Y2K5SRT
Enthusiast
First off, this topic will cover Viper racing, memorabilia, classifieds, events/gatherings, and the SRT/10. But mainly it will cover the GTS and RT/10, so here you go...
We here in Kansas City were VERY excited about Viper Days coming to the upper Midwest - Iowa to be exact. Well, <u>I</u> was excited anyway. I sent out several e-mails to our fellow KCVCA members and we ended up getting some interested folks. We met bright and early in Overland Park and headed north. Yours Truly took the lead with a Valentine One and Norman's 2-way radio. We then met up with some of our St. Joseph members around 8:45. Then we were off!
We looked pretty darn spiffy on the way up and attracted quite the convoy of onlookers:
We then arrived at the track (after a grueling 1.7 miles on a gravel road - I think that took us an hour by itself) and were escorted to a spot right by the staging lanes which had been designated for the Kansas City Club. In a sea of Vipers, we had our own little shoreline!
We got a very nice package deal from the folks at Viper Days, which included lunch, a commemorative T-shirt, and a few laps around the track with a pace car. The guys from our club generously suggested I be first in line, but somebody from South Dakota somehow got there before me in his red RT/10. No matter, it made for an interesting perspective: The pace car was a red 2003 SRT/10!
The guys behind me were pretty amused: We got some decent speeds going by the third lap or so. Yet here was this idiot trying to take pictures with one hand and driving with the other (yeah, I need a camera mount someday). And then my wife (who stayed home for three baseball games with our sons) decided that would be a good time to call. Heading into a tight turn, I am juggling a camera and a cell phone. Thankfully, I am just a wicked-good driver, so I probably could have made a cup of coffee at the same time... (grin) Some of the pictures weren't the best (I shot over 300 pictures yesterday), but I liked this angle of the SRT/10 anyway:
Now for a brief commentary on the SRT/10. I have withheld virtually all comment on the new car until I saw it in person. Well I did see it yesterday. My thoughts? It is NOT as "outrageous" as the current model(s). It is NOT as striking and is certainly more average looking than what we are driving today. Did I like it? It took me a little while. When I approached it in it's "hands off" security roping, I was underwhelmed. Like I said, it simply does not grab your attention like the current cars. It would look silly with stripes (my opinion anyway), so there goes that attention getter. I definitely liked the interior better, especially the seats. The taillights are very cool (clear lenses) and the headlights are also an improvement (and supposed to be state-of-the-art high-intensity bulbs too). Still, it didn't blow me away like I had hoped it would. But wait, there's more.
Two things happened that changed my mind:
1. I saw it on the track. Remember my vantage point on the parade laps? I gotta tell you, the car may not be as striking as the GenI/II cars, but it DOES look pretty dang good going down the road. Look at that last picture. See the way the wheels fill those wells? How about the way the car is "flared" and up a little higher in the back than the front. Definitely a Viper, especially with the side cutouts. Mind you, I LOVE the current Viper and will probably be buried in my GTS, but when the red RT/10 and red SRT/10 were right there in front of me, the RT looked a little dated and the SRT looked like a modern muscle car.
2. I talked to the drivers. No, not the Kansas City owners (who, BTW, represented four SRT/10 orderers out of the ten that came up), but the door-to-door race drivers. Now these guys KNOW performance cars. Almost without exception, they LOVE the new SRT/10. One guy's family has ordered three of them. Why? They say the car will have some of the best brakes on ANY car out there - without modifications. They say that the car will be pushing closer to 525 horsepower out of the box. They say that it handles BETTER than the current cars. They say the build quality will be even better, as the design is for a better "fit". They are extremely fired up about this car. After watching it make the rounds, I have to tell you that I am too.
Okay, back to the action! Here is another shot of the SRT/10 pacing the door-to-door race at 4:00:
And here is the field of cars. Now HERE are some Vipers!
We here in Kansas City were VERY excited about Viper Days coming to the upper Midwest - Iowa to be exact. Well, <u>I</u> was excited anyway. I sent out several e-mails to our fellow KCVCA members and we ended up getting some interested folks. We met bright and early in Overland Park and headed north. Yours Truly took the lead with a Valentine One and Norman's 2-way radio. We then met up with some of our St. Joseph members around 8:45. Then we were off!
You must be registered for see images
We looked pretty darn spiffy on the way up and attracted quite the convoy of onlookers:
You must be registered for see images
We then arrived at the track (after a grueling 1.7 miles on a gravel road - I think that took us an hour by itself) and were escorted to a spot right by the staging lanes which had been designated for the Kansas City Club. In a sea of Vipers, we had our own little shoreline!
You must be registered for see images
We got a very nice package deal from the folks at Viper Days, which included lunch, a commemorative T-shirt, and a few laps around the track with a pace car. The guys from our club generously suggested I be first in line, but somebody from South Dakota somehow got there before me in his red RT/10. No matter, it made for an interesting perspective: The pace car was a red 2003 SRT/10!
You must be registered for see images
The guys behind me were pretty amused: We got some decent speeds going by the third lap or so. Yet here was this idiot trying to take pictures with one hand and driving with the other (yeah, I need a camera mount someday). And then my wife (who stayed home for three baseball games with our sons) decided that would be a good time to call. Heading into a tight turn, I am juggling a camera and a cell phone. Thankfully, I am just a wicked-good driver, so I probably could have made a cup of coffee at the same time... (grin) Some of the pictures weren't the best (I shot over 300 pictures yesterday), but I liked this angle of the SRT/10 anyway:
You must be registered for see images
Now for a brief commentary on the SRT/10. I have withheld virtually all comment on the new car until I saw it in person. Well I did see it yesterday. My thoughts? It is NOT as "outrageous" as the current model(s). It is NOT as striking and is certainly more average looking than what we are driving today. Did I like it? It took me a little while. When I approached it in it's "hands off" security roping, I was underwhelmed. Like I said, it simply does not grab your attention like the current cars. It would look silly with stripes (my opinion anyway), so there goes that attention getter. I definitely liked the interior better, especially the seats. The taillights are very cool (clear lenses) and the headlights are also an improvement (and supposed to be state-of-the-art high-intensity bulbs too). Still, it didn't blow me away like I had hoped it would. But wait, there's more.
Two things happened that changed my mind:
1. I saw it on the track. Remember my vantage point on the parade laps? I gotta tell you, the car may not be as striking as the GenI/II cars, but it DOES look pretty dang good going down the road. Look at that last picture. See the way the wheels fill those wells? How about the way the car is "flared" and up a little higher in the back than the front. Definitely a Viper, especially with the side cutouts. Mind you, I LOVE the current Viper and will probably be buried in my GTS, but when the red RT/10 and red SRT/10 were right there in front of me, the RT looked a little dated and the SRT looked like a modern muscle car.
2. I talked to the drivers. No, not the Kansas City owners (who, BTW, represented four SRT/10 orderers out of the ten that came up), but the door-to-door race drivers. Now these guys KNOW performance cars. Almost without exception, they LOVE the new SRT/10. One guy's family has ordered three of them. Why? They say the car will have some of the best brakes on ANY car out there - without modifications. They say that the car will be pushing closer to 525 horsepower out of the box. They say that it handles BETTER than the current cars. They say the build quality will be even better, as the design is for a better "fit". They are extremely fired up about this car. After watching it make the rounds, I have to tell you that I am too.
Okay, back to the action! Here is another shot of the SRT/10 pacing the door-to-door race at 4:00:
You must be registered for see images
And here is the field of cars. Now HERE are some Vipers!
You must be registered for see images
