The Chrysler Group has just announced that the 2014 SRT Viper will feature the unique light blue shade shown above, bringing a new color to the Viper’s option sheet unlike anything offered in the past. The only problem is that the company doesn’t have a catchy name for the new Viper blue paint option so the DriveSRT website has a page asking for Mopar fans to offer up submissions on what to call this new color. Chrysler has put together a panel of judges who will pick their favorite three options for the 2014 Viper light blue paint code and then have fans vote on their favorite on DriveSRT.com. The person who submits the winning paint name will not only get to brag to their friends until the end of time that they named a Viper exterior paint color but as a special thanks – SRT will send the winner and a guest to the Rolex 24 at Daytona International Speedway next January.
“ ‘The SRT Viper Color Contest’ gives our Viper enthusiasts an opportunity to be original, creative and contribute to the exterior design of our flagship American supercar,” said Ralph Gilles, President and Chief Executive Officer – (SRT) Street and Racing Technology Brand and Motorsports, Chrysler Group LLC. “Already available in a wide array of exterior color combinations, which provides our owners a way to personalize their cars, this contest is a great way for our dedicated fans to connect with the SRT brand and become an authentic part of Viper history.”
In addition to winning the trip four day, three night trip to Florida to watch the Rolex 24 endurance race, the winner (and guest, of course) will receive a $600 Visa gift card to cover expenses while in Daytona, SRT Viper Hospitality Suite passes, garage paddock passes and a exclusive meetings with members of the SRT design team and race team. To ensure that no one mistakes who the winner is there with, the person who names the new Viper blue shade and his or her guest will be clad in SRT team apparel including an SRT Viper race team hat, shirt and jacket. The total value of the grand prize is $2,800 and to recognize those three finalists who submit the names that are voted on by the fans, SRT will send them a Viper based speed form sculpture in the new blue hue.
If you have a great name in mind for this new 2014 Viper color, click here to head to the DriveSRT.com website to fill out your entry form. Act quickly, as the first person who submits a name will get credit for it so the quicker you get your entry submitted, the better chance that you have of someone else not claiming it as their own.
"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.
