17 Vipers tearing it up at Laguna Seca!

[VENOM V]

NorCal, SoCal and Central Cal Vipers got together for a rare unlimited-dB day at Laguna Seca. Vipers of all generations, from stock to race cars, hit the track with the NorCal Shelby Club. The reason why I've only tracked there once before is that a stock Gen V won't pass their typical sound limit of 90 dB. The other time I tracked there I got meat-balled for 93.9 dB! Get two meatballs and you're ejected from the event. For the rest of that day, I had to bog it at partial throttle past the sound meter, and vowed never to return until a high-dB day was offered. Enter NorCal Shelby Club, one of the longest tracking clubs at Laguna Seca. When Laguna Seca had a rare cancellation of an unlimited-dB date, the Shelby Club snatched it up and invited Vipers to come out and play. This was the ONLY high-dB day open to the public for the entire year. Vipers came out of the woodwork to track with us, from all over California.

Many of us started the weekend by enjoying Monterey. On Saturday, May and I cruised down 17-mile Drive and had lunch at Pebble Beach. That evening, a bunch of Viper track rats got together for dinner at Tarpy's Roadhouse, a favorite of our Viper club.

https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5561/15142068787_2fde51d228_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/p544vv)IMG_6106 (https://flic.kr/p/p544vv) by solomontodd (https://www.flickr.com/people/20879698@N02/), on Flickr

https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3906/15305546926_b2651cc153_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/pjuVS7)IMG_6107 (https://flic.kr/p/pjuVS7) by solomontodd (https://www.flickr.com/people/20879698@N02/), on Flickr

https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5562/15305548476_c70cc6d964_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/pjuWjQ)IMG_6147 (https://flic.kr/p/pjuWjQ) by solomontodd (https://www.flickr.com/people/20879698@N02/), on Flickr

https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3879/15142052367_46952634e6_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/p53YCp)IMG_6115 (https://flic.kr/p/p53YCp) by solomontodd (https://www.flickr.com/people/20879698@N02/), on Flickr

Sunday morning, it was off to the track. Man it was cool to see this many Vipers at an event like this. We had a good mix of Vipers in all run groups. The Shelby Club had some serious hardware attend- ZR1s, Ferraris, a McClaren, a Scarab, and of course some classic Shelbies. Not being the type to bring a knife to a gunfight, we had five Vipers in their race car only group (roll bars, harnesses and fire suits required), five Vipers in the advanced group, five in intermediate, and two in the beginner group.

I had selected the #93 in tribute to the GTS-R driven by Kuno Wittmer and Jonathan Bomarito. May and I had dinner with Kuno when we attended the ALMS race at Laguna Seca last year. While lining up for one session, a man approached me and introduced himself. He was Jonathan Bomarito's dad and thought it was cool that I had the #93 on my door. Jonathan's a local to NorCal. We lined up some of the Vipers to take a group shot for Mr. Bomarito to send to his son. It was surreal to see both GTS-Rs on the podium, and Ben Keating with a 1st on his home turf, then track with a bunch of snakes all on the same weekend.


https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3873/15142068087_6bd17e406d_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/p544ir)IMG_6128 (https://flic.kr/p/p544ir) by solomontodd (https://www.flickr.com/people/20879698@N02/), on Flickr

https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3872/15325436761_aee751532d_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/pmfSqi)IMG_6136 (https://flic.kr/p/pmfSqi) by solomontodd (https://www.flickr.com/people/20879698@N02/), on Flickr

https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3848/15141884740_68c1d6bfc8_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/p537Nh)IMG_6132 (https://flic.kr/p/p537Nh) by solomontodd (https://www.flickr.com/people/20879698@N02/), on Flickr

https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2944/15141840069_ed458bb692_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/p52Tw6)IMG_6130 (https://flic.kr/p/p52Tw6) by solomontodd (https://www.flickr.com/people/20879698@N02/), on Flickr

https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3849/15305563026_6ce96e8e5c_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/pjv1DG)IMG_6141 (https://flic.kr/p/pjv1DG) by solomontodd (https://www.flickr.com/people/20879698@N02/), on Flickr

https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2942/15305554416_ba00919c2f_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/pjuY6f)IMG_6125 (https://flic.kr/p/pjuY6f) by solomontodd (https://www.flickr.com/people/20879698@N02/), on Flickr

https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3856/15142011188_3ae1ecf463_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/p53Loq)IMG_6137 (https://flic.kr/p/p53Loq) by solomontodd (https://www.flickr.com/people/20879698@N02/), on Flickr

I started the day working up slowly, trying to the learn the line at this historic track. One thing about Laguna Seca, it has walls that will destroy your car if you go off in the wrong spot. At Buttonwillow and Thunderhill, I feel fairly comfortable pushing a car to it's limits, but Laguna Seca demands respect. Several of my friends have had hard crashes and destroyed their rides here. But once you begin to get the line down, it is an awesome driving experience. Lee W, V10Lee and I were all running at about the same pace, so we had a blast chasing eachother around, taking turns as the lead dog. Nothing like running with guys you trust, pushing each other's limits higher. V10Lee's got the bad ass silver Gen IV ACR, and Lee W has the black Gen III that has no problem keeping up with our higher HP machines.

https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3922/15305441856_4706bf3376_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/pjuoCy)GBM53983 (https://flic.kr/p/pjuoCy) by solomontodd (https://www.flickr.com/people/20879698@N02/), on Flickr

https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3861/15141772430_f3f6a1a6a9_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/p52xpU)GBM53158 (https://flic.kr/p/p52xpU) by solomontodd (https://www.flickr.com/people/20879698@N02/), on Flickr

https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3924/15305451096_8532028ecb_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/pjurnS)GBM54918 (https://flic.kr/p/pjurnS) by solomontodd (https://www.flickr.com/people/20879698@N02/), on Flickr

https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2943/15141897818_b418070a6c_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/p53bFL)GBM55889 (https://flic.kr/p/p53bFL) by solomontodd (https://www.flickr.com/people/20879698@N02/), on Flickr

https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5570/15328179612_6f5938d4be_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/pmuVLQ)GBM53094 (https://flic.kr/p/pmuVLQ) by solomontodd (https://www.flickr.com/people/20879698@N02/), on Flickr

https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2943/15325318261_5c44e102c7_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/pmfgcc)GBM55119 (https://flic.kr/p/pmfgcc) by solomontodd (https://www.flickr.com/people/20879698@N02/), on Flickr

At the end of the day, I had a very entertaining and spirited session with a Porsche GT3-RS. There were sections of the track that he was faster, and others that I held the advantage. We were evenly matched and really had fun mixing it up. In the end, I just edged him with my lap of 1:42.48 to his 1:42.60. Driving this track is a humbling experience. I'm still fine tuning my line all over the place and feel like a rookie, but I wasn't exactly soft pedaling it. How on earth does Randy Pobst blister this track in a Viper in the 1:33s? LOL, that man has my respect. One of the biggest challenges was getting open track as our group was crowded. Here was a rare lap with no one in front of me, after the GT3-RS driver was kind enough to let me by.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iNu8-vBVTk0

Can't wait to get together with my fellow Viper track rats from all over CA again soon. We're planning some big Viper-only events next year that will have Vipers attending from all over CA, Arizona and Nevada. Stay tuned!

[Bruce H.]

Hey Todd,

That was a great read...thanks for posting! Awesome photos and video. That's a good one coming down the Corkscrew (?) with suspension compressed and cars on your tail. Doesn't look like you've got much air under those front splitters at times! What sort of G's did your Peak G Meter in car record? Driving looks excellent, and your data recorder displays offer great info. Can the camera be angled down a touch to show more of the cockpit action? Which tires were you on again for this one?

Glad you have so many other locals to track with, and great local tracks to do it. Lots of us living the dream! Happy tracking my friend.

Bruce

[ViperSmith]

Your car is so damned hot looking.

[XSnake]

Looks like a blast

[SilveRT8]

WOW !!! Fasntastic day, you're fully living the dream !
What type of camera did you get ? Really cool to record all that data

[IndyRon]

Beautiful car...that color just looks amazing on track. It look like a great experience and turnout.

[MtnBiker]

Niiiiiiiiiice!

[VENOM V]

A few more shots of the day's action, complements of Banzai Ben...

https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2943/15331460632_4cd7a4cc3d_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/pmMK79)20140921_075731 (https://flic.kr/p/pmMK79) by solomontodd (https://www.flickr.com/people/20879698@N02/), on Flickr

https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3899/15328641261_16818fed99_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/pmxi1i)rsz_20140921_104955 (https://flic.kr/p/pmxi1i) by solomontodd (https://www.flickr.com/people/20879698@N02/), on Flickr

https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3858/15331778825_7456de6dd8_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/pmPnGe)20140921_085311 (https://flic.kr/p/pmPnGe) by solomontodd (https://www.flickr.com/people/20879698@N02/), on Flickr

https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3926/15331788025_3e8604550a_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/pmPqqR)20140922_160716 (https://flic.kr/p/pmPqqR) by solomontodd (https://www.flickr.com/people/20879698@N02/), on Flickr

[v10enomous]

Nice ! Thanks for posting !

[VENOM V]

Hey Todd,

That was a great read...thanks for posting! Awesome photos and video. That's a good one coming down the Corkscrew (?) with suspension compressed and cars on your tail. Doesn't look like you've got much air under those front splitters at times! What sort of G's did your Peak G Meter in car record? Driving looks excellent, and your data recorder displays offer great info. Can the camera be angled down a touch to show more of the cockpit action? Which tires were you on again for this one?

Glad you have so many other locals to track with, and great local tracks to do it. Lots of us living the dream! Happy tracking my friend.

Bruce


WOW !!! Fasntastic day, you're fully living the dream !
What type of camera did you get ? Really cool to record all that data

Hey Bruce and Claude,

I couldn't let you guys have all the fun, LOL. Yes, the Corkscrew is exhilarating to say the least. Even with the taller Continental slicks, the splitter skid plates rub every time. This makes the decision on whether to use the Tomball/Viper Exchange lowering caps harder, as my front end would be up to 0.8" lower depending on which tires I run.

The trick to the Corkscrew, which I'm still trying to put to practice, is to keep the car straight when it becomes almost weightless at entry, then go WOT and turn the wheel when the suspension compresses, as you can put the Spiderman grip to work for you.

The G's on the Viper readout is maxed out at 1.5 every lap, but I want to see what my new data acquisition recorded once I play with the data. Driving is not that excellent yet, haha. Still figuring out a few of the corners and where I can push harder. I'm pacing myself at this track, stakes are high with walls everywhere.

I'm running Continental GT-O slicks, 285s in the front and 325s in the rear. They are 0.6" taller than my stock tires and are a little narrow so they are less than ideal, but the price was right at $110 each! Wish they had more, they're out of my front size. Looking forward to trying my new track wheels and Hoosier R6s at the next event in a couple weeks at Sonoma. I'll be running 315s on 18x11s front and 345s on 19x13s rear, and the rear tires are shorter than stock! Looking forward to a small bump in gear ratio from that.

I'm running a SmartyCam HD with an Aim Solo DL data acquisition system. You can run comparative lap analysis in all sorts of ways, very powerful tool to improve your driving. I will be learning more about it in upcoming events and will post a review. Very easy to use, just plug it in to the OBD port and drive!

[VENOM V]

Looks like a blast


Beautiful car...that color just looks amazing on track. It look like a great experience and turnout.


Niiiiiiiiiice!


Nice ! Thanks for posting !

Thanks gents :D

[VENOM V]

Your car is so damned hot looking.

I know what could match it...

ViperSmith in a Stryker Orange, chasing me through the corkscrew :dancingman:

[ViperSmith]

I know what could match it...

ViperSmith in a Stryker Orange, chasing me through the corkscrew :dancingman:

lol maybe

[Nine Ball]

Great write-up and pics. I hope to experience the Corkscrew someday. Crazy how low that splitter gets.

[Crotalidae]

Looks like a good time...that Stryker Red is very nice!!!

[Fatboy 18]

Now that looks like fun :drive:

Are those GTS Vipers street legal or are they NARRA race cars?

Loving the 93 on the Gen V :D ..................iT NEEDS MORE STICKERS :D

[bayviper]

Awesome, too bad I couldn't make it :(

[V10LEE]

Sweet pics bro.I dig the 17 mile drive pics too.. How come I missed out on that viper line up photo shoot? ha..:D
It WAS hard to get any clean runs that day. I never seen so many cars, people at one event. It was great to see all the Vipers,and most important friends. You, Jonathon, Loyd, Lee, Rich,Gavin, Ted,and the Fujitas from SO Cal..Oh and I have to thank you for getting my group situation sorted out! This was probably one of the best events I've been to.. We had some good a good session chasing each other. It sucks that your Smarty Cam did not record the session. I really wanted to see it. Out of my 5 videos only two would play. Some file problem with the other videos. I'm going to talk to Joe to see if he can help me open them.After talking to you ,and seeing your setup, Loyd's too. I need to do some changes on my car. Start running slicks. Increase the front camber to at least -2.5. At the track I'm fighting the wheel . This was also definitely a good experience for me.. Sharing knowledge,and seeing other people's setup and comparing it to mine.. Looking forward to our next track day bro. :D

One of my sessions..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z13fvBRXVNg&list=UUi0T6wqTizrh_9YiFZzFKqg

A few pics
http://i753.photobucket.com/albums/xx171/rapid25_2012/ACR_zpsd305df11.jpg (http://s753.photobucket.com/user/rapid25_2012/media/ACR_zpsd305df11.jpg.html)
http://i753.photobucket.com/albums/xx171/rapid25_2012/409d2388-b476-46e2-9516-1c2eced81d9d_zps3c69dc87.jpg (http://s753.photobucket.com/user/rapid25_2012/media/409d2388-b476-46e2-9516-1c2eced81d9d_zps3c69dc87.jpg.html)

[FLATOUT]

You guys are killing it, wonderful job!

[JonB ~ PartsRack]

TODD, thanks for taking the time to compose and share, worthy of a magazine article.


I see a LOT of familiar cars/faces in those shots.....

[rw99]

What a fantastic day. No sound limit at Seca is pretty much a unicorn anymore, so we all jumped at the chance. And as might be expected, flat out race cars were also well-represented... good news travels VERY quickly among those of us that cannot ever get enough of Laguna Seca. Thanks again to the NorCal Shelby club for extending the invite.

Typical temperate weather helped most of us banish our memories of our early June frying-pan weekend at Thunderhill, where 106 F temps blistered us. An overcast morning brightened up and we had sufficient heat on the track surface to support any tire. I keep coveting slicks, but I'm also a fan of simply driving down on my Cups; I have no "support staff" or trailer. Lee W. has the perfect solution to that problem, with his super-custom Viper trailer. Flag included:

http://i146.photobucket.com/albums/r257/rw99/Viper/flag_zpsa1669e9b.jpg


I had a great time running with my Viper buds from SoCal; we had quite a mixed group, with a very nice representation of cars both Shelby and otherwise. Everytime I crest T1 I bless the Gods of downforce, and each time I get T11 somewhat right it's a thrill. This will always be my favorite track, I think.

http://i146.photobucket.com/albums/r257/rw99/Viper/GBM53930_zps373105eb.jpg


It was great to meet Mr. Bomarito, and I sent our end-of-day lineup (Lee, you blew out of there too early!) pic to Jonathan with the California clubs' congratulations on a great qualifying & race at COTA:

http://i146.photobucket.com/albums/r257/rw99/Viper/panorama_zpsbc4aa35f.jpg


For some reason, Sunday was the day several drivers chose to spin in front of us; luckily nobody was collected by any of these errors... I'll edit together a few clips and post 'em up in this thread.

Best of all, as usual, the camaraderie in our Viper pit was the best part of the day. OK, second best. Track time always takes first place :D Great to see all of you; let's do this again whenever the Seca unicorn appears!


Rich

[Nine Ball]

V10LEE, that Porsche needs to GTFO of the way. :bth_smiley_formula1

[Bruce H.]

The G's on the Viper readout is maxed out at 1.5 every lap, but I want to see what my new data acquisition recorded once I play with the data. Driving is not that excellent yet, haha. Still figuring out a few of the corners and where I can push harder. I'm pacing myself at this track, stakes are high with walls everywhere.



Kinda like this?

http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f262/GT2860RS/Viper%20TA/TA%20Datalogs/IMG-20140903-00139_zps7db285e8.jpg (http://s49.photobucket.com/user/GT2860RS/media/Viper%20TA/TA%20Datalogs/IMG-20140903-00139_zps7db285e8.jpg.html)

I'm in Quebec tonight all set to run Le Circuit Mont Tremblant tomorrow. Hard brake zone ploughing into a hill at the same time you turn-in for a 180* hairpin. Should be a little front left "scuffing" sound about every 1:58! Wish I could mount a camera to see how low and how often the front gets. The new caps should be good for anyone running the taller 315 or 19" tires to bring the front back down, and to fix the car's rake, but dropping the rear also would throw off the rake again in those situations. Wonder if you could just do the fronts?

[VENOM V]

Lee got this mugshot of the three sparring partners between bouts...

https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2944/15151762348_d730e5e7c7_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/p5UK4S)Laguna Seca Blast 09-21-14 005 (https://flic.kr/p/p5UK4S) by solomontodd (https://www.flickr.com/people/20879698@N02/), on Flickr[/IMG]

Action shots from Mike F...

https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3841/15151633940_7c45246ae3_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/p5U5TW)GBM52621 (https://flic.kr/p/p5U5TW) by solomontodd (https://www.flickr.com/people/20879698@N02/), on Flickr[/IMG]

https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3929/15151584469_31efa2e701_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/p5TQbZ)GBM54404 (https://flic.kr/p/p5TQbZ) by solomontodd (https://www.flickr.com/people/20879698@N02/), on Flickr

https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2943/15335169631_812e106dbd_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/pn7KEp)GBM52494 (https://flic.kr/p/pn7KEp) by solomontodd (https://www.flickr.com/people/20879698@N02/), on Flickr

https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2942/15338356615_5432e30ae9_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/pnp63p)IMG_5155 (https://flic.kr/p/pnp63p) by solomontodd (https://www.flickr.com/people/20879698@N02/), on Flickr

And the mighty TA that owns the record here...

https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3835/15151815457_62dacfb4f2_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/p5V1Rx)IMG_5140 (https://flic.kr/p/p5V1Rx) by solomontodd (https://www.flickr.com/people/20879698@N02/), on Flickr

[VENOM V]

Great write-up and pics. I hope to experience the Corkscrew someday. Crazy how low that splitter gets.

No doubt! I called Viper Exchange today to get some advice from Nathan and Ben on whether I should install the lowering caps. I bottom out my splitters EVERY time I go down the corkscrew, not sure if I should drop this snake. Nathan told me that metal skid plates can be had for previous gen Vipers, and I may want to consider one for mine if I want to lower it. It sounded like they would mount to the frame in front and bear the load rather than pounding the splitters. Hmmm, got some thinking to do.

Hey Tony, you should do another road trip to break in your new snake properly, just like the last one. Come on out to the left coast.

[VENOM V]

Looks like a good time...that Stryker Red is very nice!!!


You guys are killing it, wonderful job!


TODD, thanks for taking the time to compose and share, worthy of a magazine article.

I see a LOT of familiar cars/faces in those shots.....

Thanks guys :dude3:

[VENOM V]

Now that looks like fun :drive:

Are those GTS Vipers street legal or are they NARRA race cars?

Loving the 93 on the Gen V :D ..................iT NEEDS MORE STICKERS :D

About 6 or 7 of the 17 Vipers are fully prepped race cars, they came in on trailers. These guys have competed in various racing series.

Haha, like this? Believe me, if I could have slapped some white stripes and a wing on it for the weekend I would have.

6820

[VENOM V]

Awesome, too bad I couldn't make it :(

Andy, it's not too late to sign up for Sonoma Oct 9 "McClaren and Friends" with Hooked on Driving.

We will likely return to Laguna Seca the day after Thanksgiving as well.

Join us!

[VENOM V]

Sweet pics bro.I dig the 17 mile drive pics too.. How come I missed out on that viper line up photo shoot? ha..:D
It WAS hard to get any clean runs that day. I never seen so many cars, people at one event. It was great to see all the Vipers,and most important friends. You, Jonathon, Loyd, Lee, Rich,Gavin, Ted,and the Fujitas from SO Cal..Oh and I have to thank you for getting my group situation sorted out! This was probably one of the best events I've been to.. We had some good a good session chasing each other. It sucks that your Smarty Cam did not record the session. I really wanted to see it. Out of my 5 videos only two would play. Some file problem with the other videos. I'm going to talk to Joe to see if he can help me open them.After talking to you ,and seeing your setup, Loyd's too. I need to do some changes on my car. Start running slicks. Increase the front camber to at least -2.5. At the track I'm fighting the wheel . This was also definitely a good experience for me.. Sharing knowledge,and seeing other people's setup and comparing it to mine.. Looking forward to our next track day bro. :D

The laps you were putting down on street tires and with your mild alignment were impressive! But wait a minute - If you slap a set of slicks and an aggressive alignment on that bad boy, I don't think I will be able to keep up, LOL

I'm bummed that my SmartyCam recorded every other session, we had a hell of a session together and it's a shame it's not on vid. Hopefully it'll be easy to sort out, let me know if Joe has any insights and I'll be asking Peter when I get a chance to.

Epic brother!

[VENOM V]

What a fantastic day. No sound limit at Seca is pretty much a unicorn anymore, so we all jumped at the chance. And as might be expected, flat out race cars were also well-represented... good news travels VERY quickly among those of us that cannot ever get enough of Laguna Seca. Thanks again to the NorCal Shelby club for extending the invite.

Typical temperate weather helped most of us banish our memories of our early June frying-pan weekend at Thunderhill, where 106 F temps blistered us. An overcast morning brightened up and we had sufficient heat on the track surface to support any tire. I keep coveting slicks, but I'm also a fan of simply driving down on my Cups; I have no "support staff" or trailer. Lee W. has the perfect solution to that problem, with his super-custom Viper trailer. Flag included:


I had a great time running with my Viper buds from SoCal; we had quite a mixed group, with a very nice representation of cars both Shelby and otherwise. Everytime I crest T1 I bless the Gods of downforce, and each time I get T11 somewhat right it's a thrill. This will always be my favorite track, I think.


It was great to meet Mr. Bomarito, and I sent our end-of-day lineup (Lee, you blew out of there too early!) pic to Jonathan with the California clubs' congratulations on a great qualifying & race at COTA:

For some reason, Sunday was the day several drivers chose to spin in front of us; luckily nobody was collected by any of these errors... I'll edit together a few clips and post 'em up in this thread.

Best of all, as usual, the camaraderie in our Viper pit was the best part of the day. OK, second best. Track time always takes first place :D Great to see all of you; let's do this again whenever the Seca unicorn appears!


Rich

Rich, slap some Hoosiers on that ACR and drive it to Sonoma Oct 9, that's what I'm gonna do. HOD's selling out quickly, so sign up ASAP if you can make it.

Oh, and there will be another Seca unicorn appearing on Black Friday. At a decent dB level as well.

Awesome shots brother.

Todd

[VENOM V]

Kinda like this?

http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f262/GT2860RS/Viper%20TA/TA%20Datalogs/IMG-20140903-00139_zps7db285e8.jpg (http://s49.photobucket.com/user/GT2860RS/media/Viper%20TA/TA%20Datalogs/IMG-20140903-00139_zps7db285e8.jpg.html)

I'm in Quebec tonight all set to run Le Circuit Mont Tremblant tomorrow. Hard brake zone ploughing into a hill at the same time you turn-in for a 180* hairpin. Should be a little front left "scuffing" sound about every 1:58! Wish I could mount a camera to see how low and how often the front gets. The new caps should be good for anyone running the taller 315 or 19" tires to bring the front back down, and to fix the car's rake, but dropping the rear also would throw off the rake again in those situations. Wonder if you could just do the fronts?

Righteous, that's what I'm talking about! The 315 front Hoosiers are taller than stock and the 345 rears slightly shorter, so that combo may work as well as the Continental slicks. I suppose as long as I don't run Corsas at Laguna Seca I'll be ok. I think I just talked myself into lowering caps, haha.

Have fun at Le Circuit Mont Tremblant.

[72hemi]

Looks like everyone had a great time! Too bad I missed this one. Awesome pictures!

[VENOM V]

Looks like everyone had a great time! Too bad I missed this one. Awesome pictures!

Hey John, it was maybe the most fun I've ever had on track. Chasing around with the two Lees, we pretty much had our own race going while weaving through the other cars on track. It makes me look forward to the big Viper-only events that we are organizing next year at Buttonwillow.

Good times ahead. You've gotta get that sweet ACR on track with us next time!

[V10LEE]

V10LEE, that Porsche needs to GTFO of the way. :bth_smiley_formula1


Ha it was fun..:D



The laps you were putting down on street tires and with your mild alignment were impressive! But wait a minute - If you slap a set of slicks and an aggressive alignment on that bad boy, I don't think I will be able to keep up, LOL

I'm bummed that my SmartyCam recorded every other session, we had a hell of a session together and it's a shame it's not on vid. Hopefully it'll be easy to sort out, let me know if Joe has any insights and I'll be asking Peter when I get a chance to.

Epic brother!

My arms are sore from chasing you around the track. Yes that will be a memorable session foresure! We have to do that again..
I talked to Joe today,and he's going to contact AIM about the glitch,and also see if they can do anything about the sound..I'll let you know what he comes up with..

[V10LEE]

Lee got this mugshot of the three sparring partners between bouts...

https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2944/15151762348_d730e5e7c7_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/p5UK4S)Laguna Seca Blast 09-21-14 005 (https://flic.kr/p/p5UK4S) by solomontodd (https://www.flickr.com/people/20879698@N02/), on Flickr



Ha Ha!!Nice pic :smilielol:


http://i753.photobucket.com/albums/xx171/rapid25_2012/GBM52403_zps337df5a2.jpg (http://s753.photobucket.com/user/rapid25_2012/media/GBM52403_zps337df5a2.jpg.html)

[V10LEE]

What a fantastic day. No sound limit at Seca is pretty much a unicorn anymore, so we all jumped at the chance. And as might be expected, flat out race cars were also well-represented... good news travels VERY quickly among those of us that cannot ever get enough of Laguna Seca. Thanks again to the NorCal Shelby club for extending the invite.

Typical temperate weather helped most of us banish our memories of our early June frying-pan weekend at Thunderhill, where 106 F temps blistered us. An overcast morning brightened up and we had sufficient heat on the track surface to support any tire. I keep coveting slicks, but I'm also a fan of simply driving down on my Cups; I have no "support staff" or trailer. Lee W. has the perfect solution to that problem, with his super-custom Viper trailer. Flag included:

http://i146.photobucket.com/albums/r257/rw99/Viper/flag_zpsa1669e9b.jpg


I had a great time running with my Viper buds from SoCal; we had quite a mixed group, with a very nice representation of cars both Shelby and otherwise. Everytime I crest T1 I bless the Gods of downforce, and each time I get T11 somewhat right it's a thrill. This will always be my favorite track, I think.

http://i146.photobucket.com/albums/r257/rw99/Viper/GBM53930_zps373105eb.jpg


It was great to meet Mr. Bomarito, and I sent our end-of-day lineup (Lee, you blew out of there too early!) pic to Jonathan with the California clubs' congratulations on a great qualifying & race at COTA:

http://i146.photobucket.com/albums/r257/rw99/Viper/panorama_zpsbc4aa35f.jpg


For some reason, Sunday was the day several drivers chose to spin in front of us; luckily nobody was collected by any of these errors... I'll edit together a few clips and post 'em up in this thread.

Best of all, as usual, the camaraderie in our Viper pit was the best part of the day. OK, second best. Track time always takes first place :D Great to see all of you; let's do this again whenever the Seca unicorn appears!


Rich

Hey Rich sorry I had to take off early for work. It was good to see you again. Car looks great..

[Bruce H.]

I think I just talked myself into lowering caps, haha.



It's making sense for you. I think I'm going to see what tire options come out and go from there.

[VENOM V]

Some on-track action shots from Justin.

The first one is when my bud Joe in his championship-winning "Weinerdog" #9 lost his brakes completely. Thank god he didn't hit anyone or wad it up...

https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3848/15355012882_5cce1182f5_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/poSsnq)GBM53935 (https://flic.kr/p/poSsnq) by solomontodd (https://www.flickr.com/people/20879698@N02/), on Flickr

https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3849/15168808637_338b17cc48_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/p7q7kp)GBM55685 (https://flic.kr/p/p7q7kp) by solomontodd (https://www.flickr.com/people/20879698@N02/), on Flickr

https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3896/15168756448_97d07bd8e2_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/p7pQPA)GBM53942 (https://flic.kr/p/p7pQPA) by solomontodd (https://www.flickr.com/people/20879698@N02/), on Flickr

https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3927/15355013402_8cc5bfb18c_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/poSswo)GBM52863 (https://flic.kr/p/poSswo) by solomontodd (https://www.flickr.com/people/20879698@N02/), on Flickr

[V10LEE]

Tom Georgalos sent me this pic yesterday. He's the guy that help coordinate the event. The guy that also gave the drivers speech in the morning..

http://i753.photobucket.com/albums/xx171/rapid25_2012/588697BF-8CDC-41D4-8384-AAFFF22C1CDD_zpsgzls5qfe.jpg (http://s753.photobucket.com/user/rapid25_2012/media/588697BF-8CDC-41D4-8384-AAFFF22C1CDD_zpsgzls5qfe.jpg.html)

[VENOM V]

Tom Georgalos sent me this pic yesterday. He's the guy that help coordinate the event. The guy that also gave the drivers speech in the morning..

http://i753.photobucket.com/albums/xx171/rapid25_2012/588697BF-8CDC-41D4-8384-AAFFF22C1CDD_zpsgzls5qfe.jpg (http://s753.photobucket.com/user/rapid25_2012/media/588697BF-8CDC-41D4-8384-AAFFF22C1CDD_zpsgzls5qfe.jpg.html)

Nice shot of a great memory.

[rw99]

...finally getting around to some of the video...

This first one is sans Vipers, sorry, but it's a few laps with a wide variety of Shelby goodness. Something about the original Cobra, so pure. And I met Frank A. that morning; gave him a ride from the hotel to the track when his cab was late. Frank's driving the CHAINSAW 108 dB+ Elise at the beginning of this clip; we had a great time in our sessions with a bit of back-n-forth.

I'll get a little Viper footage together, I promise!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6h2RF04wU1Q

[VENOM V]

...finally getting around to some of the video...

This first one is sans Vipers, sorry, but it's a few laps with a wide variety of Shelby goodness. Something about the original Cobra, so pure. And I met Frank A. that morning; gave him a ride from the hotel to the track when his cab was late. Frank's driving the CHAINSAW 108 dB+ Elise at the beginning of this clip; we had a great time in our sessions with a bit of back-n-forth.

I'll get a little Viper footage together, I promise!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6h2RF04wU1Q

Nice vid, although that mosquito in front of you was annoying. Throw a muffler on that Lotus, I don't care if it loses a whopping 2 HP and .0000001 seconds per lap! A pet peeve of mine are ridiculously loud exhausts with negligible benefit, just drawbacks.

I'm itching to head back to the track, won't be long. Rich, are you joining me in Sonoma?

[rw99]

Awesome pics of Justin! Here are a couple screen caps, including that moment with the #9...
http://i146.photobucket.com/albums/r257/rw99/Viper/b5c8b8059713173a5b90b9d9e89ffc7c_zps026a3d3c.jpg

The bridges of Monterey County...
http://i146.photobucket.com/albums/r257/rw99/Viper/adae6a23a954cf31e547c015439b9e56_zps29eddaeb.jpg

http://i146.photobucket.com/albums/r257/rw99/Viper/9dc0608ffe868bc0d66ec3f6cdfd6db0_zps5dfb8f40.jpg

My Green brother Ben!
http://i146.photobucket.com/albums/r257/rw99/Viper/32a9b1202610e5474238cf63d882a6b5_zps6237f23d.jpg

[rw99]

Todd, can't make the Sonoma date... Denis, Jim and I are thrashing 'Vettes at the Ron Fellows school on Monday/Tuesday, and I'll have a week of work to tackle on Thursday/Friday. Too much on the fun plate this last month!

[VENOM V]

Todd, can't make the Sonoma date... Denis, Jim and I are thrashing 'Vettes at the Ron Fellows school on Monday/Tuesday, and I'll have a week of work to tackle on Thursday/Friday. Too much on the fun plate this last month!

Nice shots! The #9 lost his brakes completely, all the way to the floor. I'm glad there wasn't a bunch of you wadded up with him.

That's right, enjoy Ron Fellows! Say hi to Rick Malone for me.