The 2013 SRT Viper GTS is arguably one of the great Mopar muscle cars of all time and in this week’s Mopar Muscle Thursday feature, we look at the newest Viper GTS lapping the famed Mazda Laguna Seca Raceway courtesy of the folks at Motor Trend. At the helm is Randy Pobst – the same guy who was tasked with trying to beat the Chevrolet Corvette ZR1’s best time on the same track. This was the same guy who was unable to beat his own time in the Corvette, which prompted SRT CEO Ralph Gilles to question Pobst’s abilities but this video is still offers a great look at the new Viper GTS hammering some of the trickiest curves offered in the US.
While Ralph Gilles believes that a better driver could turn in better times with the 2013 SRT Viper GTS than Randy Pobst (a man who has made a living racing a Volvo sedan), the lap time turned in doesn’t make this video any less cool. Thanks to the collection of GoPro cameras strapped all over the interior and exterior of the 640 horsepower supercar, we get a look at the Viper and the track from multiple angles as the new GTS laps Laguna Seca. This video also has some great sounds of the Viper in action so be sure to crank up your speakers. Enjoy!
"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.
"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.
"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.
"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.
"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.
