Vipers qualify on the lower end at Road Atlanta!

[Bill Pemberton Woodhouse]

Well, adding a 100 lbs, and more air restriction, has hammered the Comp. Coupes, and it seems ludicrous that Tommy Archer's brilliant drives have hammered everyone else. Though Tommy had a few breaks along with his brilliant drives, SCCA has decided to make the Viper even fatter ( heaviest car on course ), and no help with larger front tires, as well as more restriction, makes it apparent, SCCA is not viewing the Snake competitors in a logical manner. With the extra penalties, doled out to the car that is making the field ( 13 of the 30 cars are Vipers ), it is unbelievable that SCCA doesn't wake up and realize the race wouldn't go on with any excitement if the Comp Coupes weren't present - oh, boy a race with 17 cars, if the Vipers left. Politics aside, DC needs to jump in a help the cause, as the benefits are being given to the cars that are being fielded by only a few. I would hate to see the overall win for the Constructor's Championship go to someone who fields a few cars, as opposed to the legions of privateers running our car, with their own money, in the true spirit of what SCCA was established from. The qualifying , for Snakes, at Road Atlanta, is as follows:

6th Tommy Archer
11th Phil McClure
12th Mike McCann
15th Bob Woodhouse
16th Tim Wiens
19th Rob Foster
20th Lenny Diller
21st Kenny Hawkins
22th Rich Marziale
25th Adel Elsayed
26th Warren Diller
27th Mike Hartley
30th Jim McCann

Jim McCann qualified last, but he never took to the track, so I am not sure what problem befell him.

 

[Chuck 98 RT/10]

You can pretty well bet on Caddy for the Constructor's Championship. www.world-challenge.com list them as the only manufacture sponsor.

 

[Rich Wesorick]

Billy, Billy, Billy... you're getting yourself all worked up here... You've been watching this stuff long enough to know that SCCA's plan is designed so that at the end of the season all of the major players all still in the ballgame. I doubt Tommy's going to drop much weight through the middle part of the season, but the Caddy's and P-cars will be picking it up. Let's not turn into the crybabies that some of the other camps are known for... Let the system (REWARDS and Comp Adjustments) run its course and let's see what happens. Remember, we (Bobby Archer driving my car) won the first two races in '99 (http://www.world-challenge.com/records/99-gtfinal.html ), got hit with lots of lead, and fought very hard the rest of the year to stay in the top five. Bobby also won the GT Championship that year! And by the slimest of margins, which is what SCCA wants. Yes I disagree with the latest adjustment (100 lbs and 5% more inlet restriction), but I think SCCA looked at how well others (Mike McCann?) were doing in the first 2 races and felt it was deserved.

Further, I disagree that SCCA should bow to Dodge for fielding the most cars - that makes no sense. Should they be thankful - yes. Do you really think that the CC should be such a killer car that Diller, Alsayed, etc. should be running with the Caddy or P-car drivers? Tommy should run with them and did - he qualified less than second off the pole with 150 lbs of REWARDS weight.

Just my 2 cents,
Rich

 

[Bill Pemberton Woodhouse]

Rich,

Well, you also remember the Corvette gang complaining to the powers that be, and they got bigger tires,and slapped restrictor plates on the GTS and overnight T1 became a one car class - the Viper was no longer viable. I am concerned with the big money GM is floating again, and we are seeing more stipulations put on the Comp Coupes than the other makes. We have one driver really kicking butt, not running away with any races, and yet the penalties are falling the hardest. I understand tight racing, but it is the over zealous nature of late that I find frustrating. It is the heaviest car, has relatively the smallest tire up front, and changes every race need to moderated from a cost standpoint. I understand your point completely, and much of it merits careful thought, but I don't want to see folks dropping out of the running and smaller fields being the case due to what many view as a one sided bias at present.If we compare times from the last races the Comp Coupes are not the stars of speed, Tommy in particular has just stayed out of trouble - consistent as usual. I personally hope you are right, but the additional weight, along with another air restriction, smacked as severe overkill. I believe Tommy was only 4th quickest at St. Petersburg, but he ran a clean race. Just my humble opinion, and frankly I hope I am overboard and you are 100% correct in your assessment.

 

[Rich Wesorick]

Bill:

I don't think I'm 100% correct, but rather I think you also have an excellent point(s). In a way, I was just trying to raise another point of view before everybody jumps on here and goes off on how Viper is being persecuted again and again... Our (Viper community) problem is that we have 1 really, really good driver and (as crazy as this sounds) he won the first two races of the year. Tommy success hurts every other Viper driver and, being so early in the year, forces SCCA to knee-**** react to keep the rest of the field off their backs. SCCA Pro Racing is all about politics and legislation, and you can bet that 3R's press release will be crying about the weight, etc. - that's all part of the game that positions you for the end of the season.

I just can't take reading one more "let 'em run what they brung" post...

Cheers,
Rich

 

[Bill Pemberton Woodhouse]

I agree with your last statement, I am just blowing steam about said knee **** actions. I agree things will change over the year, I am just frustrated as we do have some very high quality drivers that have done extremely well in this venue ( most are Viper Days alums ),but Tommy is arguably in a class by himself. I would love to see more of the Privateers do well , but it is tough to make changes every race when one is not a full time professional. I am floored that the McCanns, Woodhouse, Wiens, and McClure do as well as they have with the limited track time they get after working all week. I will get off my high horse, and hope the politics are influenced by the advantage of large number of competitors. Thanks for your thoughts.

 

[ViperRay]

Good remarks from both you guys.

I am struck by Bill's comment though regarding lap times and the fact that Archer's lap times have not been the fastest (though very fast and consistent they are).

This suggests he wins because he is the better driver and not necessarily because the car is superior.

I don't mind "equalizing" the cars... I just don't think they should equalize the drivers.
That's what competition is about.

Having said all that, I understand the SCCA politics and the importance of keeping as many car manufacturers interested in this venue as possible... and that only comes by letting all the manufacturers win some.

 

[viper GTS-R]

Eh we can pull this sucker off. Hope it's not a repeat like last years race with the big wreck.

Best of luck to all drivers!

Go Adel!

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