This one is perhaps the most detailed/factual, from Jon B a while back.
FWIW
If you have a roll bar or cage, no worry. HOWEVER
Some history: When Vipers were first crash-tested by Fed mandate, it was discovered that the RT/10 TRUNK LID can dislodge in a rear crash. If the spare is not in the trunk, the trunk lid can intrude into the cockpit thru the rear window. The rear sport hoop acts as a blade-guide and the trunklid edge becomes a guillotene. The INFLATED Spare Tire, if BOLTED IN, becomes a great shock-absorber and rear tub stiffener and prevents the decklid from moving forward and therefore prevents head loss.
Team Viper members attending the FIRST EVER VIPER NATIONALS DRAG RACES in TX in 1995 pointed this out to the the TECH INSPECTOR there, and spares have been madated in RT/10s ever since. I am fairly certain that tech inspector was the same guy who informed SKIP THOMAS at VIPER DAYS. That tech inspector was me. At the fisrt VOI-sanctioned drags {VOI-4 Orlando} we required Spares in RT10s only.
If you have a ROLL BAR in the car, this prevents the trunk intrusion, so the spare was less important, but still a functional rear-crash safety device preventing more serious frame collapse. So VRL maintained the requirement in non-roll-cage cars, even tho federal REAR CRASH DATA on GTSs was not as forboding results as RT/10.
I think the SRT Spare tie-down is to prevent its mounting-point ejection, not to make it a structural component; But if it stays in place it certainly helps absorb impact. SRT10 frames are carry-over to 2008, and there is NO SPARE in the 08. I am curious about any crash-test results and steps taken for 08.
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