Autocrossing

[mit]

Any reason not to? I normally autocross my RX-7 but it's
in the shop and there is an event this weekend. I just got
my Viper. I would like to keep my points up for the year.
Other than chunking my street tires, is there any compelling reason not to autocross a Viper? The car has 500 miles so I just broke it in and changed the oil.

Is this car even competitive? Our rules put a stock Viper in
A street prepared which is the same class as my heavily
modified RX-7.

Amit

 

[Steve Ferguson]

Keep your composure. The Torque on the Viper may throw you around a bit more than you are accustomed too. You will shift less, but getting used to the gobs of power will be the most difficult thing. Good luck, you should have a blast!

 

[JonB]

ONLY 500 MILES on 2001? NO-WAY !

I doubt you can stay within the highly-recommended RPM range.

As for competitive and fun, just pop your sport shims, and wail away, once the motor is PROPERLY broken-in. If the surface is good, and you properly inflate the tires, you will not likley chunk your tires. And you WILL learn to "steer the rear"

JonB

 

[ACR Joe]

Doesn't removing the sport shims constitute a toe adjustment as well?

 

[JonB]

Yes and no........for a few auto-x runs, "just to keep my points" it is not necessary to adjust the toe. If he was going to a roadcourse event, or a 2-3 day track school, I would indeed marke the OE toe setting, adjust it, and then adjust back afterwards.

But likley not bother for one day (5-6 runs?) of Auto-X unless he was stretching for a few hundredths......

JonB

 

[Bill Pemberton Woodhouse]

Get the car broken in then ROCK & ROLL. Forget the perception the
Viper is a big car ( it weighs less than a Camaro SS or a Mustang Cobra ) and in the SCCA you can mount a pair of Hoosiers on the
car and still run in Super Stock Class. Don't go with the Autocross compound, get the RoadRace set up - torque is massive and you can heat up these babies easily. The car must be aligned to get the maximun benefit ( around 1.8 to 2.0 degrees negative
camber in the front and around 1.3-1.5 degress neg,. in the rear) if you want to get aggressive and do well . With the ABS there are those of us who have done this for a long time that believe the Viper may storm the class this year. Call me if you want any ideas. Keep in mind that Borla catbacks, K&N filters , and DOT tires like Hoosiers are all legal in the Stock Classes. The car
works, we just have to remember that many other wide cars do well
also.
AS THEY SAY OUT HERE IN THE PRAIRIE - " Gopher it!"