I went to watch a race and wound up loaning my RT-10 to Jon B to use as the pacecar

[viperr]

[]I had seen on the forum that Jon B was going to be at "The Ridge", our local road course only 45 miles away. Saturday was the first day of a 2 day International Race Drivers Club race and it looked like some nice entertainment and the weather was cooperating nicely at the start. I wandered around and found Jon B and his Charger Super B pace car and was able to park near the pace car area. The first class up was the drifters running the road course. It was amazing watching them go down the steep and twisty turns 13 and 14 sideways (the Corkscrew). When Jon brought his SRT Charger back in the power steering had failed. (perhaps too much zigging and zagging). We couldn't get it repaired so I offered my 1999 RT-10 for use for the rest of the day. We put the strobes on the back deck and moved the seats way back ( I am quite short) so he could fit and suddenly I was getting a day to do pace car duty riding shotgun. All of the starts were pace car rolling starts so I learned how to get the cars lined up for the start and to get out of the way at the last minute. I learned a lot yesterday and realize how many things the pace car operator has to do. I am glad I didn't have to do the radios and other things. I just kept a look back at the cars and Jon did the rest. When the strobes were on it seemed like we were on "Cops". They flashed forward as well as in back because they were sitting so low on the RT-10. I tried to get a photo showing them, but it isn't very good.

The photo of Jon's Charger pace car with all its markings looks pretty fancy next to my all black car. Notice his plate "NOVIPER" and mine "VIPERR". I thought it made a good contrast.

After all my training during the day Jon let me drive to start a race (he ran the radios and did everything else. I drove the pace car for the start of the final race, a one hour enduro. In spite of my lack of experience we were able to get them lined up and they made a great start.

A ton of thanks to Jon B for a very entertaining and enlightening day on the track. He has done so much pace car driving he made it seem easy. You never know what is going to happen when you show up at a track. This was an adventure that a lot of people probably will never get to do. I guess I can mark off "driving a pace car in a real race" from my "bucket list".

Sorry that I couldn't make the photos larger, but I somehow was able to get them into the post in spite of my limited computer skills.

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[C.J]

Very cool experience! A generous heart served you well that day.

[swexlin]

Good story! And I didn't know John had one of the 09 Hemi Orange Superbees (only 425 of them). Your RT and the Bee look good together.

[RT SERPENT]

How cool is that!

[plumcrazy]

cool story

[viperr]

Swexlin, if I heard him correctly his Super-Bee is #425, the last one in the series.

[Fatboy 18]

Great Story, I bet you had serious fun doing that

[viperr]

It was a ton of fun. I felt like a cop with all those flashing lights. It was the first time I can remember that when I was running on track that nobody was able to pass me. At the end of the day Jon thanked me, but I was the one who got the treat.

[St.Char]

Nice! Great Story.

[slowhatch]

Only time in my life i will say this and mean it; cool story bro.

[JonB ~ PartsRack]

How many Viper owners would "Hand Over The Keys" for half-a-day of tracking their cars ? Rich, you actually "Saved The Day" for us! Thank You. My alternative would have been a black BMW sedan we had as a parade car.

You also forgot to mention the "drifting demo" you allowed me to do in your Viper !! Some pro-photos should be available soon. We got a decent amount of applause, too.......

Yes, the powersteering-less SuperBee is # 425 of 425..... [ all of our Official Pace Car fleet is Orange/Black..... including the Gen 5 Orange and Black I just got from Mr. Pemberton at Woodhouse ! ] It Debuted YESTERDAY Rich, too bad you could not come out BOTH days.

IRDC was very grateful for your generous loan... GLAD U had fun, too.

[City]

How cool is that!

What he said!

[viperr]

Jon, I forgot to mention that little treat. All I can remember is looking out and all I could see was wonderful white tire smoke.

[Bill Pemberton]

Great story and always good to see a fellow member come to the aid of others. Cool to many to see a Gen II ripping around the track, leading all the track cars. Jon mentioned to me that his weekend was saved by GEN -erosity, but I thought he meant a Gen 5 , and in reality he was talking about Black Beauty leading the parade.