Watching the Viper at Sebring?

[GTS Bruce]

Its nice that the organizers let one out on the track. Adding a moving chicaine to the track makes for more interesting viewing but hazardous driving. Lots of views of it as other cars are attempting to get around it on either side. Some have almost even attempted to drive through it or over the top of it. The Viper makes even the fugly panosz look good out there. Time to move it into vintage racing only. GTS Bruce

 

[Chuck 98 RT/10]

Don't be too rough on them. From what Hall said ALMS saw how fast they were running in practice and decided to restrict them. Hall qualified the car 8th out of 15 which was 2.5 seconds behind the leader.

ALMS needs to get their heads out of their butts. GT1 is a pathetic joke and I can't believe they are allowing it to continue this year with only one team entered.

 

[viper GTS-R]

Don't be too rough on them. From what Hall said ALMS saw how fast they were running in practice and decided to restrict them. Hall qualified the car 8th out of 15 which was 2.5 seconds behind the leader.

ALMS needs to get their heads out of their butts. GT1 is a pathetic joke and I can't believe they are allowing it to continue this year with only one team entered.

Chuck I couldn't agree more, same thing with P2, three cars racing in that class. Why?! I guess well just say the Vette teams are afraid to race in GT2, so they get free trophies in GT1.

I felt that the Primetime Race group did pretty well for a privateer team. They managed to complete 70% of the race and finished 17th overall ending two hours shy of 12 cause of clutch issue. Speed GT is exciting, but to see a Viper go longer than two hours is nice. The Doran Ford GT finished 14th overall too.

Meanwhile Rahal's factory backed BMW's were the first to go. Yikes!

--RS

 

[Warfang]

Don't be too rough on them. From what Hall said ALMS saw how fast they were running in practice and decided to restrict them. Hall qualified the car 8th out of 15 which was 2.5 seconds behind the leader.

ALMS needs to get their heads out of their butts. GT1 is a pathetic joke and I can't believe they are allowing it to continue this year with only one team entered.

Tired of the viper getting restricted all the time... It's like forcing the fastest runners in the olympics to wear leaded shoes to keep the race even. I guess there's no race where manufacturers aren't afraid to run fairly against the viper.

 

[REDSLED]

Its nice that the organizers let one out on the track. Adding a moving chicaine to the track makes for more interesting viewing but hazardous driving. Lots of views of it as other cars are attempting to get around it on either side. Some have almost even attempted to drive through it or over the top of it. The Viper makes even the fugly panosz look good out there. Time to move it into vintage racing only. GTS Bruce

This coming from a guy who's trying to mount a poser front splitter on his street car. Another arm-chair quarterback with no knowledge of the racing game. What a surprise.

 

[Chuck 98 RT/10]

Meanwhile Rahal's factory backed BMW's were the first to go. Yikes!

They were probably the ones that complained. Chris Hall laid down a 2:03 which would have put him at or near the top of the class. BMW complained and IMSA or ALMS or whoever the hell it is these days slapped a 20% restrictor on the Viper just before qualifying. Imagine working the entire off season tuning your setup just to be screwed right before the race. The unfairness of doing such a thing at such a late hour is worthy of boycotting ALMS.

Who wants to start the protest?

On a related note, David Welch (Woodhouse Viper) and Lee Saunders (Viper) came from 14th and 18th to finish 7th and 10th in the Sebring World Challenge race on Friday. I don't know Welch but I know Saunders very well and if he had the support of a bigger team he would be one to contend with. Lee is a great driver.

 

[GTS Bruce]

Wrong on both counts redsled. I have a road race background but my last serious drive was around 10 yrs ago short track stock car. Far different discipline. I do manage to get my viper out a few times a year for a track day fun drive. Helbig himself says that the small splitter and canards add some downforce on the nose which tends to get 25 lbs light while the rear makes 100 lbs of downforce. And for everyone else I think they should stick restrictors in all forms of racing up the organizers ***. Bankrupt chrysler still has money for new nascar engines for the trucks and cars although they dropped their sprint car engine program. How about a few bucks for the car that won Lemans and made Chrysler an international player and a household name! PS: I drank too much watching everyone drive by the Viper before I started the thread. GTS BRuce

 

[Tabs1]

I agree, race on sunday and sell on monday. It would be nice to have a factory team to follow.

 

[Disturbed]

I wish they would run a spec tire in factory size, do the typical saftey equipment...then let them run...Just let the best car/driver combo win for a change.

 

[GTS Bruce]

I get aggitated when I see corvette,porsche etc blowing by a Viper on a track. No doubt the crew worked their azzes off and the drivers drove their azzes off. I sincerely hope they had a good time. No factory support means NO SUPPORT as in No R&D and possibly more important a factory rep telling the organizers that if they slap on last minute wt or restrictors we take our ball home and go play elswhere. NASCAR (gulp!) doesn't seem to have much of a problem equalizing cars in the Rolex series. And I do mean relatively equal considering the different chasis/engines. ALMS is killing off its car count and the spectators will be next. GTS Bruce

 

[Chuck 98 RT/10]

ALMS is killing off its car count and the spectators will be next. GTS Bruce

+1. Sebring's big show only had 26 entries. I can't find the words to describe how pathetic that is. I don't know how they can survive with that kind of showing. In the glory years there would be 80 cars ripping up the track. For 12 hours straight there wouldn't be a silent moment. But with 26 cars on a 3.7 mile track? You could read a book. They better find a way to get more cars because it can't go on like this.

 

[Warfang]

+1. Sebring's big show only had 26 entries. I can't find the words to describe how pathetic that is. I don't know how they can survive with that kind of showing. In the glory years there would be 80 cars ripping up the track. For 12 hours straight there wouldn't be a silent moment. But with 26 cars on a 3.7 mile track? You could read a book. They better find a way to get more cars because it can't go on like this.

Well... you'll have to stop the GM guys from whining about every little thing first.