ROOKIE MISTAKE ALMOST COSTLY

[WANTED]

the old saying, practice what you preach, as my 15 year old son told me! i'll make this as short as possible. just left my house first road i turn onto which is a nice curvey road speed limit 30mph, normaly i am in 3rd doing about 40, well a young kid in one of those fixed up imports gets on my tail, as he is staying at the same speed through the turns with me i get the stupid urge to show him he cant keep up with me. so coming upto to a long 90 degree turn i downshift to 2nd now doing about 2600 rpms just enter the turn and punch it, not floor it thank god, well it breaks loose right away and becomes sideways, good thing i know how to power slide a car. i did save it but i was really lucky that no other car was coming in the other direction. my point is i did learn a few things today, just to list a few. 1. i told my 15 year old son months before never punch it going into a turn, when i told him what happen he reminded me of that. 2. be the example, the kid behind me had no idea that i lost control, it looked like i was trying to do it. 3. they have tracks to do this kind of stuff, not public roads. 4. realize how much power is really under that viper, i blinked and it almost cost me and luckly not others. 5. showing off will catch up to you. 6. etc. etc. etc., hope you all see my point. well just thought i would tell the story maybe it will make us all think alittle more before we put are foot into it, most importantly BE CAREFULL BELIEVE ME I WILL BE.

 

[Chuck 98 RT/10]

This doesn't apply to you but it got me thinking - always pretend to believe someone when they tell you they took "X" turn at some unbelievable speed. Usually you need to knock off about 20mph to make it more accurate...unless of course, it was Mumford.

I cannot emphasize enough how much you can really learn by tracking a few times each year. I posted a while back about some kid trying to keep pace with me on an ambitious run up a 290 degree up ramp. He didn’t make it. It was quite amusing.

 

[Yves]

I think you learned more than on a track day and it was a FREE lesson.

Great that you admit making an error.

 

[Jeff Torrey]

I did the same thing earlier this year. I too was able to save the car. Glad to hear everything is OK.

 

[Andrew/USPWR]

Chuck is right. A few days a year with your Viper on a race track, keeps you from thinking public roads are race tracks.
When ever some get on my ass, I simply smile and wave them by. They KNOW the Viper will eat them alive, I don't have to prove it. If someone wants to race, I give them the next time I'll be at Sebring or Moroso.

They always shut-up and.................. NEVER show-up.

 

[ViperJohn]

Glad nothing bad happened to the car Tom. Interestingly enough, I was out last night with a buddy. We both punched our Vipers in second gear (rolling start), The car lurched forward, seemed to have plenty of traction, then all of the sudden, the rear started breaking loose on both of us through second gear and through third. The wild thing about it is that the engine had a power surge, similar to what I have experienced in turbocharged cars or multi-valve/cam engines.

My guess is the combination of cooler weather is enabling the engine to make more power and reduce the tire traction. Everyone else agree?

 

[V10 MOJO]

i agree with chuck on this one. track that beast a few times a yr. i personally also recommend tracking it via 1/4 mile a few times also, LOL.

i started my racing "career" this yr in april and since then ive raced on many roadcourses and dragstrips all over the country and its a fever. its also made me just about a picture perfect driver on the road whereas i used to be a terror. i see it as now i get all my angst out on the track; where it belongs, and like the dude said above, just wave em by (or invite em to the track for cash money; put up or shut up tell em)

nah i take that back, i still do have a bit of fun on the roads, but it is rarely since ive started tracking this beast, it has truly matured me a bit

 

[RavenFan_94]

WANTED. If you wreck that car... Enjoyed finally seeing the car at Damons last weekend. Thanks for saving her. I think this has happened to all of us. I consider myself a pretty darn good driver (prior racing experience), but the fact remains that my snake is better than me right out of the box.

What was that military commercial? When your opponent knows you can do XYZ, sometimes you don't need to fight at all.

Street cred. Our cars have nothing to prove.

Drive safe,

Jody

 

[Lee00blacksilverGTS]

Remember, this time of year colder pavement temperatures cause breakaway sooner. May have been what happened to you John.

 

[Chuck 98 RT/10]

If someone wants to race, I give them the next time I'll be at Sebring or Moroso.
They always shut-up and.................. NEVER show-up.

So true. I've even offered to pay their entry fee if they post a faster time. But still, they never show

Andrew, do you run Moroso and Sebring with SAFE Motorsports?

 

[Y2KACR]

One of the first things I was told when I started track work was to alway brake and accelerate in a straight line. That statement has been a helpful reminder for me many times. I am sure any of us who enjoy spirited driving have caught our Vipers as they begin to break loose in back. Glad you saved it and learned by it before it was a costly mistake.
As for the cold:
Cold tires + cold pavement + cold brain = cold cash for repair

 

[Gavin]

I reckon Chuck has got it wrong - you need to be at the track at leeeeaaaasssstttt once a month !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Couple of times a year just doesn't get it done for me. Ha!

 

[kgrif]

Thanks for the wake up call. I need to hear this kind of thing every now and then. Glad it turned out OK though.