With the inaugural season of the Viper Cup series in full force, Viper fanatics descended upon Hallett Raceway outside of Tulsa, Oklahoma for the third race of the year. Not only a Viper Cup race, the Viper Days event provided both Driver’s Education and race opportunities for Viper owners of all stripes. No fewer than 35 ten-cylinder snakes made their way to Hallett on a sweltering 107 degree day. From first time track visitors to retired professionals like Richie Hearn, the day was filled with unspeakably cool race action from various versions of Dodge’s most venomous sports car.
And while the entire weekend was focused on the two Viper Cup Series races, which feature the imitable ACR-X, some of the most interesting highlights came from the gentlemen and gentle-ladies that were running in the “Red Races.” At least six full blown Viper Competition Coupes came out to put on a show for the Viper Cup Series faithful by beating up on two of Bowling Green’s finest. However, despite the phenomenal show put on by the Comp Coupes, David Fiorelli of Arlington, Texas blew away the entire field in a highly-modified 1996 Viper GTS. In what can only be attributed to an absolute love affair with the automobile, David modeled his sinister snake after the Team Oreca Vipers that won the 24 Hour of Le Mans three times. His list of modifications is too numerous to list, here are some of the highlights: 800hp N/A motor with a custom gold-plated airbox, weight reduced to 2,900lbs, flat paneled under car aero with a rear diffuser, and an EMCO no-lift sequential transmission fully integrated into a Motec ECU. Take all that and wrap it in flat black Viper GTS body and you have one of the most intimidating Dodge’s on the planet. “It is a really cool piece of equipment,” Fiorelli says. We cannot agree more.
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 is the updated “Invisible Monkey” video that was created in response to PETA
And yes, we know, chimpanzees aren’t monkeys. That was one of many facts we learned through the process of shooting our latest commercial for the Dodge Tent Event. The commercial features a young chimpanzee (Suzie) in a daredevil suit. She walks up to a detonator, pushes down the lever, and triggers a less-than-huge confetti explosion.
We posted the ad to YouTube, where it garnered thousands of hits and hundreds of comments applauding the commercial for its wit and humor. However, there were a few negative comments about animal cruelty that caught our eye. Next, we received two emails, one from PETA and the other from Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest. Both informed us about the poor conditions of working animal “actors.” They told us how these animals are usually separated from their mothers at a young age and are usually discarded at seedy roadside attractions after they get too old to act.
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.
While we weren’t able to catch up with him ourselves (what with battling the heatstroke and whatnot), we’ve been told that amongst the attendees at the All-Chrysler Nationals this year were Bernie & Robert Schwarzli. We would have loved the chance to press palms with one of the most inspirational owners in the industry, but time just wasn’t on our side. Fortunately, we know a few people that did get a chance to meet Robert (and his dad): the camera crews at this year’s Viper Invades Niagara Falls. On hand to document the exciting event, the crew met up with the Schwarzli’s and got a behind-the-scenes glimpse at what drives this infamous Mopar Boy – both literally and figuratively.
Hailing from Ontario, Canada, this father-son duo is well known throughout the Mopar community thanks to 24-year-old Robert’s unfailing love for the Dodge Viper. According to Robert, the Viper first bit at the tender age of 12 when he decided that one day, he would own one. Today, he’s one of the youngest “self-made” Viper owners on the planet and he and his father, Bernie, have become fixtures at all the Mopar meet-ups. Check out the video above to hear the story for yourself, and be sure to keep an eye on the 1:03 mark.
Earlier this month, the RLD staff managed to shirk their collective weekend chores and spend the weekend at the Carlisle All-Chrysler Nationals in Carlisle, PA. Hosted by Carlisle Events, the meet-up is generally regarded as one of the best kept secrets in the industry thanks to the relative anonymity it enjoys outside of enthusiast groups. Every year in the gorgeous hills of southern Pennsylvania, thousands (literally) of Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, and Ram fans meet on the meticulously-groomed Carlisle fair grounds to show off their pride and joy. This year marked the biggest turn-out to date with the final fender count totaling over 2,000 – including the Green Hornet’s infamous Black Beauty and a handful of barn finds that left even us slack-jawed.
If you weren’t able to make it up to Mopar man’s paradise this year, it’s okay. We spent 5 hours in the hot July sun covering all 82 acres on foot, which left us with one helluva sunburn and a metric ton of photos. Check out the official Dodge Flickr feed to see what you missed, and try not to kick yourself too hard.
If you remember the super hairy, Super Beard contest Dodge hosted back in March, you may remember that one of the sick prizes up for grabs was an SRT Track Experience Gift Card. The card entitled the winner to one free day of pavement-pounding excitement behind the wheel of the Dodge and SRT high- performance line-up, including the Dodge Challenger SRT8, Dodge Charger SRT8, Dodge Caliber SRT4, Chrysler 300C SRT8 and the Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8. While anyone who’s ever seen one of the SRT high-performance machines bearing down on them in the rear-view mirror is familiar with the power of SRT, not everyone can say they’ve truly felt it. With the SRT Experience, enthusiasts can harness all the power of Chrysler’s Street Racing and Technology products and flog it into submission on a closed course. Professional instructors from the Richard Petty Driving Experience school you on the proper way to safely dominate the track, and the rest is in your hands. From technical courses designed to challenge the skills you brag to your buddies about to performance laps that will leave skid marks in at least two places, the Experience has it all.
On Wednesday, we here at RLD joined fellow SRT junkies at the famed Virginia International Raceway in Alton, VA, to participate in the SRT Experience for ourselves. We had an amazing time, and we brought back enough footage to keep you hunkered down in front of your monitor for hours. We also logged a lot of quality time with both the instructors and the owners, and we’ll be recounting the entire experience here on RedLetterDodge (right down to the heat stroke). Be sure to follow us closely for behind-the-scenes photos and stories that we’ll eventually be telling our grandchildren.
Last weekend marked the introduction of the Dodge Challenger to the NASCAR racing series, and we kicked it off in true Dodge fashion. On Thursday, Brooklyn-based rockers Atomic Tom took the stage at Daytona Dodge Chrysler Jeep and really brought the house down. The concert was the first of what will eventually be many Dodge Life concerts, the primary focus of which will be bringing new emerging artists into the spotlight.
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 2005, rumors began to swirl that Chrysler Group was planning a revival of the iconic Dodge Challenger. The Challenger concept was slated to make its debut at the 2006 North American International Auto Show and many believed the production version would follow closely behind. One of those believers was long-time Dodge enthusiast Jesse McLean. “I heard about Chrysler doing a coupe on a shortened LX platform and that it could possibly be a retro inspired Challenger. Soon after, spy photos were leaked…and I was hooked,” said McLean. “I even drove down to the Detroit auto show that year for no other reason than to see that car in person.” McLean was not disappointed – and neither was anyone else.
Thanks largely to the overwhelmingly positive reaction; the Dodge brand scheduled the new third-generation Challenger to begin production in the spring of 2008. Initial announcements claimed that only 5,000 Challengers would be built during the first production year, making them a hot commodity before they even rolled off the assembly line. Interest in the Dodge Challenger surged as fans clamored for more information, and McLean was only all too happy to accommodate. A long time fan of the brand, McLean’s first car was a ’72 Plymouth Duster that he babied for years. With love for Dodge deep in his veins, it was only natural that he’d share his wealth of information and enthusiasm with fellow fans. Using his Challenger page, McLean divulged all of the hard data he could get his hands on including spec sheets, performance numbers and historical data on the original Challenger. The wealth of information helped generate quite a buzz on Facebook, and soon McLean found himself with a bustling community. “The page was…updated weekly with photos that always ended up with plenty of comments between owners and lovers of the car in general,” recalls McLean. “It was a great place for everyone to meet up, look at the pictures and talk about the car and upcoming colors, etc.”
Today, the original enthusiasm that McLean helped foster continues to grow under a new roof with the launch of the official Dodge Challenger Facebook page. Here, Challenger fans from across the globe can gather in one place and swap photos, videos and stories of their favorite track queen. If you yourself want to get in on the action and join McLean and other diehard motorheads in the grease ‘n’ gears, it’s as easy as clicking “Like.” Read More
A few weeks ago, the most vigilant among you may have caught wind of the new Mopar 10 Challenger. Today, the first official images of what this magnificent beast will look like in the flesh have finally hit the web. Only 500 of these limited edition models will be made available and can be ordered through your local dealer. $38,000 will snag you an automatic while an extra grand will get you a manual – both prices include the $750 big ones required for shipping/handling.
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!
With the inaugural season of the Viper Cup series in full force, Viper fanatics descended upon Hallett Raceway outside of Tulsa, Oklahoma for the third race of the year. Not only a Viper Cup race, the Viper Days event provided both Driver’s Education and race opportunities for Viper owners of all stripes. No fewer than 35 ten-cylinder snakes made their way to Hallett on a sweltering 107 degree day. From first time track visitors to retired professionals like Richie Hearn, the day was filled with unspeakably cool race action from various versions of Dodge’s most venomous sports car.
We posted the ad to YouTube, where it garnered thousands of hits and hundreds of comments applauding the commercial for its wit and humor. However, there were a few negative comments about animal cruelty that caught our eye. Next, we received two emails, one from PETA and the other from Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest. Both informed us about the poor conditions of working animal “actors.” They told us how these animals are usually separated from their mothers at a young age and are usually discarded at seedy roadside attractions after they get too old to act.
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