Good luck, and hope to see you there!

Check out Facebook for all the awesome pics, and be sure to check back tomorrow when we will cover all the Viper Cup race action, including Ryan Schimsk’s dominating win in Saturday’s race and a pair of his and her Plum Crazy Viper race cars.

This weekend, we’ll be at Hallet Raceway in Jennings, Oklahoma for the 3rd & 4th running of the Viper Cup. For those of you who aren’t already following this fledgling series, the Viper Cup is unlike anything Dodge has lent their name to in the past. While the Viper ACR-X is not a feat of automotive engineering to be dismissed, the real focus of this race is the owners themselves.

On Friday, we’ll be bringing the adrenaline of the track to you when we touchdown in Tulsa, Oklahoma, cameras and ballpoint pens poised to strike. We’ll be covering everything from the first practice lap to the last tire change, so be sure to follow the action on Facebook, Twitter, and of course here at RedLetterDodge.

Bright and early the next morning, with foreheads glistening under a 2-inch layer of SPF 40 and the epic guitar licks from the night before still reverberating in our skulls, we hit the track at Daytona for the first of two adrenaline-packed days. In tow was CarDomain’s Jen Dunnaway, whose fervent enthusiasm for NASCAR almost threatened to overshadow our own (hey, we said almost). In addition to the Dodge suits (by which we mean us, if Dodge brand active tee’s count as “suits”), hundreds of Dodge Challenger owners rallied at the VIP corral to celebrate the Challenger’s eventual run down victory lane. While some owners heatedly compared drag slips, others wandered around to check out the rest of the Challenger heard, which included the 1320 SEMA drag car, Ralph Gilles’ Targa Newfoundland, and the Air Force Vapor.

When they weren’t sweating off 30 lbs of water weight during the qualifying laps, even the drivers got swept up in the muscle car mayhem with free autograph sessions and impromptu meet-and-greets. On race day, Kurt Busch, Sam Hornish Jr., and Justin Allgaier took their passion to the track with their fierce defense of Dodge’s NASCAR dominance. Thundering around Daytona at speeds hurtling past 180 mph, the Dodge crew managed to wrap up Daytona on a respectable note. According to No. 26 Paul Kligerman, it was “A big day for Dodge to have the Challenger out here; the best looking car by far in the Nationwide Series.”

If you weren’t lucky enough to catch all of the action in person, don’t lose sleep. We had our cameras constantly at attention and finished the weekend with enough photos to put the Associated Press to shame. Check out all of our coverage from race weekend on the official Dodge Facebook page here.

Catch a quick preview of the coverage after the jump

In celebration of the Toronto Grand Prix this weekend, Red Letter Dodge is giving away an excusive t-shirt autographed by our very own #2 points leader and Canadian local, Kuno Wittmer. He and the Viper team will be battling it out on the tarmac this weekend, racing towards another victory for Dodge. If you’re planning on coming out to throw your support behind the boys, be sure to get there early on race day to participate in the Fan Championship. You’ll have a chance to mingle with the team in the paddock before the race and afterwards you’ll be able to give the Vipers a helpful push out of the paddock.

If you exchanged uninterrupted time in the man cave for a weekend of antiquing and/or couples bowling, be sure to follow @Dodge on Twitter for live race coverage. It won’t replace the pure adrenaline rush of a live race, but it should at least keep you off the ledge. If you are at the race, you should keep a close eye on @Dodge for special offers at the track (HINT: free stuff).

Regardless of where you’ll be this weekend, while the Viper team is prepping to chase the win, you can snag a win of your own right here. To score the t-shirt and Kuno’s John Hancock, hit up the comment box below and share with us your favorite racing moment in history. We will randomly select a winner at 12:00pm EST on Friday July 16, 2010, so be sure to check back here before you hit up happy hour!

Be sure to check out all the event info on the official Toronto Grand Prix Facebook page.

Sunday, July 11, 2010, Alton, Virginia.—Ryan Schimsk won Dodge Viper Cup Race 2 during the inaugural Dodge Viper Cup weekend at Virginia International (VIR), Alton, Va.

Schimsk blasted from pole position to a convincing lead over second place Ben Keating by the end of the second lap. He was never challenged, finishing four seconds clear of Keating. Keith Verges made a lightning-quick start from third on the grid, jumping ahead of Keating, but lost time when he went wide in turn two and dropped to fifth. He was quickly back in third behind Keating, where he remained to the end of the race. “I got a really good start but went too deep into turn two and had to go wide into the marbles. Ben (Keating) and two others got by before I could collect the car and go on,” said Verges.

“I got back behind Keating, but couldn’t do more than that.” He finished two seconds back in third place.

“Keith (Verges) got way in front and all I could do is get close and hope,” said Keating. His hopes were rewarded soon after when Verges went wide and had to slow, letting him by into second where he finished.

Full race results after the jump:

The next two Dodge Viper Cup races are at the Hallet Motor Racing Circuit, Jennings, Okla., August 14 and 15, 2009.

Straight from the folks at Viper Headquarters, live on the ground at Virginia International Raceway:

Saturday, July 10, 2010, Alton, Virginia.–Ben Keating won the first-ever Dodge Viper Cup race today, the first of two races at the inaugural Dodge Viper Cup weekend event, held at Virginia International (VIR), Alton, Va.

Keating led from pole position and was never headed in his Dodge Viper ACR-X, finishing less than a second ahead of Jeff Courtney, who started next to him on the front row. All competitors were in the new ACR-X Vipers, introduced earlier this year by Dodge.

“I felt extreme pressure from Courtney throughout the race,” said Keating. “I did not have the fastest car. My crew built a cushion into our setup, so we would not have any trouble passing tech inspection.” Nevertheless he had the second-fastest lap of the race, just a few hundredths quicker than Courtney’s best. Keating averaged 99.848 mph for the race.

Third place finisher Ryan Schimisk had the drive of the race. He started last because of a two-millimeter misstep in his Viper’s ride-height setting, but shrugged off the penalty at the start–passing three cars with a daring wheels-off move. He proceeded to carve his way through the field, setting the fastest lap on the way, before settling just behind Keating and Courtney at the head of the pack.

“I really drove hard to fight my way through the field, and I didn’t save my tires, so I had nothing left when I caught up with the leaders,” said Schimisk.

Full race results after the jump.

The second of the two weekend races is Sunday, July 11.

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.

This weekend at the Daytona International Speedway, the Dodge Challenger will return to the NASCAR track for the first time in almost 30 years. When the Subway Jalapeno 250 roars to life on Friday night, Penske Racing’s Brad Keselowski and Justin Allgaier will be tearing it up behind the wheel of two Challengers. This will be the first of only four races the Challengers will run during the 2010 NASCAR Nationwide Series season, making this debut race all the more important. “Our new Dodge Challenger race car brings true brand identity back to NASCAR, so now the spotlight is going to be shared between the new car and our two star drivers from Penske Racing,” said Ralph Gilles, Dodge President and CEO. “We’ve been looking forward to this race weekend for quite some time, and our loyal owners and fans are going to have a lot of opportunities to celebrate the return of the Dodge Challenger.”

The excitement on the track will kick off at 1:05 pm on Friday with the official qualifying round, but the real action starts tonight! NYC-based rockers Atomic Tom will be performing at Daytona Dodge Chrysler Jeep, playing hits from their upcoming single “We Were Never Meant To Be.” Amongst the enthusiastic audience members will be your very own RLD editorial staff and over 50 Dodge Challenger owners. Since their cherry Challengers will be parked close by, not only will you be able to enjoy some awesome live music, you’ll also be able to gawk at some gleaming eye candy too. If you plan on catching all the Daytona action from the comfort of your living room, don’t sweat it. We’ll be on hand to cover everything from the first guitar lick to the last wave of the checkered flag, so be sure to check us out on Facebook and Twitter.

Concert details: Concert begins at 7:15 p.m. Daytona Dodge Chrysler Jeep is located at 1450 North Tomoka Farms Road. Beach 92.7 FM will be on remote at Daytona Dodge from 6-8 p.m. on Thursday.

In late 2009 after a series of unfortunate events, legendary drifter Samuel Hübinette found himself without a team, a sponsor or a car. Undeterred by the obstacles, Hubinette formed his own team, Samuel Hübinette Racing (SHR) and set to work building a brand new drifter. With Dodge’s official sponsorship, SHR begin assembling the Dodge-BF Goodrich Challenger and readying it for competition. On the weekend of April 9th, the finished product was revealed to the world for the first time at the 2010 Long Beach Grand Prix. Powered by an aluminum 410 cu.in. Mopar V8, Hübinette’s Challenger pumps out 865-horsepower, 685 lb.-ft. of torque, making it easily the most impressive entrant at Round 1 of 2010 Formula Drift season opener. The 50-odd cars running against Hübinette made a valiant effort, but not even the most clapped-out Scion could compete with the Challenger. Hübinette wrapped up the monster’s inaugural run with a respectable 6th place finish and enough points to kick the season off on a high note. “We put this team together in just more than two months,” said Hübinette. “It is an incredible accomplishment, finishing the car in a period of six weeks and then to get to the event and finish 6th over all.”

To put that extremely brief timeframe into perspective, imagine trying to build a Formula Drift-spec racer – from the ground up – in less time than it takes your wife to clean out her closet. When CarDomain caught up with Hübinette’s crew back in late March to check on the progress of the drifter, it was still little more than a roll cage and a heavy-duty suspension. In less than a month, the SHR team managed to complete the Challenger and the result was, to be colloquial, kick a**. Not convinced? Don’t worry, we’ve got video evidence. Hit the jump to check out the impressive spec sheet and exclusive footage of Hübinette and Dodge Motorsports’ Brian Viger tearing up the track at Long Beach.