Viper road racing?

[Supercar]

Hi Everybody!

I am an engineer and an owner of an aftermarket company. I specialize in road racing products and I would like to buy a Viper one day, do track days in it and make some fast parts. I had a few chances to do that recently, butt...

One big question I have is where are all the Viper road racers/open trackers? Do Viper owners like to road race? If you go to the Vette forum there is a whole page of new posts every day just about road racing and autocross. Is there another forum where they are all hiding? The three Competition Coupe Racing Series forums here are barely alive, and it looks like this forum is more for the dyno and street racers.

Please help! I would like to meet all the road racing folks and see what they are talking about, and find out what it is like to road race a Viper! Thank you.

 

[Rich Wesorick]

www.viperracingleague.com
www.viperdays.com

 

[Chuck 98 RT/10]

Percentages. It is my educated guess that Vipers are one of, if not the most tracked production car built. I do 10-12 event each year and at every one there are always 6-12 Vipers entered. That is a lot for a limited production vehicle just introduced 15 years ago.

There is also Viper Days. A Viper dedicated organization that includes the Michelin Challenge Series and the full out race series Viper Racing League. Viper Days events typically have 60 to 90 Vipers entered.

In order to get the kind of road racing forum traffic Corvette has Dodge would have to produce 50,000 Vipers every year for 20 years. Instead Dodge builds approximately 1,000 to 1,500 Vipers annually.

For the record, my 97 GTS has nearly 50,000 miles on it, most of which are track miles. Formerly a school car I've been tracking it for 6 years and it has never had the valve covers off. Vipers are very durable and perfect track cars. If I ever get a 06 Viper it will get more track miles than street. Those things rock.

 

[Chuck 98 RT/10]

If you're interested in building some aftermarket performance parts look into building an affordable (read non-carbon fiber) airbox like the one in this thread. But don't delay getting around to it, they are only good for GenII & I.

http://www4.forum.viperclub.org/showflat.php?Cat=0&Number=746086&page=0&fpart=1&vc=1

 

[Chuck 98 RT/10]

Oh, and take a look at WC-GT and see what car dominates both in entry numbers and points.

www.world-challenge.com

 

[Supercar]

Thanks for the replies, guys, I appreciate it!

Yes, I knew about the Viper Racing League, World Challenge, ALMS, FIA GT and Grand Am. I just checked out the Viper Days website. An interesting HPDE club with some potential ways to continue on in raal wheel-to-wheel racing. I also checked out my local Illinois Viper Club. Gingerman is my favorite track!

My background is with an even smaller car platform with only about a 100 of avid road racers nationwide, but we do have a few dedicated forums and an emailing list.

What I still have not found is a web forum where you guys communicate. Would it be this forum? Are you here all together with drag racers, and how do you sift through all the dyno racing threads and "kill stories"? Maybe you are used to this but I am new here and I find this unusual. Thanks.

 

[FlyBryViper]

Supercar
Yes, we communicate here publicly, or privately with PM. During the season, we know we will see each other every 4 weeks, so we wait and do most of out bench racing and kill stories in person. But, we do get a good one going one here occasioanly.

 

[FlyBryViper]

Like the time Chuck was holding me up for several laps...

 

[Chuck 98 RT/10]

It's called "defending my position" when I do it.

 

[GTS Dean]

If you were fast enough, you wouldn't have to "defend" anything.

 

[FrankBarba]

You will also find Vipers racing in NASA/SCCA Regional Events. If you want input i suggest you follow the forums for a while pm the known people that do the racing you want to produce parts for.

 

[Tom Sessions]

Like C.B. is fast enough to catch anyoneSee you in Kansas

 

[Supercar]

You guys are an interesting bunch, and I like your cars. I would have been making parts for you already if I had a Viper.

I want to find a used Viper for under $40K. Which year/model should I get? I like to think that I will be driving it more often than just at track days, but from my own experience maybe not.

For ~$40K I think I could buy most early models, some later models with higher mileage, or maybe some track-prepped and raced cars??

I searched, I could also find some totaled almost new ones too. I am not afraid of work but some of those curvacious body parts can be expensive.

Do these V10's last forever if not raced? Thanks again!

 

[Chuck 98 RT/10]

Do these V10's last forever if not raced? Thanks again!

The valve covers have never been off either of my Vipers. 103K on my 98.

 

[Chuck 98 RT/10]

Deano, Tom, Flyby, why you guys hurt me so? Where's the love?

 

[SoCal Rebell]

Deano, Tom, Flyby, why you guys hurt me so? Where's the love?

Leave poor Chucky alone, it's not his fault he's slooooow

.

 

[Chuck 98 RT/10]

no love from the **** crowd? That really hurts.

 

[SoCal Rebell]

no love from the **** crowd? That really hurts.

In Chuck's defense Christy said he was fast, really fast

 

[Chuck 98 RT/10]

no love from the **** crowd? That really hurts.

In Chuck's defense Christy said he was fast, really fast

Like a 16-year-old.

 

[SoCal Rebell]

no love from the **** crowd? That really hurts.

In Chuck's defense Christy said he was fast, really fast

Like a 16-year-old.

She said you added up to a 96 year old then

Which is what you looked like when she was done with you

 

[Vic]

Supercar, Viper owners who track their cars are a little bit different, I think, they don't bench race on the car forums as much as others, prefering to get their kicks in high-G turns with all four wheels squeeling, as oppossed to playing keyboard warrior.

A lot of local Viper guys post here-

www.opentrackracing.com

Killer Bee and Smacky Chan always have a love-hate smack-fest going on. Very entertaining, if you're into that sort of thing.

Another aspect as to why you don't see a lot of road racing posts on this site is, that once Viper ownership introduces people to HPDE, they then realise its cheaper+safer with a dedicated track car, so they move to other platforms, Radicals, Stohrs, and if you like to spend a disproportionate amount of money on your weeekend warrior toy, you get a Swift. (wink, wink)

 

[Supercar]

Hey, thanks, Vic! I can see some bench racing going on in this thread!

I will check the Opentracking website again. But then it is not Viper-specific, so if I decide to market stuff there most of the people will not be interested.

Is it really true that other cars are cheaper and safer than Vipers? I understand the initial cost of the car, but what do you need to track a Viper? Pads, rotors, tires... I am a StopTech dealer, and I run used World Challenge tires on my track car, so to me these things are not any more expensive than if I ran anything else. Are there any expensive must-haves, upgrades?

Thanks again!

 

[SoCal Rebell]

Hey, thanks, Vic! I can see some bench racing going on in this thread!

I will check the Opentracking website again. But then it is not Viper-specific, so if I decide to market stuff there most of the people will not be interested.

Is it really true that other cars are cheaper and safer than Vipers? I understand the initial cost of the car, but what do you need to track a Viper? Pads, rotors, tires... I am a StopTech dealer, and I run used World Challenge tires on my track car, so to me these things are not any more expensive than if I ran anything else. Are there any expensive must-haves, upgrades?

Thanks again!

Your Viper is track ready out the box, just flush out the brake fluid and put in some high temp fluid. Get used to the dynamics of the car first. I eventually added power upgrades, track alignment, 4 wheel Stoptech Big Brake system, oil baffles, 5 points, downforce ect.

Haha, ask Vic about the time I ran him off the track at Willow Springs between turns 2 & 3, sorry Vic, one of my favorite memories

 

[Vic]

Yeah, So Cal follows me out in the beginners' group, when I had about 45 minutes of total track time under my belt. He comes up behind me so fast in a no-pass zone, it startled me. I moved off line to let him by, but got a wheel off in the dirt, and 'round I went. First did a 360 clockwise, then 360 ccw, so it was a 720, or an algebraic "0", depending on how you look at it. No harm done.

So tell me, what would you have done if I didn't move aside? Could you have slowed down in time? Would you have made a pass in the yellow groups' "no-pass" zone? I guess the answer is yes, but at the time, I didn't realise that there was enough braking force to do so, and thought we were going to end up kissing at the apex. I was just beginning to understand what a Viper can do at high speeds, and your closing speed seemed like it was going to result in contact. If I knew then what I know now, I wouldn't have moved over for you. Live and learn.

Here is me during my first 20 minutes ever on track. Note the short sleeves, lack of driving gloves, and pristine front end, devoid of rock chips. John Dearing keeps pointing to some mysterious point called the "apex", and seems overly absorbed with its magical powers. Keeps waving his arms wildly about, and shouting unfamiliar terms like "turn-in", and "track-out". You know, a driver's meeting would have been a great way to start, rather than just getting right on track. Learn the line first, then go out and find it. Dearing was like "Its over there", then suddenly pointing to the other side of the track "Now its over there!" I thought he was halucinating or something, but tried to steer the car where he was pointing! Contrast that teaching style to Pmum, who took me effortlessly from 1:44 to 1:38 in about ten laps. I got to 1:36 on my own, but ran out of time and money. God I miss the track....

 

[SoCal Rebell]

Yeah, So Cal follows me out in the beginners' group, when I had about 45 minutes of total track time under my belt. He comes up behind me so fast in a no-pass zone, it startled me. I moved off line to let him by, but got a wheel off in the dirt, and 'round I went. First did a 360 clockwise, then 360 ccw, so it was a 720, or an algebraic "0", depending on how you look at it. No harm done.

So tell, me, oh chubby one, what would you have done if I didn't move aside? Could you have slowed down in time? I guess the answer is yes, but at the time, I didn't realise that there was enough braking force to do so, and thought we were going to end up kissing at the apex.

I had it timed so that if you stayed on line you would of went track right after tracking out and I woulda blown by with a legal left side pass, I was going a good 30 mph faster in that sweeper (had Hoosiers on). Ya wouldn't of done that after your PMUM ride

*EDIT* ya you were a little wide there in turn 4
Look at my avatar on the v i p e r a l l e y and it's the same turn, I hit the apex and my front right tire was just about all the way off the ground.

 

[Vic]

You're AWESOME, Ron! heh heh!

So what are you doing? You got a track ride these days?

I don't have any racing budget at all right now. ***** for the moment....

 

[BB Racin 77]

Several road racers use this forum to keep in touch with the Viper community, because we love the cars. Most of our discussions take place directly with other racers at the tracks or at our regional/national race forums, but these are not Viper specific.

The Viper Racing League has some great events that you should attend so you could talk to the competitors and find out what they need or want.

 

[Chuck 98 RT/10]

Great pic Vic, but real numbers are good for 15hp.

 

[Vic]

Great pic Vic, but real numbers are good for 15hp.

heh heh!

 

[Fast Viper Dan]

First did a 360 clockwise, then 360 ccw

Vary good Vic, you corrected! Keep up the good work!
Fast(Vary Fast)Viper Dan