Viper Days

[VIPR GTS]

Wow, Spent Friday at Mid Ohio,Viper Days, green class with my Viper. I had no idea how fast and how well our cars really went. Unbelievable, and that is just as a novice. It was a great time with a really good instructor in the car. He knew just how to push to the limit to get the most that I was capable of at the time. Fast is cool, fast going through turns with other Vipers, priceless.
If you haven't been to one, do yourself a favor, Viper Days is a great way to learn more about you beast and go indecently fast with no fear of legal reprisals. Ima hooked!!!!

 

[Sonny 00 GTS ACR]

The Mid Ohio ViperDays was truly a classic event. The last count I heard was 96 Vipers! That's the most in one place outside of a VOI gathering.

It's worth the trip to any of the ViperDays events just to see the variety of cars with every conceivable modification. From street rookie to seasoned racer everyone comes away with a smile that has to be surgically removed.

Skip Thomas and his family always do a first class job putting on the event. Tommy Archer was there testing in the new Competition Coupe, Bobby Archer and Deborah Loth raced in the GT-2 class, Bill Pemberton did the racecast and Bob Woodhouse's daughter sang the national anthem - what a show!

Check your calendar and come to an event - you won't be disappointed.

 

[Marv S]

I heard an instructor got badly hurt. What happened?

 

[Hoosier Daddy]

Father driving, son instructing. Son had a collapsed lung diagnosed during the night after the banquet. Father had some ribs bruised or broken. They were from California and the son could not fly home do to the lung so they rented a car and are driving home. Sounds like a long trip with some body aches.

 

[WCKDVPR]

Sounds like a great event, we're lucky to 60 cars out West, and no Comp Coupe, Bobby, Deborah show.

How did the Comp Coupe compare to the VRL cars?
How did Bobby and Deborah do?
Inquiring minds want to know!

Hope the CA guys are OK!

 

[Bill Pemberton Woodhouse]

Bobby won his class , both days, and lowered the T1 record to the 1:36 range. Deb came in second on Saturday ( she had a prior commitment and didn't run on Sunday ). The cool thing is on Saturday they ended up 4th and 5th overall , out of 23 cars. They both ran very well, and Deb hung in there right on Bobby's bumper----- mentor and student had a great day.

President, Tony Estes , was there , as usual, and we had loads of folks from Daimler Chrysler too. Tony has been very instrumental in keeping Viper Days at the forefront of Dodge's new PVO team,and he generously pays his own way to all the events. With Pamela Niekamp, Pete Gladysz, Eric Peterson, and Tommy Archer there with a load of PVO brainchildren , it was a real tribute to how important Dodge views the Viper community and the new Competition Coupe. Those of you who haven't had a chance to go to a Viper Days event ( for instruction or racing ) need to avail yourselves of how impressive the series has become. There is still the warm family atmosphere, but Skip and company have brought even more advantages to the table ----- support groups like Bobby Archer Motorsports, Archer Racing Accessories, etc. are there in full force. In addition, we are now seeing representatives from TeamTech, Corsa Exhaust, StopTech Brakes, Hoosier, Michelin, etc. at the events.

Make sure you make the next event, at Mid America Motorplex, right in the center of the country, as it will have a Viper Days first ---- paid spectators. There are big parties planned for participants, T.V. and radio advertising, and the track is arguably one of the safest ever built ---- virtually no walls. This would be the perfect track and time to get your first instruction in your Viper, as the safety is key here, and if you mention to Courtney or Skip you are a VCA member, you get $100 off your first entry!!!!!


Info at:
www.viperdays.com
1-847-594-VIPR

The Host Hotel ( Holiday Inn and Suites ) is also right next to the Ameristar Casino, so extra-curricular activities are close at hand. The track is 15 minutes from the Hotel, and specify Viper Days for a $79 a night room rate.

 

[WCKDVPR]

Bill,

Thanks for the update. And the Comp Coupe? I'm sure somebody timed it, I can't be the only one who is curious. Anything?

Thanks.

 

[Hoosier Daddy]

The Comp. Coupe was in and out of the pits numerous times during all track sessions over both days. Once it left pit road and pulled in front of me on the track. I thought I was going to have a chance to put another notch in my belt by passing it. Him doing 40mph leaving the pits, me coming thru turn 1 like a steam roller at 90mph and increasing. By the time I set my sights on the Comp. Coupe Tommy was already thru the keyhole turns. Then I had to re evaluate my situation. Don't let this car lap me before the end of our run session.

 

[TacDoc]

I only have one response, it went through my head repeatedly, especially before turn 6.
<FONT size="6">GOT BRAKES??</FONT s>

 

[VIPR GTS]

Greg Spears, King of the green group, smoked the rest of us badly with his 2000 winged beast. Greg, what were your times for Saturday? I really hated leaving Friday night for work. Update me how it went.
Tony

 

[onerareviper]

Great Event. I loved it. Check out my pics on other Viper Days Topic.

Later



<FONT COLOR="#ff0000" SIZE="1" FACE="Verdana, Arial">This message has been edited by onerareviper on 04-30-2002 at 02:29 AM</font>

 

[TacDoc]

Tony, my weekend best was 1:51:38 I believe. I am not sure about the thousanths. Credit goes to the instructors for forever converting a cone killer. I will see you at VIR if all goes to plan.

 

[Bill Pemberton Woodhouse]

Concerning the Competition Coupe , here is some interesting data:

During the banquet Eric Peterson ( PVO Team ) let it be know that there will be an adjustable wing on the car, afterall. In talking with Pete Gladysz, Pamela Niekamp, Tommy Archer, and some of the techs, it also became apparent that there are more changes in store in the aerodynamic area. What this tells most of us , is the final vehicle will have some body changes. Watching Tommy drive is like watching mom spread Jif on Wonderbread -----------
smooooooooth!!! He would go out and seemingly poke around and still pass car after car before he would pull back in. In talking with Tommy, he was his usual gracious self and stated that the car was running around what the top drivers in the GT-1's were pulling. With McCanns ripping around in 1:33's , that would be pretty darn swift for a developemental mule. It was way cool to see the Daimler/Chrysler Worker Bees zipping around the Comp Coupe checking everything from tires to engine temps. The car looked fast, it was superb to see DC out showcasing a car that is not complete and even running it during the race. The most important thing that has come about with the formation of PVO is that the group really listens to us, Viper owners, and the teams openmindedness is unheard of in corporate America. I walked away from the event realizing that this group feels part of our family and they are going to great lengths to please us. Since the original car was going to come unpainted and Eric stated they were looking into customer requests for factory paint, it shows they are listening even to the relatively minor issues.

Getting wordy, now, what a surprise, but kudos also go to Pete Gladysz for sneaking down a SRT-4 Neon. Forget the term pocket rocket, this is a frigging land based cruise missle. Woodhouse borrowed it for a little test drive in the country, and he was only fast enough to pull the wool off the sheep in the meadow as he went rocketing past. Said to all, " It might do 140 plus, but would only smile when folks asked how he knew!" Watch out Sooby WRX, Civic Si, and Focus SVT, your days are numbered when this new bully starts kicking sand in your faces !!!

 

[RockyTop]

Bill, thanks for the Comp Coupe information from a GTS coupe owner who can only dream right now of getting a Comp Coupe !

Rocky