Red Letter Dodge

This weekend, history will be made in Alton, Virginia, as the 2010 Dodge Viper Cup kicks off at Virginia International Raceway. Unlike other supercar series, the Viper Cup was created exclusively for owners to showcase the snarling fury of the ACR-X without creating a DoT nightmare. So while the vehicle itself is certainly nothing to scoff at (640-hp V10? Yes please), the most important aspect of this race can be found inside the cockpit. There are no billion-dollar sponsorships or hired guns here, the racers behind these helmets are the owners themselves. These are enthusiasts in the purest sense of the word whose participation in this series is due entirely to an unquenchable desire to punish the track. It’s for these people that the Dodge Viper ACR-X was originally built, and it’s for these people that the Viper Cup was created.

“The Dodge Viper and Dodge Motorsports teams have worked long and hard toward our debut race weekend and now it’s finally here for all of our new owners and fans to enjoy,” said Ralph Gilles, President and CEO, Dodge Brand. “The Dodge Viper Cup series is all about helping road racing enthusiasts enjoy the outstanding performance and safety of the Viper ACR-X along with the enthusiasm and passion of Viper Nation.” On hand to help spread the enthusiasm will be Versus, which will broadcast all 10 events. Each 30-minute block will air roughly 2 to 3 weeks following the race, presumably in order to provide enough time to edit out the incredulous expletives of on-looking Corvette owners.

All told, the 2010 Viper Cup Series will include 10 races run over the course of 5 weeks, each event a double header. The initial run will include 12 Viper ACR-X race cars, at least one of which will be piloted by a hand-picked (pretty adventurous) celebrity driver. Every race will feature a different celebrity, and our hope is that each double header will turn into a good-natured competition. Unfortunately, the ability to snag a table at Mr.Chow’s without calling ahead means little in the world of racing, so we’ll be handpicking only those celebs that have a fighting chance. This weekend, our two brave guests will be Road & Track’s Shaun Bailey and Army National Guard Sergeant Mike Kohn of the U.S. Olympic bobsledding team. In addition to bragging rights and massive street cred, Shaun & Mike will be competing for the first-place purse and the privilege of donating their winnings to the charity of their choice.

If you’re as pumped as we are for this new series, then clear your calendar and take note of the official racing schedule after the jump. Don’t miss out!

Race Date Venue Air Date / Time (Eastern)

July 10                        VIR                                                                        Sat., July 24, 2 p.m.

July 11                        VIR                                                                        Sat., July 31, 2:30 p.m.

Aug. 14            Hallet Raceway, Jennings, Okla.                               Sun., Sept. 5, 3:30 p.m.

Aug. 15            Hallett Raceway, Jennings, Okla.                              Sun., Sept. 12, 3:30 p.m.

Sept. 11           Pocono Raceway, Long Pond, Pa.                            Sun., Oct. 10, 3:30 p.m.

Sept. 12           Pocono Raceway, Long Pond, Pa.                            Sun., Oct. 17, 3:30 p.m.

Oct. 2              Miller Motorsports Park, Tooele, Utah                        Sun., Oct. 24, 3:30 p.m.

Oct. 3              Miller Motorsports Park, Tooele, Utah                        Sun., Oct. 31, 3:30 p.m.

Oct. 23           Spring Mountain Motorsports Ranch, Pahrump, Nev.    Sun., Nov. 7, 3:30 p.m.

Oct. 24            Spring Mountain Motorsports Ranch, Pahrump, Nev.    Sun., Nov. 14, 3:30 p.m.