Wide Open Parking Lot

[voi9]

Went to this huge parking lot yesterday to get the feel of just how quick the back end of the Viper can come around. Even with the wheel only slightly turned and not even too much throttle, I was amazed at how fast and unexpectedly the Viper will go from grip to slip. Once the back end starts to get loose, it was as if I was driving on ice. Very scary at how easy it is to loose the back end. I very gently would come off the throttle and would keep the wheel where it was to get the Viper to correct.
I wanted to try this to program myself not to over correct and abruptly come off the throttle God forbid it should ever happen on the street unexpectedly.
Definitely do not want to lay your foot into the go pedal unless the Viper is pointed straight.

 

[RTTTTed]

The Viper can lose control so fast that you're going backwards before you realize that you were drifting. Thank God the Viper can also regain control in a similar way. Short shifting with a Roe is really stupid and I found that out by short shifting into 3rd. However, I did regain control almost instantly - because it's a Viper.

When I stomped on the throttle in 4th at 40mph the car went backwards so fast that I didn't notice any changing, just went from forwards to backwards with no transition. After 6 fishtails I did get control back (amazingly) and NOW I never short shift or WOT in gears higher than my driving speeds.

Ted

 

[ViperGTS]

That's why I (we) do driver trainings at least once a year at a safe place like BOXBERG (Bosch proving grounds) - the feeling to loose control is sooooo ****ty..........
Robert Bosch GmbH - Systeme und Produkte für Automobilhersteller

 

[BolsOut]

Great idea. I think I'll go do that also.

 

[plumcrazy]

i like going to open lots a few times a year to do the same thing. especially in the spring. its a great way for you to get used to that feeling and to learn what your car will do. not to mention the fun of spinning the car at will.

 

[j-rho]

Autocross is a great way to get used to the way the car behaves with a lot of throttle in the lower gears.

I find the Viper is actually quite tame, it puts power down well. Still, you can't forget you've got 5-600+ horsepower, so you have to remember to use the gas pedal like a rheostat and not an on/off switch, as you can with a little 4-****** or something.

 

[Tom F&L GoR]

Autocross is a great way to get used to the way the car behaves with a lot of throttle in the lower gears.

Yes, it is. Some owners tend to poo-poo AX because it's to slow, too few runs, takes all day, etc, but after being trounced by a few Miatas and Civics, you will understand what car control really means.

 

[Leslie]

Autocross is a great way to get used to the way the car behaves with a lot of throttle in the lower gears.

I find the Viper is actually quite tame, it puts power down well. Still, you can't forget you've got 5-600+ horsepower, so you have to remember to use the gas pedal like a rheostat and not an on/off switch, as you can with a little 4-****** or something.

and it's inexpensive.

Three months ago I thought I would never be roadracing my GTS, I just never considered it a car I could really drive hard like I did my Z06.

I really didn't think I could keep it on the track and I was very surprised at how easy it turns in, this is an amazing car. It's fun to let drift a little through turns and quite controllable even stock.

 

[RTTTTed]

Vipers are also about the fastest speed through a slalom course. PS2 tires of course.

Ted

 

[Newport Viper]

autox is fun! had a great time at WZR event

YouTube - pchviper's Channel

 

[Disturbed]

I do the same thing when I try a new type of tire. I haven't done it with this race car yet...but...I'm sure it will be a blast.

My 01 ACR when the rear would step out it was easy to bring back in. Keep the throttle at the same % open, slight correction on the wheel...and snap...right back.

I have also found large drift angles can be helped by doing the same...but adding a little more throttle....but if you go too much...you swap ends

 

[j-rho]

Here's an in-car video from a recent autocross. You can see I spend about half of the time in first gear. Lots of big steering inputs to get around the tight-ish course, but the car is in great shape the whole time, and I can use full throttle in first gear on several occasions.
[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6rjB1_tw5BI[/media]

 

[albinonile]

I wish there were some big open parking lots down where we live so I could try to learn how hard to push the viper---south florida anyone?

that autocross looks like so much fun

 

[ViperGal]

I wish there were some big open parking lots down where we live so I could try to learn how hard to push the viper---south florida anyone?

that autocross looks like so much fun

Reach out to the S. Florida pres - I bet he has some good ideas. I know he was taking the group to the 'runway in the everglades' written up in one of the auto magazines for some fun....

NARRA/Viper Days also had two events at Sebring this past year - maybe catch them next year...

 

[vpr hlr]

J-hro. I was thinking about an in car camera specifically for the autocross. Which camera did you end up using for this video?

 

[j-rho]

Camera and the software is from Chasecam - Solid State Digital Video Recording Systems and Cameras | ChaseCam

Having the camera in the car makes the video a thousand times more useful to me for post-race analysis, you can see the inputs the car is getting.

Some of the information displayed in the video is from my DL1 data acquisition system. Chasecam's Dashware software is used to overlay the g-grpah, track map, and speedometer afterwards.

 

[AFL in NJ]

One thing I've dreamed of being able to do with my Viper is oversteer using throttle through a turn....still haven't been able to pull it off...the back end always comes around.

Regards,
Aaron

 

[Mopar Boy]

We do this type of training 6 months of the year up here.

Its called WINTER!



Really, nice job! Always better to learn in a controlled environment!

 

[BennyBad]

I wish there were some big open parking lots down where we live so I could try to learn how hard to push the viper---south florida anyone?

that autocross looks like so much fun

bring it to the track at homestead on the 17th, fast, fun and safe.can even get you a discount and lunch is included

 

[Chuck 98 RT/10]

I wish there were some big open parking lots down where we live so I could try to learn how hard to push the viper---south florida anyone?

that autocross looks like so much fun

Homestead and Palm Beach International Raceway (formerly Moroso) Palm Beach International Raceway's Road Course

SAFE Motorsports - More track for less money! Sebring - Homestead - Moroso
Chin MotorSports - More Tracks, More Track Time!

Of course, for folks that own Vipers NARRA Online should be mandatory.

 

[1fastviper]

I took a real tght turn the other day kinda fast and the rear broke loose and whiped around on me I was off the throttle before i entered the turn.Never had the rear break before the front before.Does anybody know what caused this? Could have been bad!

 

[SquadX]

When you mention short shift, what are you referring too? I short shift all the time with no problem, so I'm sure the two are different. Coming from a stop I'd shift at 3k in each gear up to 4 or 5 to cruise.
I'd think shifting at high rpms would be more of an issue. Guess I'm missing something here when u say short shift.

 

[RTTTTed]

joke, right?

 

[SquadX]

I know what short shifting means but were u saying u short shift as in shifting at low rpms and the back stepping out on u or u have a shirt throw shifter and when shifting aggressively the back comes around.

 

[WILDASP]

I took a real tght turn the other day kinda fast and the rear broke loose and whiped around on me I was off the throttle before i entered the turn.Never had the rear break before the front before.Does anybody know what caused this? Could have been bad!

Several possibilities here. Were your tires warmed up? Did you get into the brakes after entry? Could you have turned in too soon? What tires were you on-could they have been old/worn/hard? What were the temps/ road conditions? Without some more details of exactly what the circumstances were, it's hard to say. My best guess is that you maybe overbraked, loaded the front tires too much, and got the rear loose; but without more info, that's just a guess.

 

[eucharistos]

joke, right?

yeah ted, can you believe that

would you please explain it to us, errr umm, him so we, i mean he can visualize this

 

[eucharistos]

only thing i can think is the tendency to stab the gas after the short shift, but viper torque still too much for the tires

or missing the rpm match

.....

 

[1fastviper]

Several possibilities here. Were your tires warmed up? Did you get into the brakes after entry? Could you have turned in too soon? What tires were you on-could they have been old/worn/hard? What were the temps/ road conditions? Without some more details of exactly what the circumstances were, it's hard to say. My best guess is that you maybe overbraked, loaded the front tires too much, and got the rear loose; but without more info, that's just a guess.

Tires where road temp and I got new ps2's on.Road cond normal about 70 degrees outside. No braking at all in the turn.Rear just broke loose and car spined on me

 

[RTTTTed]

Tires where road temp and I got new ps2's on.Road cond normal about 70 degrees outside. No braking at all in the turn.Rear just broke loose and car spined on me

Tires at road temp = COLD. Tires warm up when you drive on them and at "normal road temp" they're dangerous.

When you slow going into a corner your weight is transfered to the front tires so of course the back end "SPINED".

High Performance Driving teaches this and every Viper owner should have taken at least 1 course so that they will have an IDEA on how to drive a Viper. Otherwise ... vettes, BMW, Mercedes, etc all have nannies.

 

[JonB]

'SHORT Shift' vs 'SPEED SHIFT'.... Lost in Canadian translation?

Ted: Think about turn 8 at PIR....... we SHORT SHIFT (down lower in the RPM powerband) so as NOT to break the tires loose... Short-Shifting generally takes torque out of the equation, and keeps the car settled....

SPEED SHIFT is what we were avoiding that DOES shock the driveline and breaks the tires loose

VOI-9.... your 4-year old RunFlats are a "Probable Cause" of your compromised traction.