Y2K5SRT
Enthusiast
This will **** up some bandwidth, so be warned.
First off, I know I have been lax in getting this stuff done this time around. What can I say, other than apologize. Hopefully this bounty of photos will help ease the long wait. Day 3 (Saturday) started off with a walk to the front desk area. Hey, what's this? Seems like that clever Kansas City VCA has their own banner in the atrium right above the entrance!
And YES, Sneaky Pete is on the other side but the balcony was too narrow (my thanks to Kurt for this awesome gesture). Okay, time to wander towards the SRT for our Cruise Day. First we have to stop by and admire the VCA truck again:
Oh, and as I didn't see anybody else mention it, Dodge announced that they will be building 500 of these special trucks - 300 standard cab with 6-speeds and 200 four-door versions with automatics - all SRT-10 Rams! If you attended VOI 8, you will also get the special VCA badging to add to the back. Cool! Of course I already have my hands full with one VCA vehicle, and here she is with a very close relative:
Of course after our track day my neighbor (also a KC VCA member) left a note on my windshield that our wheels now matched - his brake dust and my dark chrome. We bring the car around and get ready to send our son on the bus to meet us there. One problem: No bus! Seems we missed it by all of two minutes. Crap! How will we get three people in the Viper for the cruise? Answer: We won't! It then dawned on us (duh!) that we had our own Denali at our beck and call. Back goes the SRT for some much-needed rest, and off we go in our (gasp) GMC. First thing we encounter is Jerry DeYoung just ripping a Vette. The Vette takes the early lead on the inside corner...
Then Jerry just blasts by him on the straight...
Okay, okay - you want to know how I kept up in the Denali. Much as I want to tell you about my twin-supercharger install, I have to confess that we were all driving like little old ladies at the time. But it looked good!
So after what seemed like 100 miles (oh yeah, it really WAS 100 miles), we finally come to this nifty little town called Granbury Texas. We knew we were in the right place!
So we wander over to where they were serving the food, and were pleasantly surprised to see that the town of Granbury had truly rolled out the welcome mat:
Sure enough, we had a HUGE picnic area set up in the park adjacent to city hall. There was some excellent sandwiches and fixin's served up in commemorative cooler bags (as with VOI 7, brought to you by the fine folks at Michelin).
And don't kid yourself, we had folks from right there in Granbury serving us our food and telling us all about Granbury. Great town in rural Texas and well worth the visit with or without your Viper! We sat under the awnings and relaxed by the small lake where some of the local kids fished.
And just when you though that the Vipers were the wildest thing in town, this guy rumbles by...
Okay, time for the drive back! Nothing exciting to report on this part of adventure, we arrived back at the hotel safe and sound. With only a few minutes left for the memorabilia exhibits, it was time to run upstairs to the convention center! WAIT! We slam on the brakes as we realize that the new coupe is sitting right there - without a soul around it. Picture time!
Oh yeah, I shot a LOT of pictures of this bad boy, but you are probably getting tired of seeing them all... So into the exhibit hall we went. First stop? The VCA raffle car!
Sweeeeet. And more pictures posted elsewhere. What else is to be seen? Well our favorite vendors were right there to visit:
And there were more than a few cool cars there, including Bart's Comp Coupe:
You have to love his tattoo...
Not a bad looking flame job on the silver SRT-10:
And one of my personal favorites for obvious reasons: Joel's "skunk" here all the way from Ireland! And boy, is she packing a punch now!!
Or you could just check out some engines on display from Dodge, including the famous GTS/R motor from LeMans:
Carbon fiber dash cover anyone?
You could wander by the Mopar booth to see a LOT of cool stuff for you and your ride:
Of course I was drawn to the black SRT-10 like a moth to a flame. Big surprise, eh? And I was duly rewarded with a new side sill plate (available in October):
Look a little deeper and it gets even better: The navigation radio system with the new carbon fiber dash/console kit (navigation available now, carbon fiber in October):
Whew! That really got my blood pumping. Time to eat! Let's not forget the famous centerpieces that are always found at the various VOI's. For those that aren't familiar, this is a long-standing tradition and these various "themed" table centerpieces are a hot commodity. Only one person gets it at the table when dinner is finished, and our dinner speakers determine the method (birthday, longest drive, etc.). I happen to be associated with some of the finest VCA members in the world (KANSAS CITY BABY!) and my table was gracious enough to "donate" ours to my wife and I. Top notch!
And yes, this is a BIG sucker with a 1/18 scale yellow SRT-10, complete with the black VCA badge on the sides. Cool! Once you got over that, you got to enjoy conversations with some of the most enthusiastic car owners on the planet. Oh yeah, and the dinner wasn't shabby either. Start with a very nice salad and some great dinner rolls, then on to the main course of filet mignon and lobster tail. Really:
Yeah, yeah - I know, stick to car photos and not food! Rest assured it was AWESOME and could only be topped off by this incredible dessert. I first thought it was a small wafer with some fruit, resting on some caramel. Okay. Nope! It was a BOWL of creme brulee with this, and the VOI 8 white chocolate (edible!) on top. Delicious and too rich for many to finish.
Then it was time for our various speakers, including our outgoing National President, Joe Houss:
We then got to meet our new National officers. After that we began the awards ceremony, which was kind of cool. I wish they had done something for the various Member of the Year in the different regions (even a certificate would have been nice), but at least they got some stage time. Kudos to every single one of them for being active in their regions and making a difference in the VCA. Next we had the autocross awards, presented by a Michelin executive and the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man...
And finally we had _______________ from Dodge (brain fart alert! I can't remember this gentleman's name to save my life). Easily one of the most entertaining segments of the evening and of VOI in general. The traditional Ode to Viper was read and was as hilarious as always.
This was followed up by one of the more elaborate set ups I have ever seen at a VOI. Must have been at least six cameras with an excellent remote microphone that followed him into the hotel parking lot. There were the various pride-and-joys of the Dodge Motorsports fleet: Sprint car, NHRA Funny Car, NASCAR, Craftsman Truck, and finally one that surprised us all: A monster truck. A HUGE monster truck. The punchline was delivered to a spellbound audience as that same truck crushed a C4 Corvette. Driven by our Dodge exec, of course (well, the David Letterman style camera work liked to make you think that). It was a perfect ending to a perfect evening!
Next up, Day 4: Back to the track and all those nifty SRT test drives!
First off, I know I have been lax in getting this stuff done this time around. What can I say, other than apologize. Hopefully this bounty of photos will help ease the long wait. Day 3 (Saturday) started off with a walk to the front desk area. Hey, what's this? Seems like that clever Kansas City VCA has their own banner in the atrium right above the entrance!
You must be registered for see images
And YES, Sneaky Pete is on the other side but the balcony was too narrow (my thanks to Kurt for this awesome gesture). Okay, time to wander towards the SRT for our Cruise Day. First we have to stop by and admire the VCA truck again:
You must be registered for see images
Oh, and as I didn't see anybody else mention it, Dodge announced that they will be building 500 of these special trucks - 300 standard cab with 6-speeds and 200 four-door versions with automatics - all SRT-10 Rams! If you attended VOI 8, you will also get the special VCA badging to add to the back. Cool! Of course I already have my hands full with one VCA vehicle, and here she is with a very close relative:
You must be registered for see images
Of course after our track day my neighbor (also a KC VCA member) left a note on my windshield that our wheels now matched - his brake dust and my dark chrome. We bring the car around and get ready to send our son on the bus to meet us there. One problem: No bus! Seems we missed it by all of two minutes. Crap! How will we get three people in the Viper for the cruise? Answer: We won't! It then dawned on us (duh!) that we had our own Denali at our beck and call. Back goes the SRT for some much-needed rest, and off we go in our (gasp) GMC. First thing we encounter is Jerry DeYoung just ripping a Vette. The Vette takes the early lead on the inside corner...
You must be registered for see images
Then Jerry just blasts by him on the straight...
You must be registered for see images
Okay, okay - you want to know how I kept up in the Denali. Much as I want to tell you about my twin-supercharger install, I have to confess that we were all driving like little old ladies at the time. But it looked good!
So after what seemed like 100 miles (oh yeah, it really WAS 100 miles), we finally come to this nifty little town called Granbury Texas. We knew we were in the right place!
You must be registered for see images
You must be registered for see images
You must be registered for see images
So we wander over to where they were serving the food, and were pleasantly surprised to see that the town of Granbury had truly rolled out the welcome mat:
You must be registered for see images
Sure enough, we had a HUGE picnic area set up in the park adjacent to city hall. There was some excellent sandwiches and fixin's served up in commemorative cooler bags (as with VOI 7, brought to you by the fine folks at Michelin).
You must be registered for see images
And don't kid yourself, we had folks from right there in Granbury serving us our food and telling us all about Granbury. Great town in rural Texas and well worth the visit with or without your Viper! We sat under the awnings and relaxed by the small lake where some of the local kids fished.
You must be registered for see images
And just when you though that the Vipers were the wildest thing in town, this guy rumbles by...
You must be registered for see images
Okay, time for the drive back! Nothing exciting to report on this part of adventure, we arrived back at the hotel safe and sound. With only a few minutes left for the memorabilia exhibits, it was time to run upstairs to the convention center! WAIT! We slam on the brakes as we realize that the new coupe is sitting right there - without a soul around it. Picture time!
You must be registered for see images
Oh yeah, I shot a LOT of pictures of this bad boy, but you are probably getting tired of seeing them all...
So into the exhibit hall we went. First stop? The VCA raffle car!
You must be registered for see images
Sweeeeet. And more pictures posted elsewhere. What else is to be seen? Well our favorite vendors were right there to visit:
You must be registered for see images
And there were more than a few cool cars there, including Bart's Comp Coupe:
You must be registered for see images
You have to love his tattoo...
You must be registered for see images
Not a bad looking flame job on the silver SRT-10:
You must be registered for see images
And one of my personal favorites for obvious reasons: Joel's "skunk" here all the way from Ireland! And boy, is she packing a punch now!!
You must be registered for see images
Or you could just check out some engines on display from Dodge, including the famous GTS/R motor from LeMans:
You must be registered for see images
Carbon fiber dash cover anyone?
You must be registered for see images
You could wander by the Mopar booth to see a LOT of cool stuff for you and your ride:
You must be registered for see images
Of course I was drawn to the black SRT-10 like a moth to a flame. Big surprise, eh? And I was duly rewarded with a new side sill plate (available in October):
You must be registered for see images
Look a little deeper and it gets even better: The navigation radio system with the new carbon fiber dash/console kit (navigation available now, carbon fiber in October):
You must be registered for see images
Whew! That really got my blood pumping. Time to eat! Let's not forget the famous centerpieces that are always found at the various VOI's. For those that aren't familiar, this is a long-standing tradition and these various "themed" table centerpieces are a hot commodity. Only one person gets it at the table when dinner is finished, and our dinner speakers determine the method (birthday, longest drive, etc.). I happen to be associated with some of the finest VCA members in the world (KANSAS CITY BABY!) and my table was gracious enough to "donate" ours to my wife and I. Top notch!
You must be registered for see images
And yes, this is a BIG sucker with a 1/18 scale yellow SRT-10, complete with the black VCA badge on the sides. Cool! Once you got over that, you got to enjoy conversations with some of the most enthusiastic car owners on the planet. Oh yeah, and the dinner wasn't shabby either. Start with a very nice salad and some great dinner rolls, then on to the main course of filet mignon and lobster tail. Really:
You must be registered for see images
Yeah, yeah - I know, stick to car photos and not food! Rest assured it was AWESOME and could only be topped off by this incredible dessert. I first thought it was a small wafer with some fruit, resting on some caramel. Okay. Nope! It was a BOWL of creme brulee with this, and the VOI 8 white chocolate (edible!) on top. Delicious and too rich for many to finish.
You must be registered for see images
Then it was time for our various speakers, including our outgoing National President, Joe Houss:
You must be registered for see images
We then got to meet our new National officers. After that we began the awards ceremony, which was kind of cool. I wish they had done something for the various Member of the Year in the different regions (even a certificate would have been nice), but at least they got some stage time. Kudos to every single one of them for being active in their regions and making a difference in the VCA. Next we had the autocross awards, presented by a Michelin executive and the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man...
You must be registered for see images
And finally we had _______________ from Dodge (brain fart alert! I can't remember this gentleman's name to save my life). Easily one of the most entertaining segments of the evening and of VOI in general. The traditional Ode to Viper was read and was as hilarious as always.
You must be registered for see images
This was followed up by one of the more elaborate set ups I have ever seen at a VOI. Must have been at least six cameras with an excellent remote microphone that followed him into the hotel parking lot. There were the various pride-and-joys of the Dodge Motorsports fleet: Sprint car, NHRA Funny Car, NASCAR, Craftsman Truck, and finally one that surprised us all: A monster truck. A HUGE monster truck. The punchline was delivered to a spellbound audience as that same truck crushed a C4 Corvette. Driven by our Dodge exec, of course (well, the David Letterman style camera work liked to make you think that). It was a perfect ending to a perfect evening!
Next up, Day 4: Back to the track and all those nifty SRT test drives!
set of valve covers that might be finding their way on my car at Viper Days finals next week. These are not actual carbon fiber but a carbon fiber applicay on the surface of the stock part. I do not know the cost of these parts, contact them directly for pricing.
