Viper Drivers in 2009 SCCA runoffs
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cheryl mccally
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What SCCA class is that? Those guys have to be great drivers. It's super that the Viper is out there being so well represented in SCCA. Maybe then Viper will make the best drivers car list again.
Congrats to Dave Pintaric! When I last saw him we were both vette drivers, went to Cleveland car show and he was talking about racing...he has certainly come a LOOONG way since then! I would love to see him race!!!!
Rich Wesorick
Enthusiast
It's the T1 class - very stock for the Viper (maybe even restricted). Pintaric blew a motor - hopefully getting fixed. Lance Knupp will be our best chance, but an F430 is the car to have.
The F430 won. It isn't just the car. The driver and team spent more time testing, more track time during the year, and ,yes more money spent. They earned it.
Lance Knupp was 2nd in a Viper.
A Corvette was third.
Jim Lynch in a Viper was 3rd.
David Pintaric was DNF
Congrats to all!
Lance Knupp was 2nd in a Viper.
A Corvette was third.
Jim Lynch in a Viper was 3rd.
David Pintaric was DNF
Congrats to all!
Rich Wesorick
Enthusiast
Sounds like the Ferrari jumped the start, and SCCA let it stand! Viper (Lance Knupp) should have won.
SCCAForums.com - The truth behind the T1 race
SCCAForums.com - The truth behind the T1 race
Kinda of reminds one of a couple of years ago when at the very last moment SCCA decided to slap 140 extra pounds on the Vipers. Second place went to a Viper then also, as Cindi Lux drove her tail off , but ran out of brakes near the end of the race. Never had happened before, but then the car had never run during the season with 140 extra lbs....................................politics definitely.
Awful lot of folks are getting tired of this type of blatant behavior and many have been members of SCCA for a very long time. Things need to be consistent and rules need to adherred to, as in all amatuer sports that is one of the ways to gauge your success.
Awful lot of folks are getting tired of this type of blatant behavior and many have been members of SCCA for a very long time. Things need to be consistent and rules need to adherred to, as in all amatuer sports that is one of the ways to gauge your success.
Boxer12
Enthusiast
Sounds like Lance is making two points, and the first is that the F430 Challenge has no place in T1 because it isn't commonly available. I disagree with him on that one. It fulfills all the rules he quotes, it just is a newer developed car that costs more money to build and bests the competition fairly. As for the second issue, the jump start, there is an old trick. The top teams have a guy with a radio at the start/finish and as soon as they see the starters arm start to move, they tell the driver to "go." That seems like a jump start in many cases but they know the guy won't stop pulling the flag once his arm is moving. Its hard to tell from the video if that is what happened. It is amateur sports, and there are always 'judgment' calls and they tend to favor the guys who put more money and bring more glamour to the organization. Sure, the SCCA wants the F430C in its T1 class and it is a faster and better car by design. I don't think you will ever win that argument. In NASA TTU and ST1, they gave a waiver to the CC (in a class that is supposed to have VINs), which is prob why there are no Ferraris on the grid. That makes more sense to me that trying to exclude a production car.
For the record, I do own a Ferrari and am a member of the FCA and FOC, so I may be biased. But I also own two Vipers, and am a VCA member too, so maybe I am objective?
PS-2nd place is nothing to sneeze at. Darn good job!
For the record, I do own a Ferrari and am a member of the FCA and FOC, so I may be biased. But I also own two Vipers, and am a VCA member too, so maybe I am objective?
PS-2nd place is nothing to sneeze at. Darn good job!
Last edited:
David Pintaric
Viper Owner
Hey all!
Tough week at Road America. I love that track but it hasn't loved me back yet.
I lost my second B&B'ed motor on the second lap of the first qualifying session (Tuesday). The first one went kaplooie at The June Spints. This was a big set back as the replacement was a more-or-less junkyard motor (no, I didn't have a spare "bullet," but won't make THAT mistake again!) that was 20 HP down from my good one. 20 HP is a big difference at RA, big. So I was behind the eight ball from the get go.
I was still able to maintain my qualifying position even though I missed a shift on the lap that counted; no, that didn't hurt the motor but it did cost me 7 tenths on the clock. The lap where the motor blew was going to be doosey...mid to high 22s that would have me 3rd on the grid, but alas it was not meant to be and I started 5th on the grid.
The start was a "cluster." I hit the rev limiter in both 2nd and 3rd gears, totally out of character for me. Then, going into Turn 5, something got wiggly in the rear and I could not stop the car. I overshot the turn a bit and lost a few spots. I got back into the race immediately, but the left read felt like a tire was going flat. I radioed to my crew to give them a "heads up."
Going into Canada Corner I passed a car, set the rear to accelerate, and "boom!" the left rear knuckle broke putting me through the gravel trap and into the tire wall. All before passing the start/finish and completing a lap.
Like I said: tough week.
Oh well, get the car repaired and get ready for 2010. I will have 2 good motors next time!
Tough week at Road America. I love that track but it hasn't loved me back yet.
I lost my second B&B'ed motor on the second lap of the first qualifying session (Tuesday). The first one went kaplooie at The June Spints. This was a big set back as the replacement was a more-or-less junkyard motor (no, I didn't have a spare "bullet," but won't make THAT mistake again!) that was 20 HP down from my good one. 20 HP is a big difference at RA, big. So I was behind the eight ball from the get go.
I was still able to maintain my qualifying position even though I missed a shift on the lap that counted; no, that didn't hurt the motor but it did cost me 7 tenths on the clock. The lap where the motor blew was going to be doosey...mid to high 22s that would have me 3rd on the grid, but alas it was not meant to be and I started 5th on the grid.
The start was a "cluster." I hit the rev limiter in both 2nd and 3rd gears, totally out of character for me. Then, going into Turn 5, something got wiggly in the rear and I could not stop the car. I overshot the turn a bit and lost a few spots. I got back into the race immediately, but the left read felt like a tire was going flat. I radioed to my crew to give them a "heads up."
Going into Canada Corner I passed a car, set the rear to accelerate, and "boom!" the left rear knuckle broke putting me through the gravel trap and into the tire wall. All before passing the start/finish and completing a lap.
Like I said: tough week.
Oh well, get the car repaired and get ready for 2010. I will have 2 good motors next time!
Boxer12
Enthusiast
That's too bad Dave, ouch, and I thought I had a bad Champ'ship with a broken front splitter and tranny that wouldn't shift from 2-3. Like you said, there is always next year.
Rich Wesorick
Enthusiast
Dave - as a fellow NE Ohio guy (and a fellow Nelson Ledges victim), I was pulling for you. Blown motors and broken knuckles sounds odd for Vipers - they are typically pretty bullet-proof. best of luck next year!
Rich
Rich
VPRGTS
Enthusiast
Looks like a lot of fun. Sorry you had so much trouble.
My guess is you damaged your left rear suspension when the rear got loose under braking and you slapped the corvette with your left rear. Watch this video at the 1:01 mark.
[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJ0r1JIuHwA[/media]
I am sorry things didn't go as well as you probably hoped!
I want to get out to one of your races and watch you run next year
ViperGal
Enthusiast
Thinking out loud - when you look at it Lance Armstrong didn't win alone it was due to racing with a team approach - are the three Vipers getting together in strategy to work as a team to ensure one of them wins????
Just a thought...
Just a thought...
David Pintaric
Viper Owner
Good chance that you are right. Like a good cornerback, I have forgotten it already. I am now focusing on the net race: the American Road Race of Champions at Road Atlanta on November 6th thru the 8th.
Yes, Lance an I hooked up together, especially on his third qualifying session. I gave him a draft that I think secured his 2nd place qualifying position. On day 1 we were doing the same but my good motor expired on the second lap. That 2nd hot lap was going to be a good one!
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