Just crashed my TA. Feel free to punch me.

[TexasSnake]

You described my wreck to a Tee when I wrecked my 05 SRT in 2010 and slid / spun to the edge of a retention pond and the car gently took sail thinking it was a boat....amazing how long it floated with the top down. Insurance totaled and 5 years later I just bought my Gen V a few months ago (need to update profile...just found out VCA split).

Don't beat yourself up and believe it or not you'll look back and find humor in this in the future. The time without your Viper will make you appreciate it that much more and be extra careful in the future!

Happy you and everyone that was in proximity is okay!

Justin

Sorry but I have to put a disclaimer...I had Nitto Invos and it was a dry day...lol...

[mikesax]

At least your OK Brian-that's ALL that really matters in the end!! 50-55 is where I am on rainy days like today in my Vipers-the lovely oil drenched highways in Jersey along with a variety of other factors dictate that speed to me!!

[FLATOUT]

So sorry Bryan It was great meeting you last week at ViperExchange. If there's anything I can do to help on my end please let me know.

[Bryan Savage]

You (and ESC) cant overcome physics. Friction coefficient. Mass. Speed. Inertia...

69 in the rain is too fast. I recommend with "normal" tires: 50 mph!

Semi slicks (corsa) and xx,xxx miles?
Way too fast.

How do I know?
I crashed one too...

Cruise control "on" - very bad idea in the rain.

You are alive: +++

Sorry to hear. Cruise control in rain = trouble. Especially in a car like this.

For any of you interested, this is an equation I used in my previous career as an airline pilot:

Horne's equation says that Vp (velocity at which hydroplaning will occur) = 9 x (square root of tire pressure). So, if your tire has 35psi, the square root of that is 5.92 Multiply that value by 9 = 53.24 mph. Now, keep in mind that this equation is typically applied to aircraft tires, but it is useful in providing a rough guide for operation in wet conditions for car tires as well. On a smooth surface like the one Bryan was driving on, you are safe at about 55 mph and below, assuming your tire pressure is 35 psi. Anything above 55 mph and you are getting into the realm where hydroplaning is a very real possibility. You will also note that the speed at which hydroplaning may occur is directly proportional to your tire pressure. So, increasing your tire pressure provides an increase in Vp.

The tires on commercial aircraft are typically running in excess of 100 psi

70mph in the rain on worn tracked R compounds? Lucky you are only a jackass, and not a dead jackass. Stick you a set of Michelin Super Sports in the garage for days like those.

Thanks for the support, everyone, the advice, and also thanks for the tip on the hydroplaning speed. I read an article about it here. There's a lot of it that was tested in a controlled environment, and the equations were found to be too liberal for the experimental results!

The bottom line is that I baked a pizza, topped with too much speed, too little tire, too much water, and too little friction, and then I took a huge bite of it. There's nobody else to blame for how it ended up tasting.

Many of you have already had your experiences with this type of thing and now I've had mine. I hope it's the only one!

If this can help anyone else not share my pain (or, rather, my car's), then the point of this thread hasn't been missed.

[1Koolasp 16ACR]

Glad Your Ok Bud , Fix It Then Sell It !!!!!

[Bruce H.]

Really sorry to hear that Bryan, and glad there were no personal injuries.

[v10enomous]

Don't sweat it Bryan... It's just a car and that's what insurance is for. It was only last weekend that I was admiring your car... Hopefully you are back up and running soon. Better times ahead for sure.

[swexlin]

I will say Bryan it's very cool you that use the car for what it's intended: driving! You've had it about a year, right? You put the same mileage on it annually as I put on m daily driver Dart! Once it's fixed up, then comes the decision to keep it or sell it. Since it seems like the damage is mainly cosmetic, probably best to keep it an continue to enjoy!

[FrgMstr]

Many of you have already had your experiences with this type of thing and now I've had mine. I hope it's the only one!

If this can help anyone else not share my pain (or, rather, my car's), then the point of this thread hasn't been missed.

Oh brother, you are not alone. It's just plastic and metal. Long as you are safe, who really gives a shit.

[IndyRon]

Glad you are OK and the car isn't a total loss. That said, why drive the Viper at all if it is already raining and going to do so for the rest of the day...R compounds or not? These cars aren't fun to drive in the rain...NO traction whatsoever and driving it 15 below like a grandma and worrying every second just doesn't seem like any fun to me. 355's and rain = garage for me.

[XTREME SUPERCARS]

Glad your ok Bryan
I drive my Gen 5 a lot in the rain. It just turned 25,000 miles and the rear tires made it 15,000 fronts 18,000 the tread still looked good but I could feel the rear getting loose
The car can be fixed and your pride will heal plus you learned a great lesson, did not die and are a more experienced driver now. Also I bet you wish you spent more time on the skid pad at VIR
Please let me know if I can do anything to help you.
Wayne

[Schen]

Waking up in the RV to a photo of your car followed by an expletive was a bummer, but at least you picked up the phone. That was a relief! We found Chris and heard his side of the story. We know you love your car, but as long as you're ok that's what counts! All on track activities have been canceled for today so were watching movies in the camper.

Keep in touch Bryan!

--RS

[swexlin]

Glad you are OK and the car isn't a total loss. That said, why drive the Viper at all if it is already raining and going to do so for the rest of the day...R compounds or not? These cars aren't fun to drive in the rain...NO traction whatsoever and driving it 15 below like a grandma and worrying every second just doesn't seem like any fun to me. 355's and rain = garage for me.

Generally agree, but sometimes you gotta drive. It seems every year, on the day I have to drive to Carlisle, it's downpouring! Just have to drive like your great grandma! Bryan loves driving his car, more power to him!

[lochnessmonster]

Thanks for the support, everyone, the advice, and also thanks for the tip on the hydroplaning speed. I read an article about it here. There's a lot of it that was tested in a controlled environment, and the equations were found to be too liberal for the experimental results!

There are a lot of factors that go into determining at what speed a tire will hydroplane. The road surface, the depth of the standing water, the tire's tread pattern, tire pressure, etc. etc. That being said, the equation I provided, Horne's equation, is widely used throughout the aviation industry, and I think we all can agree that we don't see aircraft sliding off the runway often.

I will say this, with complete confidence, below the speed provided by Horne's equation you are pretty safe, provided you use judicious amounts of throttle input, and avoid significant lateral loads. Above the speed provided by Horne's equation, you are asking for trouble. I think the important thing for people to take away from this, and I agree, if your post helps prevent future incidents like this, it is worth it, is that the speed you are travelling is absolutely related to the likelihood that your tire will hydroplane. Maintaining a speed of 55 mph and below in wet conditions will provide a significant margin of safety.

Anyway, hang in there Bryan. I'm glad you posted your experience. I think there is a lot to be learned here.

[Dman]

Glad you're OK, could happen to anyone. Props for trying to represent vs having a garage queen.

I'm sure you'll be back on the road in no time. I second the MPSSs, I use them on a couple cars and have been good when caught in the rain. Good luck with everything.

[Vprbite]

Having not inspected a gen V up close from the repair point of view but having experience owning body shops, looking at the pictures it looks like it isn't that bad. Especially if it drove fine and no fluid leaks. Probably a simple panel replace. Not a terrible color to blend. I bet it comes out fine. Obviously, the parts will be pricey, but we know that and that's why our insurance is more than a Honda civic.

I also can't specifically say that this is a viper specific wreck. I mean, my truck with mud tires could also have had problems. Sure, there are water channels but it's also not designed to be great on wet pavement. New pavement especially may have been very slick. Factor in that there may have been a bit of extra oil on top because the rain floated it and it seems like it could have happened to anyone.

Car accidents are impossible to diagram front the physics perspective, so ones that don't look bad can be and ones that look terrible can be easy on the driver. Bottom line, good thing you are ok. And I doubt it will be a tough fix for a good shop.

Best of luck.

Edit...looking again it does t even look like it messed up your door. That's good. And the front aero looks ok. That will probably get replaced anyway, but see if you can keep them. You can sell them to someone on here for cheap who chunks one on a curb or something.

Plus, I have a front fascia hung in my wall in my front room that was in a wreck and has a small crack and it looks cool up there. So same thing with that. See if you can get your hands on it. Obviously dependent on whether your insurance company buys it or considers the panels garbage. But worth a shot IMO. I'd take it off your hands for more wall art.

[swexlin]

Also curious to see how your insurance handles it. Hopefully, your premium won't be affect too much. A side note - my premium on my 2013 Dart went up 5 percent upon renewal this past February. When I questioned my agent as to why, she told me that since the Darts had now been out a couple years, cost to repair are apparently higher than originally estimated, and that is why. The companies use certain scores for vehicles, and the Dart score went up!

So, we shall see what happens as more Viper need repair. I told my agent that if I see it go up again next year, and/or the Viper, which is pricey enough, I am going to shop around. Please keep us posted on how your company treats you,

[Bluecoupe]

Glad your OK, that is the important part! the car can and will be fixed!

[dethred]

Glad you're unhurt! Always the most important result in an accident. You just made any decisions to drive in inclement weather a definite "no" for me now.

[gpearl]

Removed.

So this post was more dickish than your prior one?

[viper_eddie]

I'm not a body repair expert but it really doesn't look that bad. Seems like hood and front bumper along with one headlight need replacement. Can't tell if that side panel has been damaged.

You're OK so that's really what matters (basically what everyone here is telling you). When I bought my Gen 4 I drove it from Seattle in some pouring rain with 7 year old tires. Combine that with the alignment which made the car jump from one lame to another and it scared the crap out of me until things got dry.

[ACRucrazy]

Seeing as a hood is 10K these days I could see this being a $20K fix.

[TexasSnake]

Maybe I'm just being overly precautions but I'm still reading comments and quotes in this thread that could possibly substantiate an insurance company's denial of a claim...

You can never be too careful!

[Track Pack]

Very glad you're ok.

[viper04]

Good you are ok it's only a car and can be replaced/repaired.