribute to all who attended. Maybe even to play at VOI7. I'll try to post some here when I get some copies.

Scott Gerow of Green Snake Racing is doing very well in his rookie year and continues to snake up through the pack to finish higher each race. And special thanks to him for transporting bugeater's car back to Wilmington.

Even our spectating members got into the act - Jim B. provided golf cart rides and direction for al, and Tim Cox went looking for a For Sale sign for Henry's car after the race car drive. (Thanks, Tim, like he needed any encouragement...) as well as trackside support using the tire and brake pyrometer.

I managed to keep my car on the track all weekend (Chuck) and felt pretty comfortable by Sunday - seeing as how I hadn't driven it in 8 months..... May not have BEEN fast, but it LOOKED fast

There WAS a professional photographer there from Raleigh who shot a BUNCH of 35mm slide film for a potential calendar. WIl keep you all posted as I hear from him.

Thanks to the Carolinas VCA for being such an outstanding group of people - the way that everyone works together and watches out for one another is the BEST reason to join and be active in the VCA - a better group of people cannot be found.

And special thanks to:
Skip Thomas for running this whole deal.
Linda Thomas for being her!

Courtney Thomas for putting up with US!
Tracy Thomas for her level headed can-do attitiude
Penny Siml for posting lap times faster than a speeding bullet
Tom Sessions for EVERYTHING... Tech, repair, assist, anything...
And Tammy Robertson for jumping in the car with ANYONE and making them do their absolute BEST on the track. (I only WISH I could maintain that same speed when she's NOT in with me...)

Next stop for us - BeaverRun.....

 

[SEASNAKE]

I've shaved another 10 seconds off my time over the last two nights. I closed my eyes and all I see is a race track. Do real race drivers ever sleep?

I wonder if I could pass for Randy or Don's live at home step-son and go to the members day this coming weekend...

 

[SEASNAKE]

I've shaved another 10 seconds off my time over the last two nights. I closed my eyes and all I see is a race track. Do real race drivers ever sleep?

I wonder if I could pass for Randy or Don's live at home step-son and go to the members day this coming weekend...

 

[Chuck 98 RT/10]

DAMDAMDAMDAM!!! I hate missing this! Gotta focus on next season. Slaughter, keep a room for me, I'm coming up next year.

 

[slaughterj]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Chuck 98 RT/10:
DAMDAMDAMDAM!!! I hate missing this! Gotta focus on next season. Slaughter, keep a room for me, I'm coming up next year.

<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

You really missed out Chuck, but you've got a place to stay for next year though

Maybe you can be on my pit crew next year too

 

[RC Viper]

Seasnake

You are welcome any time! They will only let you do Touring Lights, but it is still fun! Give me a call!