99t1
Enthusiast
One again Vettes try to pull back the faster cars to their speed. A certain Vette driver had some free time to work this letter up:
Please consider the following request to slow the Dodge Viper SRT-10 and GTS Coupe, as well as the Ferrari 360 below their current classification.
I would like to see The Viper and the Ferrari remain in the current T1 class to race against the Corvettes and Porsche 911GT3, however, only if the vehicle’s performance is brought in-line with the rest of the vehicles classified in the current T1. Alternatively, a performance increase could also be given to the Corvettes and Porsche 911GT3.
The Ferrari, which cannot get down to within 150lbs of the currently as-classified weight as it sits, needs to have 250lbs added to it. That is approximately 100lbs more than the weight that the car is currently ACTUALLY racing at.
Due to the low-revving nature of the Viper’s 8.0L V10, the current restrictor is failing to have much of an affect on restricting the car’s power and torque outputs. I would like to request that the Viper’s restrictor is made smaller in order to off-set the 4.5% and 18.25% power-to-weight and torque-to-weight advantages that it currently has over the C5 Corvette. The C6 Corvette, which is 50lbs heavier than the C5, suffers even more. The Viper’s power and torque figures that I am using below are from David Pintaric’s 6th place Runoffs finishing Dodge Viper SRT-10. The Power and Torque figures for the C5 Corvette that I am using are from my own Corvette. Lance Knupp has informed me that his Runoff’s winning Corvette actually has 4 rwhp LESS than my car and three rw ft*lbs less. I do not think that adding any additional weight to the Viper is wise from both a safety and weight-to-tire contact area perspective.
Conversely, if the AC and CR do agree to allow removal of interiors in Touring (as is currently permitted on the Ferrari 360) for reasons of safety, than the Corvette could be given a weight reduction of 180lbs (which would equalize the power-to-weight ratio, but still leave the Viper with a significant torque-to-weight ratio advantage). It would be impossible to lighten the Corvette beyond it’s current classification legally without permitting interior removal. Additionally, if the Corvette would be permitted to run a 335mm rear tire, as well as an alternate GM front brake caliper package, the vehicle’s performance would be more closely matched to that of the Viper and the Ferrari 360.
If you, the members of the AC and CRB do not agree to take some action to equalize the performance of the Vipers and the Ferrari 360 to the rest of the field, than I would like to strongly suggest that they would need to be moved into the new Super Touring class.
Field size at the 2006 Runoffs in T1 was down significantly over the past two seasons, and will be further reduced if the Vipers and Ferraris are allowed to run in the current class as currently specified. The cost of purchasing a race prepared Viper is approximately three times the cost of purchasing a race prepared Corvette- approximately $100,000 for the Viper. The cost of the Ferrari is also in the $100,000 range.
The pole-sitting Viper qualified a whopping 2.28 seconds per-lap faster than the fastest Corvette, and 2.89 seconds faster than five-time defending champion John Heinricy. The outside pole sitting Ferrari qualified a significant 1.6 seconds per-lap faster than the fastest Corvette, and 2.2 seconds faster than John Heinricy.
While a Corvette may have won the Runoffs race, that victory was primarily due to the fact that Scotty B. White had a tire failure. In 2005, the Corvette’s Victory was caused by Scotty B. White making a driver error (missed shift) in his pole-sitting Viper. In 2006, SBW, in just a few laps, opened up an 8+ second lead over his team-mate Cindi Lux in another Viper. Qualifying times are a better indicator of true vehicle performance, whereas the race result is a combination of vehicle performance, as well as driver and team strategy and performance. Lance Knupp did a better job of conserving his car for a late race charge, whereas most in the Viper camp burnt their cars up by pushing too hard, too soon.
Please read the 2006 qualifying times, and take note of how far back perennial front-runners John Heinricy, Lance Knupp, and Phil Croyle are
2006 Runoffs Qualifying Times
1. #3 SRT10 Viper Coupe White 1:47.0
2. #77 360C Ferarri Zabinski 1:47.675
3. #32 SRT10 Viper Aquilante Andrew 1:48.0
4. #78 SRT10 Viper Coupe Cindi Lux 1:48.7
5. #18 SRT10 Viper Robbins 1:48.7-------------Ã Finishes 3rd!! No disrespect intended to Jeff, but past race results show no indication that
7. #37 C5Z06 Knupp 1:49.28 Jeff is a superior driver to John Heinricy, Phil Croyle, Chris Ingle, etc…
6. #98 SRT10 Viper Lynch 1:49.5--------------Ã No disrespect intended to Jim, but past race results show no indication that
8. #35 C5Z06 Heinricy (5 year defending champ) 1:49.89 Jim is a superior driver to John Heinricy, Phil Croyle, Chris Ingle, etc…
9. #7 C5Z06 Chris Ingle 1:50.XX
10. #6 C5Z06 Phil Croylle 1:50.XX
2005 Runoffs results:
7 Chris Ingle 1:34.692
8 William Ziegler 1:35.318
9 Freddy Baker 1:35.376
10 Michael Pettiford 1:35.763
11 David Pintaric 1:35.856 -----Ã 2006 Finished 6th since he switched to Viper
12 Pete Looby 1:36.197
13 Joseph Aquilante 1:36.763
14 Jeffrey Robbins 1:36.249---Ã 2006 Finishes on the podium!
2004 Runoffs Qualifying Times
1 35 John Heinricy Corvette 1:32.823 ----------Ã 5 time defending champion Qualifies 8th in 2006 in a Corvette
2 0 Freddy Baker Porsche 1:33.725
3 13 David Roush Corvette 1:33.767
4 3 Scotty White Corvette 1:33.864 ----------------------Ã Qualifies on pole in 2005 and 2006 in a Viper
5 71 Chris Ingle Corvette 1:33.90
6 14 Michael Pettiford Corvette 1:33.96
7 37 Lance Knupp Corvette 1:34.102
8 61 Philip Croyle Corvette 1:34.448
9 12 Bob Schader Corvette 1:34.832
10 78 Cindy Lux Corvette 1:35.254 -----------------------Ã Qualifies 4th and finishes 2nd in 2006 in a Viper
11 95 Bill Ziegler Corvette 1:35.267
12 36 Andrew Aquilante Corvette 1:35.391 ---------------Ã Qualifies 3rd in 2006 in a Viper
13 18 Jeffrey Robbins Corvette 1:35.599 -----------------Ã Finishes 3rd in 2006 in a Viper
14 55 Mark Mitchell Corvette 1:35.718
15 40 David Pintaric Corvette 1:35.760--------------------Ã Finishes 6th in 2006 in a Viper
Here are a few numbers for comparison. These are actual observed T1 tuned dyno numbers, with restrictor in place on the Viper:
Power-to-weight ratios:
Corvette:
3280lbs / 378rwhp: 8.6772 lbs/hp
Viper:
3710lbs / 448rwhp: 8.2813 lbs/hp
Torque-to-weight ratios:
Corvette:
3280lbs / 365rwft*lbs: 8.9863 lbs/ft*lbs
Viper:
3710lbs / 505rwft*lbs: 7.3465 lbs/ft*lbs
The Viper carries almost 4/10s of a pound LESS per horsepower than the Corvette carries. This is a 4.6% power:weight advantage for the Viper over the Vette.
The Viper carries 1.6398 lbs LESS per ft*lb or torque than a Corvette. This is an 18.25% torque:weight advantage for the Viper.
Viper drivers will argue the following: In terms of weight to tire contact area- The Vipers are running 315mm fronts and 345mm rears. Total contact width is 1320mm. At 3710lbs, that is 2.8106lbs per mm.
The Corvettes are running 295mm fronts and 315mm rears. Total contact width is 1220mm. At 3280lbs, that is 2.6885lbs per mm.
The Vettes are carrying 0.1221 of a pound less per mm of tire than the Viper- a 4% advantage for the Corvette. However, it has yet to be proven if this statistic is enough of a difference to have any real affect on the Vipers ability to get through corners any slower, or stop any worse than the Corvette. I would suggest, based on SBW's Runoffs and June Sprints qualifying, and race times, that the answer is no. The higher quality of the Viper's real race-type Brembo brake set-up, versus the Corvette's virtually disposable brake system off-sets some of that advantage as well.
For those who may argue that it does (based on what, I don't know), there is no way that this slight advantage for the Vette can even come close to making up for a 4.6% power-to-weight deficit, and a whopping 18.25% torque-to-weight deficit!
Thanks for your consideration,
(omitted)
Please consider the following request to slow the Dodge Viper SRT-10 and GTS Coupe, as well as the Ferrari 360 below their current classification.
I would like to see The Viper and the Ferrari remain in the current T1 class to race against the Corvettes and Porsche 911GT3, however, only if the vehicle’s performance is brought in-line with the rest of the vehicles classified in the current T1. Alternatively, a performance increase could also be given to the Corvettes and Porsche 911GT3.
The Ferrari, which cannot get down to within 150lbs of the currently as-classified weight as it sits, needs to have 250lbs added to it. That is approximately 100lbs more than the weight that the car is currently ACTUALLY racing at.
Due to the low-revving nature of the Viper’s 8.0L V10, the current restrictor is failing to have much of an affect on restricting the car’s power and torque outputs. I would like to request that the Viper’s restrictor is made smaller in order to off-set the 4.5% and 18.25% power-to-weight and torque-to-weight advantages that it currently has over the C5 Corvette. The C6 Corvette, which is 50lbs heavier than the C5, suffers even more. The Viper’s power and torque figures that I am using below are from David Pintaric’s 6th place Runoffs finishing Dodge Viper SRT-10. The Power and Torque figures for the C5 Corvette that I am using are from my own Corvette. Lance Knupp has informed me that his Runoff’s winning Corvette actually has 4 rwhp LESS than my car and three rw ft*lbs less. I do not think that adding any additional weight to the Viper is wise from both a safety and weight-to-tire contact area perspective.
Conversely, if the AC and CR do agree to allow removal of interiors in Touring (as is currently permitted on the Ferrari 360) for reasons of safety, than the Corvette could be given a weight reduction of 180lbs (which would equalize the power-to-weight ratio, but still leave the Viper with a significant torque-to-weight ratio advantage). It would be impossible to lighten the Corvette beyond it’s current classification legally without permitting interior removal. Additionally, if the Corvette would be permitted to run a 335mm rear tire, as well as an alternate GM front brake caliper package, the vehicle’s performance would be more closely matched to that of the Viper and the Ferrari 360.
If you, the members of the AC and CRB do not agree to take some action to equalize the performance of the Vipers and the Ferrari 360 to the rest of the field, than I would like to strongly suggest that they would need to be moved into the new Super Touring class.
Field size at the 2006 Runoffs in T1 was down significantly over the past two seasons, and will be further reduced if the Vipers and Ferraris are allowed to run in the current class as currently specified. The cost of purchasing a race prepared Viper is approximately three times the cost of purchasing a race prepared Corvette- approximately $100,000 for the Viper. The cost of the Ferrari is also in the $100,000 range.
The pole-sitting Viper qualified a whopping 2.28 seconds per-lap faster than the fastest Corvette, and 2.89 seconds faster than five-time defending champion John Heinricy. The outside pole sitting Ferrari qualified a significant 1.6 seconds per-lap faster than the fastest Corvette, and 2.2 seconds faster than John Heinricy.
While a Corvette may have won the Runoffs race, that victory was primarily due to the fact that Scotty B. White had a tire failure. In 2005, the Corvette’s Victory was caused by Scotty B. White making a driver error (missed shift) in his pole-sitting Viper. In 2006, SBW, in just a few laps, opened up an 8+ second lead over his team-mate Cindi Lux in another Viper. Qualifying times are a better indicator of true vehicle performance, whereas the race result is a combination of vehicle performance, as well as driver and team strategy and performance. Lance Knupp did a better job of conserving his car for a late race charge, whereas most in the Viper camp burnt their cars up by pushing too hard, too soon.
Please read the 2006 qualifying times, and take note of how far back perennial front-runners John Heinricy, Lance Knupp, and Phil Croyle are
2006 Runoffs Qualifying Times
1. #3 SRT10 Viper Coupe White 1:47.0
2. #77 360C Ferarri Zabinski 1:47.675
3. #32 SRT10 Viper Aquilante Andrew 1:48.0
4. #78 SRT10 Viper Coupe Cindi Lux 1:48.7
5. #18 SRT10 Viper Robbins 1:48.7-------------Ã Finishes 3rd!! No disrespect intended to Jeff, but past race results show no indication that
7. #37 C5Z06 Knupp 1:49.28 Jeff is a superior driver to John Heinricy, Phil Croyle, Chris Ingle, etc…
6. #98 SRT10 Viper Lynch 1:49.5--------------Ã No disrespect intended to Jim, but past race results show no indication that
8. #35 C5Z06 Heinricy (5 year defending champ) 1:49.89 Jim is a superior driver to John Heinricy, Phil Croyle, Chris Ingle, etc…
9. #7 C5Z06 Chris Ingle 1:50.XX
10. #6 C5Z06 Phil Croylle 1:50.XX
2005 Runoffs results:
7 Chris Ingle 1:34.692
8 William Ziegler 1:35.318
9 Freddy Baker 1:35.376
10 Michael Pettiford 1:35.763
11 David Pintaric 1:35.856 -----Ã 2006 Finished 6th since he switched to Viper
12 Pete Looby 1:36.197
13 Joseph Aquilante 1:36.763
14 Jeffrey Robbins 1:36.249---Ã 2006 Finishes on the podium!
2004 Runoffs Qualifying Times
1 35 John Heinricy Corvette 1:32.823 ----------Ã 5 time defending champion Qualifies 8th in 2006 in a Corvette
2 0 Freddy Baker Porsche 1:33.725
3 13 David Roush Corvette 1:33.767
4 3 Scotty White Corvette 1:33.864 ----------------------Ã Qualifies on pole in 2005 and 2006 in a Viper
5 71 Chris Ingle Corvette 1:33.90
6 14 Michael Pettiford Corvette 1:33.96
7 37 Lance Knupp Corvette 1:34.102
8 61 Philip Croyle Corvette 1:34.448
9 12 Bob Schader Corvette 1:34.832
10 78 Cindy Lux Corvette 1:35.254 -----------------------Ã Qualifies 4th and finishes 2nd in 2006 in a Viper
11 95 Bill Ziegler Corvette 1:35.267
12 36 Andrew Aquilante Corvette 1:35.391 ---------------Ã Qualifies 3rd in 2006 in a Viper
13 18 Jeffrey Robbins Corvette 1:35.599 -----------------Ã Finishes 3rd in 2006 in a Viper
14 55 Mark Mitchell Corvette 1:35.718
15 40 David Pintaric Corvette 1:35.760--------------------Ã Finishes 6th in 2006 in a Viper
Here are a few numbers for comparison. These are actual observed T1 tuned dyno numbers, with restrictor in place on the Viper:
Power-to-weight ratios:
Corvette:
3280lbs / 378rwhp: 8.6772 lbs/hp
Viper:
3710lbs / 448rwhp: 8.2813 lbs/hp
Torque-to-weight ratios:
Corvette:
3280lbs / 365rwft*lbs: 8.9863 lbs/ft*lbs
Viper:
3710lbs / 505rwft*lbs: 7.3465 lbs/ft*lbs
The Viper carries almost 4/10s of a pound LESS per horsepower than the Corvette carries. This is a 4.6% power:weight advantage for the Viper over the Vette.
The Viper carries 1.6398 lbs LESS per ft*lb or torque than a Corvette. This is an 18.25% torque:weight advantage for the Viper.
Viper drivers will argue the following: In terms of weight to tire contact area- The Vipers are running 315mm fronts and 345mm rears. Total contact width is 1320mm. At 3710lbs, that is 2.8106lbs per mm.
The Corvettes are running 295mm fronts and 315mm rears. Total contact width is 1220mm. At 3280lbs, that is 2.6885lbs per mm.
The Vettes are carrying 0.1221 of a pound less per mm of tire than the Viper- a 4% advantage for the Corvette. However, it has yet to be proven if this statistic is enough of a difference to have any real affect on the Vipers ability to get through corners any slower, or stop any worse than the Corvette. I would suggest, based on SBW's Runoffs and June Sprints qualifying, and race times, that the answer is no. The higher quality of the Viper's real race-type Brembo brake set-up, versus the Corvette's virtually disposable brake system off-sets some of that advantage as well.
For those who may argue that it does (based on what, I don't know), there is no way that this slight advantage for the Vette can even come close to making up for a 4.6% power-to-weight deficit, and a whopping 18.25% torque-to-weight deficit!
Thanks for your consideration,
(omitted)
...smart man, he's a great guy too
