Viper Days and the Viper Racing League visited the cornfields of Iowa to race at Mid America Motorplex this past weekend ( Sept. 6-8 ), but the track's surroundings were more akin to the bogs and bayous of Louisiana after all the rains from the past weeks. The puddles and newly born miniature lagoons would definitely give the racers incentives to stay on the tarmac, as a trip into seasonal swampland would likely elicit a response for a tow truck.
Saturday's race brought forth a brilliant sun, and a composure amongst the Viper pilots to keep the Snakes on the asp-halt , as the Mud drags next door at the drag strip only further emphasized the need for smooth hands and clear minds. The race was tactical, with virtually all racers staying calm , even under pressure, and Bob Woodhouse came out of retirement to post the overall win, with Kansas City area driver, Mark Kirby , putting in a brilliant drive to capture a solid second place in his 1996 GT1 GTS. Kudos went to both drivers from their fellow competitors , and their home track advantage was evident in both driver's consistently smooth laps around the 2.23 mile course. Ah, but Sunday.........
dawned with heavy clouds , brisk breezes and a full 25+ degree drop in temperature and the chilly reception from the weather gods had brought forth a refrigerated track many feared might make the racing surface quite treacherous. Those of us who had meandered around Mid America Motorplex over the years promised those within earshot , that the paved area would warm to the touch of the Hoosier shod brigade, and the cool air would cause times to plummet as the temperature had. Sure enough, many saw their practice times running a full 2 seconds faster than they had qualified at on Saturday. With the race looming that afternoon, was this new found confidence a precursor to the possible excitement of the Sunday, 25 lap race ----- well, you decide!?
Jim Zachacz ( KC VCA ) and Rhonda Johnson ( Archer Racing Accessories ) wheeled the silver bullet Viper pace car onto the track Sunday with a bazilian horsepower ( poetic license to describe a large number, courtesy of George W. Bush ) behind them. The field was inverted based, on Saturday's qualifying times, making an extremely exciting dash towards the starter's podium and when the green flag fell, driver's were shifting positions faster than 18 hyperactive schoolchildren playing musical chairs. Bob Woodhouse threaded his way through the traffic, in his superbly prepped World Challenge GT Series Snake, and by lap 2 he was in the lead. The 61 year old was in a zone, but the Pro driver was expected to run super strong and he did not disappoint. The real excitement was just behind him with a gaggle of drivers all fighting to get to the front and a quick intake of breath hushed the crowd as the California Cheesesnake of Michael Greenberg made a courageous outside move on the Blue CC of Ben Madey into turn 4.
This sweeper has fooled many of the locals, as it opens wide but the outside edge on driver's right is often full of clagg and is slightly off camber ( the track appears flat, but the entire surface is crowned and many drivers get caught out on this ). Michael couldn't quite hold the pass and sailed off into the swamp, yet his right lower appendage was nailed to the accelerator. He splashed through the grass looking like a swamp boat on steroids and looked like he would enter the track without much of a position loss, but his entry angle was off and he slid across the track in front of 5 Viper competitors. The exhale of carbon dioxide was like a stiff wind from the crowd,yet the black Comp Coupe of the California driver collected nary a vehicle. Though Greenberg's ride escaped any real damage, the mud had bent and snapped portions of the undertray and he was out of the race on lap 3 - tough on a driver currently leading his class in the series, but more excitement was to follow.
Jim Stout ( Ohio ), Ben Keating ( Texas ), Russ Oasis ( Florida ), Mark Kirby ( Kansas ), Fred Roberts ( Canada ), Steve Loudin ( Illinois ) and others were all battling for the second spot behind Woodhouse, and with a couple of sweet slithers, Stout snuck into the position and held it for the remainder of the race. Behind the two AARP racers ( Stout is 64 ) a battle royal was erupting, and the composure from Saturday's race was lost with spins into the morass of Iowa wetlands ,that littered the racing surface with mud and debris in numerous turns. Marshall Dickler ( Illinois ) was rocketing into the 9 / 10 turns switchback, when he encountered the debris deposited from another racer and he pirouetted off into the soaked earth. He did some beautiful donuts, keeping the car running and came back on the track, off the racing line and dumping very little debris around the course. Not long after, Scott Gerami imitated a commercial washer in the spin cycle, exciting the grandstand spectators by flinging mud and moisture all over the place in turn 12. He left a trail of the brown stuff that would have made it impossible for Hansel and Gretel not to be able to find their way back through the woods, and this opened the door for more excitement to come.
Turns 12-15 are a test of braking, squirting the accelerator, patience to make it through quickly, and the crowd watched with anticipation as Russ Oasis lead Ben Keating through the sidewinder trail of turns leading to the 2222 ft. straight. Russ was quicker in other areas, but it appeared Ben had his measure in this section, and he was harassing Oasis to the max. Going deep into 13 Ben feinted to the right and then tried to sneak in under Russ's left side, but the car snapped , it's rear donuts grasped for adhesion and Keating catapulted off the pavement, kissing the tire barrier around the worker carousel and landing just outside the track pitout facing backwards. Ben likely was irritated, but the car came through the mishap in surprisingly good shape, and there was little doubt to most of us, that dirt on the track was the culprit for the tire wall concussion.
With items like this happening every few laps, butts in the bleachers were barely hanging onto the edge, as all succumbed to the melee caused by the damp conditions encroaching the circuit. Mark Kirby's Blue 96 GT1 had moved back up towards the front after a slick pass on the baby blue beastie of Ben Madey. Ben showed what he was madey of, though , clawing back and dicing with Kirby for quite a few laps, before his dogged determination nailed down his spot for a podium finish in the Modified Comp Coupe Class. Kirby clung on to his lead in the GT1 class to take a coveted double win for the weekend. Kudos go to Steve Loudin in his Goldfinger 007 Comp Coupe for a steady race and a second place finish behind Jim Stout's Purple People eater in GT-C. I mentioned how he had kept the shiny side up, stayed on the track and had a superb finish. He laughed and told me I was a blind old man, as he had been off the track 3 times. This seemed to be the byword for entire race, as later, after talking to most of the competitors , everyone seemed to have imbibed a bit of agricultural racing during the 25 lap session.
My apologies for not including all the drivers, but there was so much going on, and throughout the race they had the spectators glued to the track,since this was one of the most exciting events ever covered at Mid America Motorplex.
Special congrats go to Kathy Stout in her SRT 4, as she ran fast and steady to sneak by Greg Budriss who was having fueling issues with his GT4 Neon.
Lastly, though I have not included anything about the Viper Challenge Series in this posting, the coolest story out there was about the intense competition between Nancy Stein ( last year's Natl. Champion in the Modified Class ) and Jim Zachacz. Jim, currently leading the class in points , corded a right front tire and was deemed ineligible to run ( for safety reasons ), which would have handed Nancy the win. Instead, gracious racer that she is, Nancy offered Jim one of her own tires to run on, and the battle continued. Jim admitted defeat when Nancy uncorked a 1:40.285 to his 1:40.732, and his genuine congratulation to the current National Champ was a huge thank you to her for allowing him a way to continue the friendly battle. Class act on both sides and a strong indication of what Viper Days is all about ---- a true racing family.
Finishes for the Sunday race:
1. Bob Woodhouse GT8
2. Jim Stout GT-C
3. Russ Oasis GT-MC
4. Fred Roberts GT-MC
5. Ben Madey GT-MC
6. Mark Kirby GT1
7.Mark Alger GT-MC
8. Steve Loudin GT-C
9. Nate Stokey GT1
10. Marshall Dickler GT-MC
11. Scott Welham GT1
12. Eddie Budriss GT1
13. Rich Wesorick GT1
14. Scott Gerami GT-C
15. Kathy Stout GT4
16.Greg Budriss GT4
17. Ben Keating GT-C
18. Michael Greenberg GT-MC
Submitted by:
Bill Pemberton
Excited Spectator and Instructor
If you haven't been to a Viper Days event as a spectator or a participant, you really owe yourself the privilege ---- great time, great folks, great racing, great food!!!
Thanks to Chris Marshall for driving up to show the VCA National Board's support---- and for buying me lunch, ha,ha!!!
Saturday's race brought forth a brilliant sun, and a composure amongst the Viper pilots to keep the Snakes on the asp-halt , as the Mud drags next door at the drag strip only further emphasized the need for smooth hands and clear minds. The race was tactical, with virtually all racers staying calm , even under pressure, and Bob Woodhouse came out of retirement to post the overall win, with Kansas City area driver, Mark Kirby , putting in a brilliant drive to capture a solid second place in his 1996 GT1 GTS. Kudos went to both drivers from their fellow competitors , and their home track advantage was evident in both driver's consistently smooth laps around the 2.23 mile course. Ah, but Sunday.........
dawned with heavy clouds , brisk breezes and a full 25+ degree drop in temperature and the chilly reception from the weather gods had brought forth a refrigerated track many feared might make the racing surface quite treacherous. Those of us who had meandered around Mid America Motorplex over the years promised those within earshot , that the paved area would warm to the touch of the Hoosier shod brigade, and the cool air would cause times to plummet as the temperature had. Sure enough, many saw their practice times running a full 2 seconds faster than they had qualified at on Saturday. With the race looming that afternoon, was this new found confidence a precursor to the possible excitement of the Sunday, 25 lap race ----- well, you decide!?
Jim Zachacz ( KC VCA ) and Rhonda Johnson ( Archer Racing Accessories ) wheeled the silver bullet Viper pace car onto the track Sunday with a bazilian horsepower ( poetic license to describe a large number, courtesy of George W. Bush ) behind them. The field was inverted based, on Saturday's qualifying times, making an extremely exciting dash towards the starter's podium and when the green flag fell, driver's were shifting positions faster than 18 hyperactive schoolchildren playing musical chairs. Bob Woodhouse threaded his way through the traffic, in his superbly prepped World Challenge GT Series Snake, and by lap 2 he was in the lead. The 61 year old was in a zone, but the Pro driver was expected to run super strong and he did not disappoint. The real excitement was just behind him with a gaggle of drivers all fighting to get to the front and a quick intake of breath hushed the crowd as the California Cheesesnake of Michael Greenberg made a courageous outside move on the Blue CC of Ben Madey into turn 4.
This sweeper has fooled many of the locals, as it opens wide but the outside edge on driver's right is often full of clagg and is slightly off camber ( the track appears flat, but the entire surface is crowned and many drivers get caught out on this ). Michael couldn't quite hold the pass and sailed off into the swamp, yet his right lower appendage was nailed to the accelerator. He splashed through the grass looking like a swamp boat on steroids and looked like he would enter the track without much of a position loss, but his entry angle was off and he slid across the track in front of 5 Viper competitors. The exhale of carbon dioxide was like a stiff wind from the crowd,yet the black Comp Coupe of the California driver collected nary a vehicle. Though Greenberg's ride escaped any real damage, the mud had bent and snapped portions of the undertray and he was out of the race on lap 3 - tough on a driver currently leading his class in the series, but more excitement was to follow.
Jim Stout ( Ohio ), Ben Keating ( Texas ), Russ Oasis ( Florida ), Mark Kirby ( Kansas ), Fred Roberts ( Canada ), Steve Loudin ( Illinois ) and others were all battling for the second spot behind Woodhouse, and with a couple of sweet slithers, Stout snuck into the position and held it for the remainder of the race. Behind the two AARP racers ( Stout is 64 ) a battle royal was erupting, and the composure from Saturday's race was lost with spins into the morass of Iowa wetlands ,that littered the racing surface with mud and debris in numerous turns. Marshall Dickler ( Illinois ) was rocketing into the 9 / 10 turns switchback, when he encountered the debris deposited from another racer and he pirouetted off into the soaked earth. He did some beautiful donuts, keeping the car running and came back on the track, off the racing line and dumping very little debris around the course. Not long after, Scott Gerami imitated a commercial washer in the spin cycle, exciting the grandstand spectators by flinging mud and moisture all over the place in turn 12. He left a trail of the brown stuff that would have made it impossible for Hansel and Gretel not to be able to find their way back through the woods, and this opened the door for more excitement to come.
Turns 12-15 are a test of braking, squirting the accelerator, patience to make it through quickly, and the crowd watched with anticipation as Russ Oasis lead Ben Keating through the sidewinder trail of turns leading to the 2222 ft. straight. Russ was quicker in other areas, but it appeared Ben had his measure in this section, and he was harassing Oasis to the max. Going deep into 13 Ben feinted to the right and then tried to sneak in under Russ's left side, but the car snapped , it's rear donuts grasped for adhesion and Keating catapulted off the pavement, kissing the tire barrier around the worker carousel and landing just outside the track pitout facing backwards. Ben likely was irritated, but the car came through the mishap in surprisingly good shape, and there was little doubt to most of us, that dirt on the track was the culprit for the tire wall concussion.
With items like this happening every few laps, butts in the bleachers were barely hanging onto the edge, as all succumbed to the melee caused by the damp conditions encroaching the circuit. Mark Kirby's Blue 96 GT1 had moved back up towards the front after a slick pass on the baby blue beastie of Ben Madey. Ben showed what he was madey of, though , clawing back and dicing with Kirby for quite a few laps, before his dogged determination nailed down his spot for a podium finish in the Modified Comp Coupe Class. Kirby clung on to his lead in the GT1 class to take a coveted double win for the weekend. Kudos go to Steve Loudin in his Goldfinger 007 Comp Coupe for a steady race and a second place finish behind Jim Stout's Purple People eater in GT-C. I mentioned how he had kept the shiny side up, stayed on the track and had a superb finish. He laughed and told me I was a blind old man, as he had been off the track 3 times. This seemed to be the byword for entire race, as later, after talking to most of the competitors , everyone seemed to have imbibed a bit of agricultural racing during the 25 lap session.
My apologies for not including all the drivers, but there was so much going on, and throughout the race they had the spectators glued to the track,since this was one of the most exciting events ever covered at Mid America Motorplex.
Special congrats go to Kathy Stout in her SRT 4, as she ran fast and steady to sneak by Greg Budriss who was having fueling issues with his GT4 Neon.
Lastly, though I have not included anything about the Viper Challenge Series in this posting, the coolest story out there was about the intense competition between Nancy Stein ( last year's Natl. Champion in the Modified Class ) and Jim Zachacz. Jim, currently leading the class in points , corded a right front tire and was deemed ineligible to run ( for safety reasons ), which would have handed Nancy the win. Instead, gracious racer that she is, Nancy offered Jim one of her own tires to run on, and the battle continued. Jim admitted defeat when Nancy uncorked a 1:40.285 to his 1:40.732, and his genuine congratulation to the current National Champ was a huge thank you to her for allowing him a way to continue the friendly battle. Class act on both sides and a strong indication of what Viper Days is all about ---- a true racing family.
Finishes for the Sunday race:
1. Bob Woodhouse GT8
2. Jim Stout GT-C
3. Russ Oasis GT-MC
4. Fred Roberts GT-MC
5. Ben Madey GT-MC
6. Mark Kirby GT1
7.Mark Alger GT-MC
8. Steve Loudin GT-C
9. Nate Stokey GT1
10. Marshall Dickler GT-MC
11. Scott Welham GT1
12. Eddie Budriss GT1
13. Rich Wesorick GT1
14. Scott Gerami GT-C
15. Kathy Stout GT4
16.Greg Budriss GT4
17. Ben Keating GT-C
18. Michael Greenberg GT-MC
Submitted by:
Bill Pemberton
Excited Spectator and Instructor
If you haven't been to a Viper Days event as a spectator or a participant, you really owe yourself the privilege ---- great time, great folks, great racing, great food!!!
Thanks to Chris Marshall for driving up to show the VCA National Board's support---- and for buying me lunch, ha,ha!!!
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