Who would never, ever track their Viper?

[Bad_Byte]

Just a question I gotta ask cause its been buggin me.

I know there are a lot you that don't but maybe not because you wouldn't.

I just want to know who would never ever even think about tracking their Viper.

Thanks in advance for your reply.

 

[Dave's Big Brakes]

I don't Art you know we're the weird ones You missed a great run, and it was close to you.
Yo Prez )

 

[Bad_Byte]

I know Dave... I was at the track ...

Thunderhill this weekend.

Cheers to ya'll

 

[Chuck 98 RT/10]

Gosh, I'd be too afraid to wreck it. No, I don't see any fun at all in going around on a race track.

 

[Doc.]

Bad Byte,

I would never ever track my Viper if I could talk Carmen Electra into being my cup holder. Otherwise, I'm going to the track.

Doc

 

[TSR6]

I'm going to bite on this one...

but do you mean "track" it, like with GPS tracking???

not track, like race-track?

 

[Mike_W]

I won't. I only drive fast in a straight line now. Crashed twice. Flipped off a bike at 50 mph and am lucky to be alive... ruined the bike... crashed my other car 2 weeks after I had it straight into a tree. Did $24k worth of damage to it and took 4 months to fix. A branch punctured the passenger side window. Didn't go into the seat, but if someone was in their, it would have went into them.

Mike

 

[joe117]

It might be fun to take it out on a big roadcourse. Heck, I know it would be fun.
The thing is, I would really hate to wreck it.
Being able to make a bunch of laps over an afternoon would be fun. I'd do that, at least one time.

How hard would I push it?

When you guys say "track" the car, are you talking about wheel to wheel 10/10ths racing?
I just don't see much fun in that with a street car. A race car is for racing. If you wreck it, well, it's a race car and it got wrecked racing, that happens, I've done it.

A guy who takes his street car out on a racetrack and wrecks it, has got to feel a little foolish afterwards.
Most of the guys on this board seem to care quite a bit about their Vipers. I'll bet they would feel really bad if they got up into a wall with the car that they were planning on driving home.

 

[Chuck 98 RT/10]

When you guys say "track" the car, are you talking about wheel to wheel 10/10ths racing?

No.

No stock street car will pass tech for any wheel to wheel race. W2W require a full cage and loads of other safety equipment. However you can safely track your street car with clubs. Most clubs run "school rules" which means designated passing zones (no passing in turns), point-bys, proper spacing and such.

Everybody should spend a few days at a track every year. It makes you a much better street driver IMO.

Check out www.SAFEMotorsports.com for an idea of requirements.

Also some common questions are answered at... http://www.safemotorsports.com/QA.asp

 

[Newport Viper]

Does a VOI count as traking the car?? That is my only experience. It is my daily driver, so tracking it wouldn't be the smartest move on my part!

 

[JimDavis MT 97GTS 650R]

A good "used" race car is only as good as the new unstressed parts that have been installed after each race and/or season IMO. Play & pay. It's for some, and not for others.

 

[Dave's Big Brakes]

It's better to track your car, than street race. Blower,nitro,etc shouldn't be used street racing, not safe plus more and more states take your car away if caught street racing. Take to to the track and enjoy, remember this is a race car in street trim

 

[Docta Vipa]

I would never track my Viper either. I have never even taken it out in the rain. I don't want my snake to get dirty, plain and simple. Show some respect! I keep mine in one of those bubbles in the garage so it doesn't get all dusty. I'm gonna get my snake a face-lift so it'll look young forever! Heck, did I forget to take my medication again?

 

[Fast Freddy]

my viper will never ever see a dragstrip. why? because it was not designed for dragracing, duh. but, on the other hand i am installing a rollbar in my viper next week, why? because the viper was designed for road racing and that is what i intend to do with it just as soon as i get some bigger brakes, more engine cooling and an extra set of wheels and slicks. cya at the track guys

 

[Dave's Big Brakes]

Race Yellow really looks cool on the track But I keep mine in saran wrap wouldn't want it to get dirty

 

[joe117]

Hey guys,
This is going to be a little unpopular but,
let's get a couple of things straight here.

I've done some stock car racing, small time, no big thing.
However, I was one of the division champions at a high bank oval in Southern Md in 1992, one or two races a week, 27 nights a year. I did it for five years.

You may not think stock car racing is a big deal and I'm the first to agree that it isn't anything like wheel to wheel Viper racing.
But it is real racing.

You guys who take your Vipers out in some kind of driving school or agreed on passing thing,

You guys are going to have to come up with some other name for it.

Because when you say,

"I TRACK MY CAR"

That sounds like you race it and you don't.

Let's stop all this crap.
Why don't you say you "school" your car.
How about I "open day" my car.

Because when you say you "track" your car, someone might confuse you with a racer.

I know you drive fast and take real fast corners one after another but that's what they do on the days when the track isn't being used for racing.

If you are not racing please come up with something other than "track my car".

If you are a racer, this isn't for you.

 

[malcoll]

Hey guys,
This is going to be a little unpopular but,
let's get a couple of things straight here.

I've done some stock car racing, small time, no big thing.
However, I was one of the division champions at a high bank oval in Southern Md in 1992, one or two races a week, 27 nights a year. I did it for five years.

You may not think stock car racing is a big deal and I'm the first to agree that it isn't anything like wheel to wheel Viper racing.
But it is real racing.

You guys who take your Vipers out in some kind of driving school or agreed on passing thing,

You guys are going to have to come up with some other name for it.

Because when you say,

"I TRACK MY CAR"

That sounds like you race it and you don't.

Let's stop all this crap.
Why don't you say you "school" your car.
How about I "open day" my car.

Because when you say you "track" your car, someone might confuse you with a racer.

I know you drive fast and take real fast corners one after another but that's what they do on the days when the track isn't being used for racing.

If you are not racing please come up with something other than "track my car".

If you are a racer, this isn't for you.

You say pOtAto... I say Potaaaatoe.... who cares?

I want to say I track my car.... I'll say I track my car. I take it on a roadcourse and I drive really fast (well I try)... to me that is tracking my car. I never said I race my car.... which is what you would call racing.

 

[Bad_Byte]

Because when you say,

"I TRACK MY CAR"

That sounds like you race it and you don't.

I kinda thought that if I were to say "I race my car" then someone might get the wrong impression. I think that by saying "I track my car" it is pretty clear that I take it on a track and in some peoples minds "abuse" it.

I definately don't race my car against anything other than my own best times. However, taking a car to the 'track' is certainly better than taking a ticket on the streets.

I'm interested in the ones who only want to participate in 'show and shine'. Let's face it these are gorgeous cars and stand out in any venue. I know I've seen many that have been upgraded to the max. I don't think I've seen those at the track.

 

[Dave's Big Brakes]

way to go Art

 

[JimDavis MT 97GTS 650R]

I guess I could "track" my Viper... I got LoJack!

 

[Chuck 98 RT/10]

"Tracking" is the appropriate phrase. It doesn't imply racing and it doesn't mean schooling. The clubs I run are not schools and they are not races (other than Viper Days which is both school and timed competition).

I don't want to say "I run my Viper" because every street racing punk will think what they do is the same thing I do.

If I drag my Viper I say "I dragrace my Viper."

Joe, when you ran stock cars did you ever use the term "tracking?" I hang around a few stockers (in fact, I'm doing 25 laps this Saturday at USA Speedway) and I have never heard them use the phrase "tracking." They "race."

Believe me, if I ever get a Comp Coupe I won't be using the term "track it" any more.

 

[joe117]

All the racers I know always said "race".
What brought this on was the question in the first post.

"Who would never, ever track their Viper?"

When I read it I got the feeling that it was almost a challenge, such as, "what's wrong with you guys who don't track your Vipers?"

I thought to myself, "what is this guy talking about? I can think of any number of reasons not to race a street Viper".

Then I find out that "track your Viper" has nothing to do with racing.

Well, if all you are talking about is going out on an open course and driving as fast as you want, heck, anyone would do that. At least a few laps.

When I see a picture of a car on a racetrack, with a number on the car, I think race car.
I had no idea some of these are not pictures of racecars.

I was sort of kidding about "finding another name for it". Tracking is a good name and racing is a good name for that.

Now I get it.
All this time I thought you guys talking about "tracking" your Vipers were talking about a club race kind of thing. I always wondered how all these guys were going out road racing street Vipers.
Now I understand what you are really talking about.

I thought you guys were road racers.

 

[Chuck 98 RT/10]

I'm guessing most these "trackers" would be road racing if they had the scratch. You know how big the bucks are for that. It's the closest we can get...for now.

I tell people it's driving illegal speeds in a legal and safe environment. And much safer than any public road. Most guys are smart enough not to push beyond their limits, at least the first few times.

 

[YouWish]

Never.I'm a poser all the way!!! No seriously i've never been into going fast. If the Viper had a 4-cylinder I would still own one for it's beautiful apperance. I can't remember the last time I went 80 mph in my Viper.

 

[Janni]

While we are discussing semantics.....

I like the "track" for timed type school events and "race" for real wheel to wheel. That's what I've always used. I'd never say race because I'd feel like I was lying. Henry races, I "track", or, more appropriately now, I "crew"....

Autocrossing is NEVER racing. Use autocross as a verb. Nothing to be ashamed of, but unless you can hit another car while going for POSITION, you are not racing.

Drag racing - I'm ok with using racing, but can we change words to say "I'm going to the strip" instead of the "track"? It's a dragSTRIP. A track is a roadcourse.

I know, I know - there's a lot of rules in Janni's world....

 

[sun diego]

Never.

 

[sun diego]

Ever.

 

[Steve Miehe]

Nope, at least not until I attend driving school and learn the cars' limitations and my own.

 

[Chuck 98 RT/10]

Drag racing - I'm ok with using racing, but can we change words to say "I'm going to the strip" instead of the "track"? It's a dragSTRIP. A track is a roadcourse.

We're working on that one Janni.

 

[Hoosier Daddy]

I would be afraid of getting that first stone chip. I would never venture out on a track where you could possibly go faster than the 55 mph speedlimit.