The folks at the American LeMans Series are as excited as we
are about the return of the Viper to the racing world and
leading up to the ALMS debut of the 2013 SRT Viper GTS-R later this season; the racing league has
put together a video review of the top 5 wins for the original Viper race
program.
The Dodge Viper did plenty of winning in the American LeMans
Series, taking the top spot for the GT Super class in all 6 races in they
entered in 1999 and winning 10 of the 12 events entered in the 2000
season.The Team Oreca Viper GTS-R race
cars were the dominant force in the GTS class through those two years with the
#91 taking home the majority of the major wins with a variety of different
driver combinations at the helm.
The #92
Team Oreca Viper was a regular runner up in many of those races (shy of the #3
race where the #92 car crashed) and at the 12 Hours of Sebring in 2000 – the Viper
claimed all three of the GTS podium spots with the #93 Viper claiming third
behind the other two Team Oreca Vipers.
Later this season, the 2013 SRT Viper GTS-R will return to theAmerican LeMans Series with a pair of
factory backed 2013 Viper race models and four drivers to reintroduce the ALMS world to the
awesomeness that is the Viper racing program.
Check out the video below for a closer look at the original
Viper GTS-R race program dominating the ALMS GTS Class in 1999 and 2000.
"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.
The folks at the American LeMans Series are as excited as we