Viper CC goes to the NASA Nationals

Tom Glenn

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Sept. 13-17 NASA held its first National Road racing Championships at Mid-Ohio raceway with 409 racers! Weather Was decent, event organization was excellent, and the racing was awesome! There were a number of pro teams/drivers from World Challenge, Grand AM, Indy Racing League, and NASCAR.

Our team of three semi-volunteers (Harry Parker, Brian Nightengale and I) made the long trip with the #05 Viper CC to compete in the Viper-Vette Challenge class.

The format was: practice Thursday, qualify and qualifying race Friday, qualify & qualifying race Saturday, Championship race Sunday. We are running the full course with the chicane before the Key-hole.

Thursday was wet & cold. Uh oh, call Jim at Shelby tires and get some softer tires & rains. Spent the day scoping the competition, the fastest look to be - Eastern Region Champion in a sports racer, Grand AM twin turbo Porsche cup car, World Challenge Mustang, World Challenge Viper, and World Challenge Corvette. Oh boy this looks tough. We fought the set-up all day as the car was prepped for a warm grippy track and we were hesitant to change as we were hoping for warmer weather. Doesn't look we have much for the competition.

Friday it is damp and cold (by Arizona standards). We qualify second (never got a clear lap with 50 cars in our race group) and finish second in the race to the sports racer. Those cars are so good in the corners. That is what weighing only 800lbs will do for you. The Grand AM Porsche and World Challenge Viper are all over me. Car is ok, but still skittery on the track. Maybe we should add more wing?

Saturday is a little warmer and we are starting to feel good. Car feels better and we get a clean lap in qualifying. Check the qualifying results - third. [*****]! Now we are behind the Sports Racer and the Grand Am Porsche. If we are to have any chance on Sunday we must qualify on the front row in order to be able to use the Vipers torque at the start and minimize the advantage the sports racer has in the turns. Start of the qualifying race Saturday, green flag, we get a good jump and move to the middle in anticipation of passing the Porsche when the twin turbos kick in and the Porsche pulls me down the straight! Great, now we have a car in front that is faster in the straights and another that is faster in the corners. The Sports racer is leading, the Porsche is second and we are third. This goes on for three laps when we come flying into turn 11 (for those of you who know Mid-Ohio the is the right hander that heads back towards the pits, is over a rise, and has a concrete wall about 8" off the track at track out. I see a corner worker frantically waving a yellow flag - can't get on the brakes yet as we are just cresting the hill and can't see the issue - Oh oh, there it is, three Porches in various stages of a yard sale, safety truck and workers/driver running everywhere. A quick prayer, aim for the gap between the safety truck and the wall, pucker up and get skinny, whew we made it, great back on the gas. Next corner station we go full course yellow, pace car comes out and we finish the race under yellow. While running under yellow we develop a miss and still don't know if we have anything for the Sports racer or the Porsche. Back to the pits, change the spark plugs, a couple look fouled so we hope this is the problem.

Sunday the weather looks to be perfect 80 deg and partly cloudy. NASA totals up all of the qualifying points - we are second, very good, front row! We discuss race strategy - Harry and Brian inform me I need to take the lead at the start and keep it. Thanks a lot. Brian decides to set the car to be its best in the second half of the race. This means the start and first few laps will be tricky. During Warm up the car feels good - the miss is gone. Ok, game time, we are rolling down the straight with the Sports Racer on the inside setting the pace. I am watching him from the corner of my eye and focused on the starter looking for any movement - there it is the elbow moved - go go go. Yessss we got the jump and we have the corner, oops tires are cold and she is sliding, hang on, here comes the edge of the track, oh [*****] - oh good she hooks back up with a couple inches to spare - awesome back on the gas and we exit the turn in first. I can't see the sports racer where is he? There he is in my blind spot angling for the apex. If he gets even with me I will give him room, but until then, well, it is the championship. This goes on for about 12 laps and then I can feel the Viper getting better. Harry on the radio gives me the first split (2 seconds) of the day (normally every lap Harry gives me splits to the competition, ahead and behind, there have been no splits so far because there has been no gap). As the race goes on we get stronger and set fast time on lap 19 of a 22 lap race. Harry radios the white flag is out, one more lap, ok we have a 6 second lead just don't screw up. Last turn slow car in front, be patient checker flag, WE DID IT!



Final Stats:

National Champion Viper-Vette Challenge #05 Viper

Fastest lap of Championship races (1:30.7) #05 Viper

Fastest Average Race speed (95.2mph) #05 Viper

Overall winner including Super Unlimited #05 Viper



Many thanks to Harry & Brian and the support from my family.



Tom Glenn
 

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