Congratulations to Robert Dopp, Frank Parise, & Phil De La O for winning the 3 hour Enduro night time race put on by ARIZONA SPORTS RACING
Competition of a high $$ Porsche (air jack setup and all), the former Red Bull PPG M3, along with the Vette, Mustang, etc. were gunning for the Viper. Would the Viper fuel economy be a factor? Would the heat, still well over 100 degrees even after dark, be a factor? Would the AZ drivers be fast in the dark? Everyone wanted to know. The 25 Viper fans that came out to endure the heat and late night action were demanding a victory.
The Viper qualified on the pole but the Porsche took an early lead at 10:05 pm. It didn’t last for long as Robert just flat out powered the Porsche on the straight a few laps later and just kept opening the lead lap after lap.
Second driver in is Frank. The 3.5 minutes to refuel using the big, gravity feed bottles seems to take forever. Next time it's got to be a pump like the Porsche team had. Frank's going a bit easy on the revs and keeps the Viper in Third gear around the tower, normally a second gear turn, keeping the engine temp down and still keeps extending the lead with his precise corner driving.
The BMW crew is certain their car has a lot more in it, until it is retired about half way through the race during the second driver term.
Phil gets his turn in the Viper and looks like he’s trying to set record lap times. He laps the vette easily and blows by the Porsche. The Porsche team is not amused and lap after lap it comes bellowing into the tower turn sliding back and forth as it enters the long straight. After several near slides into the wall, they notch it back as the Viper continues to open up the lead.
After half way through the race the field is thinning out. The heat and stress is taking a toll on the race cars. The Viper is still running strong.
2 hours 40 minutes have gone by and the Viper comes in for another fuel-up and the one time 5 minute mandatory pit stop. The vette comes in 20 seconds later. The Vette guys see the Viper in the pits and send the vette back onto the track with out a stop. They are hoping the 5 minutes the Viper will be in the pits will be enough for them to pass it in position and that they will have enough gas for another 20 minutes. 4 laps later they pass the pitted Viper and the Vette fans in the stands are going wild. Robert is totally charged and ready to chase the vette down as he flys back onto the track.
The vette gamble didn’t pay off as they had to come into the pits for fuel with less than 10 minutes left as a silent vette crowd watched the Viper take the final lead by a couple of laps. Adding to the sting, the vette crew only added a quick 5 gallons of fuel and the driver took off with the funnel sticking out of the gas tank neck. Of course that brought him a black flag to come into the pits again to remove the funnel and put the gas cap on.
It’s after 1:00 am as Robert powers his Viper (with only headers, exhaust, and filters to give it more hp than stock) past the checkered flag. 3 hour race in the desert heat, no tire change for the Viper, no brake changes for the Viper, 3 fuel stops and 3 driver changes. A pit crew that got the job done without a hitch. Viper wins the night enduro in the desert. Tough & Fast
