Viper GTS-R shines in Sebring, electrical gremlins prevent a podium spot

This past Saturday brought us the 2013 running of the 12 Hours of Sebring and while the 2013 SRT Viper GTS-R teams looked fantastic early on, mechanical issues hit both teams hard during the legendary endurance race.  Because of those problems, the best finishing Viper in the 12 Hours of Sebring was the #91 Viper in 5^th place but this race shows a great deal of promise for the rest of the 2013 American LeMans Series season.

While both of the 2013 SRT Viper GTS-R teams were in the top of the timing list during the week long practice sessions, both teams posted unimpressive qualifying results.  The #93 Viper driven by Jonathan Bomarito, Tommy Kendall and Kumo Wittmer started in the 6^th spot in the GT Class (25^th overall) while the #91 Viper driven by Marc Goossens, Dominik Farnbacher and Ryan Dalziel started in the 10^th spot in the class (29^th overall).  Luckily, as the race got underway, the #93 Viper GTS-R remained in the middle of the GT Class field while the #91 Viper quickly climbed to the front of the field.  In fact, the around the 3 and a half hour mark, Dominik Farnbacher pulled around the BMW driven by Joey Hand on the 96^th lap.  From there, the drivers of the #91 Fast and the Furious 6-sponsored Viper found themselves either in the lead or battling for the lead.

Unfortunately, while the #91 Viper spent the middle of the race competing for the lead in the GT Class, the #93 Pennzoil Ultra Viper headed behind the wall.  Unlike many of the ALMS race cars that use one large, single lugnut to hold each wheel on, the Vipers use a traditional multi-lug wheel hub assembly.  During a pit stop in the middle of the race, the #93 car somehow sheered off all of the wheel studs on the driver’s side rear wheel hub assembly.  This sent the Pennzoil Viper behind the wall where the team had to replace the rear wheel hub assembly and that time spent in the garage area put silver and yellow Viper well off of the lead lap pace.  The #93 car would later return by the trio of drivers were forced to settle for a 10^th place finish in the GT Class – 34^th overall.

While the #93 Viper GTS-R was in the garage area and later fighting its way through the field, the #91 Viper continued to battle for the lead.  While Ryan Dalziel was in the cockpit with roughly 3 hours left, the #91 Viper was running in the 2^nd spot in the GT Class when the silver Viper GTS-R came onto pit road for a routine pit stop.  Unfortunately, while on pit road, the car stalled and would not restart.  Unlike NASCAR, where the teams can push start the car to get it off of pit road, the ALMS cars are required to start and drive away under its own power.  Without being able to fire up, the team of the #91 Viper had to push the car behind the wall to address the issue.  The team was able to get the car running but it took over 8 minutes – putting the #91 Viper 3 laps down to the leader.  That electrical gremlin effectively ended the #91 Viper’s run for the lead…leaving the Fast and the Furious 6 Viper GTS-R to settle for a disappointing 5^th place GT Class finish, 19^th overall.

After spending the day in the first few spots, it comes as a painful blow to the SRT Viper GTS-R race teams to miss a spot on the podium for the GT Class.  However, there is no question that the SRT Viper GTS-R is 100% competitive with the best of the GT Class – a fact which was very clear during the middle of the race when the #91 Viper was able to pull away from the #62 Ferrari that led much of the day and the #4 Corvette that ended up winning the GT Class.

The 12 Hours of Sebring is the longest race of the ALMS season and with many of the other races being considerably shorter – attrition shouldn’t be a problem for the SRT Viper GTS-R race teams going forward.  The other cars in the GT Class couldn’t keep the #91 Viper out of the top spot until the car failed to start on pit road so if the teams can keep the Vipers up and running – the rest of the 2013 season could see Viper drivers on the podium with some regularity.

Patrick Rall

"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.

"Being based on Detroit," says Rall, "I never miss the North American International Auto Show, the Woodward Dream Cruise and Roadkill Nights, along with spending plenty of time raising hell on Detroit's Woodward Avenue with the best muscle car crowd in the world.

Rall can be contacted at QuickMirada@Yahoo.com

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