Viper crash on Petit Lemans

[Nitro187]

Check this out

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hXTmzL5qf8A[/media]

This video makes it look like driver error....

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=70DFoeoPto4[/media]

This video shows you what happened. Crazy! I wonder how that happened.

 

[Newport Viper]

it was the run flats

 

[FikseGTS]

wow.... the wheel came off before impact.....

 

[NI-KA]

Over-stear brought on by sudden lift-off with wet conditions ? It sort of looks like the car was going a little wide before te tail came around. Perhaps jsut a bad correction meant to bring the car into the proper "driving line".

I have been loosly following this series. I may even have the whole race on DVR which I have not yet watched this whole race. I will look to see if this shows up on the recording. The Viper has been hanging in there but I do not believe there is any factory support which has been tough. Unfortunately, the Viper gets very little camera time.

 

[Tom F&L GoR]

Start at 0:15

wheels shouldn't come off, perhaps even after impact.

 

[Chuck 98 RT/10]

The Viper has been hanging in there

That is the Primetime Race Group. They are dead last in their class.

 

[Tom Sessions]

Sure looks like a hub failure to me. Not driver error.Like Tom said wheel should not come off before impact

 

[ROCKET62]

Good eye Tom. Wheel is definitely off before impact.

Start at 0:15

wheels shouldn't come off, perhaps even after impact.

 

[RTTTTed]

Saw the accident on TV. The rear driver's wheel and tire (couldn't see if hub) came off quite a distance before the wall impact. The power suddenly going to the pass side would cause the car to drive to the left and spin out - which is exactly what happened.

That race sucked. Rained out and the crashes were bad. Like when I wrecked my 98 it looks like when cars hit the grass they go faster into the walls. Terrible.

Ted

 

[Nitro187]

Good eye Tom. Wheel is definitely off before impact.

Thats what I was saying... thats why I posted the second video. Because in the second video, you can see the tire come off before impact... hence why I said it looks like driver error, until you see the second video.

 

[mcar00]

That is the Primetime Race Group. They are dead last in their class.

This is the same shop that works on my car. They are a great group of guys who do some very professional work. Joel Feinberg (the driver of the Viper) is a pretty good driver who just won the IMSA Lites championship. They are doing the best they can in this series but the rules really don't allow the car to be competitive on a private teams budget.

Actually, there was no driver error involved in the crash. The rear axle (which was brand new for the race) broke.

 

[Warfang]

This is the same shop that works on my car. They are a great group of guys who do some very professional work. Joel Feinberg (the driver of the Viper) is a pretty good driver who just won the IMSA Lites championship. They are doing the best they can in this series but the rules really don't allow the car to be competitive on a private teams budget.

Actually, there was no driver error involved in the crash. The rear axle (which was brand new for the race) broke.

Any restrictions on the Viper?

 

[Fatboy 18]

Woops!

Mark

 

[Tom F&L GoR]

This is the same shop that works on my car. They are a great group of guys who do some very professional work. Joel Feinberg (the driver of the Viper) is a pretty good driver who just won the IMSA Lites championship. They are doing the best they can in this series but the rules really don't allow the car to be competitive on a private teams budget.

Actually, there was no driver error involved in the crash. The rear axle (which was brand new for the race) broke.

Halfshaft or stub shaft can break and wheel doesn't come off.. Bearing, wheel, or mounting flange?

 

[bluesrt]

the guy just lost it- it happens- that just racin,exspect that stuff when u strap in the car

 

[oneill]

Sorry Tom,F&lGoR the outer axle did break!!!! where the nut that holds the stack together(single nut Assy)on the outside, when we got the wheel back it still had the nut and piece of axle on it. as MCaroo said new axles and new bearings for the race, it was a failure from A brand new Dodge axle, if we had a crystal ball it would be easy

 

[RTTTTed]

You guys have my sympathies. Lousy way to be put out of a race.

I admit that I'm surprised you guys didn't magnaflux or test the parts before installing them on your car.

If nothing else ... I'm a fan and wish you guys the best luck in the future!

Ted

 

[Tom F&L GoR]

Sorry Tom,F&lGoR the outer axle did break!!!! where the nut that holds the stack together(single nut Assy)on the outside, when we got the wheel back it still had the nut and piece of axle on it. as MCaroo said new axles and new bearings for the race, it was a failure from A brand new Dodge axle, if we had a crystal ball it would be easy

Thanks, must be different than ancient Gen 1; my stub shaft failed recently at the yoke and all it did was flail the halfshaft around. Rolled along better than yours, though!

 

[Lawrenzo]

, it was a failure from A brand new Dodge axle,

Maybe you should try to get a "warranty repair" for ALL the damage

It ***** that you guys have to absorb what looks like a HUGE repair bill due to a broken factory piece. Good luck with your racing, and have fun!

 

[shooter_t1]

Any restrictions on the Viper?

Warfang, Primetime has a blog about the restrictions against the Viper and lack of support. I'll try to find it, but I seem to remember that on one of the tracks suited for the Viper, after setting really good lap times in practice, they were hit with a weight penelty for the race.

 

[Cop Magnet]

I think he just lost it at the apex due to oversteer. The wheel came off when he spun and entered the grass backwards. I don't think the wheel came off first.

 

[RTTTTed]

I think he just lost it at the apex due to oversteer. The wheel came off when he spun and entered the grass backwards. I don't think the wheel came off first.

Vid looks like he made the corner and at the end of the corner (where I'd get on the throttle) the power quit going to the driver's tire pushing the car to the left and causing the spin out ... that's how I see it anyway.

Ted

 

[bluesrt]

I think he just lost it at the apex due to oversteer. The wheel came off when he spun and entered the grass backwards. I don't think the wheel came off first.

 

[Tom F&L GoR]

Start at 0:15

wheels shouldn't come off, perhaps even after impact.

Are we all looking at the same thing? In the second vid the wheel is off before contact with the wall. This is a still shot at 0:17, before impact.

 

[NI-KA]

yep, wheel came off before the wall.

If someone finds the restirctions I would be interested in seeing what the are. It is really a shame, the more I investigate some of the rules etc. it appears that in many instances the rules really restrict the Viper.

 

[Boxer12]

You can hear an over-revving occur just as the car loses control. What do you make of that? Sounds like 'light in the rear' wheel spin (due to wet track)? Leading to axle failure? Its a racing incident in my book.

 

[Chuck 98 RT/10]

yep, wheel came off before the wall.

If someone finds the restirctions I would be interested in seeing what the are. It is really a shame, the more I investigate some of the rules etc. it appears that in many instances the rules really restrict the Viper.

Just an educated guess but it is most likely throttle restrictor plates, tire size and weight. I'd have more fun racing Viper vs. Viper like in NARRA Online than these so-called professional series where manufacture support means GM, Porsche, BMW, etc. throwing money at the series' sanctioning powers-that-be for rule changes rather than the actual race teams.

 

[oneill]

At the 12hrs of Sebring (first race) after we worked all winter to get the car competive the session before Qualifing we might of tiped our hand and we clicked off a quick lap!!!!!!!with in 15 min. their where all of the IMSA officals under our tent and we had to put a 20% ristrictor in before we qualifed. It crushed us and we played catch up the rest of the year.

 

[Chuck 98 RT/10]

At the 12hrs of Sebring (first race) after we worked all winter to get the car competive the session before Qualifing we might of tiped our hand and we clicked off a quick lap!!!!!!!with in 15 min. their where all of the IMSA officals under our tent and we had to put a 20% ristrictor in before we qualifed. It crushed us and we played catch up the rest of the year.

I heard about that. As miserable as Sebring has been in the past several years it's too bad you didn't tell them where to stick their restrictor plate. How many cars were entered this year, 28 between four classes? The support races had more than that. Hell, the clubs I track with have more cars on the track at once than Sebring's premier event has on the starting grid.

If they added a Viper CC class they'd have 20 more cars and begin to show glimpses of the years that made Sebring great. Currently the 12 hours is a joke.

And then there's that pathetic GT1 class. It would be laughable if it wasn't so sad.

 

[shooter_t1]

At the 12hrs of Sebring (first race) after we worked all winter to get the car competive the session before Qualifing we might of tiped our hand and we clicked off a quick lap!!!!!!!with in 15 min. their where all of the IMSA officals under our tent and we had to put a 20% ristrictor in before we qualifed. It crushed us and we played catch up the rest of the year.

Thanks for hanging in there and racing a Dodge Viper with no support for your team and little recognition against the big boy's.