Download Print Another Scorching Weekend of Dodge Viper Cup Series Action Concludes Impressive Weekend for Both Celebrity Drivers August 15, 2010 , Auburn Hills, Mich. - Richie Hearn, retired Indy Car and Champ Car star, and Steven Cole Smith, long-time auto journalist and amateur racer, gave Dodge Viper ACR-X owners/competitors a run for their money during races No. 3 and No. 4 in the Viper Cup series in Jennings, Okla. Both celebrity drivers pushed their car and themselves to the limit in scorching-hot racing conditions. Hearn especially brought on the heat placing second in race No.3 and winning race No.4. He’s the first celebrity driver to win a race in the Dodge Viper Cup series. As a result of his impressive weekend on the track at the Hallett Motor Racing Circuit, Dodge Motorsports will donate a total of $11,000 to Hearn’s favorite charity of choice, the Sam Schmidt Paralysis Foundation. Smith also proved to be very competitive by qualifying well and placing seventh in both races. “I’ve raced in other spec racing series before and have never seen such a friendly group of people or such helpful driver coordinators like the Dodge Motorsports team. Of course, having Richie Hearn as a personal driving coach didn’t hurt either!” Series broadcast coverage of Race No. 3 on Versus is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. EDT Sunday, Sept. 5. Coverage of Race No. 4 on Versus is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. EDT Sunday, Sept. 12. Schedules are subject to change, so viewers should check local listings. The 2010 Dodge Viper Cup series standings – after four of 10 races: Name Car No. Race Wins Total Season Points Ryan Schimsk 67 2 (VIR and Hallett) 230 Ben Keating 33 1 (VIR) 210 Jim Stout 1 147 Richie Hearn* 52 1 (Hallett) 129 Michael Von Quilich 19 124 Keith Verges 90 122 Connie Bogan 10 104 AJ Morgan 59 77 Ted Hughes 5 68 Kurt Sollberger 84 65 Jeff Courtney 99 60 Steven Cole Smith* 53 56 Michael Kohn* 53 48 Eric Galerne 37 46 Shaun Bailey* 52 40 Larry Carter 44 28 *Names shown in italics are celebrity drivers. Race No. 3 With outside temperatures hotter than 100 degrees throughout the weekend in Jennings, Okla., there was no stopping the heat coming from the Hallett Motor Racing Circuit as races No. 3 and No. 4 of the 2010 Dodge Viper Cup series took to the track this past weekend. In race No. 3 on Saturday, Aug. 14, Ryan Schimsk used a strong standing start and steered his No. 67 Dodge Viper ACR-X to victory by running a strong and steady pace, being careful to keep his spec racer out of trouble and as cool as possible in blistering 106 degree temperatures. “It’s amazing that a car with this much power can run this well in the scorching heat,” said Schimsk. Dodge celebrity driver Richie Hearn, a seasoned open-wheel competitor from Indy car fame making his first sports car race start, took second place in his No. 52 Dodge Viper ACR-X. Race No. 3 Results: Saturday, Aug. 14, 2010 Hallett Motor Racing Circuit Raceway = 1.8 mile road course Finish Position Car No. Name Laps Completed Total Time Best Lap Time 1 67 Ryan Schimsk 16 21:12.225 1:17.978 2 52 Richie Hearn 16 21:17.849 1:18.829 3 19 Michael Von Quilich 16 21:18.778 1:18.647 4 1 Jim Stout 16 21:24.246 1:18.785 84 Kurt Sollberger 16 21:36.890 1:19.632 6 10 Connie Bogan 16 22:01.441 1:21.083 7 53 Steven Cole Smith 16 22:14.225 1:21.279 8 59 AJ Morgan 16 22:18.967 1:19.688 Did Not Finish 90 90 Keith Verges 15 20:03.665 1:18.748 Did Not Finish 33 33 Ben Keating 11 14:43.932 1:18.288 Race No. 4 In race No. 4 on Sunday, Aug. 15, Dodge celebrity driver Richie Hearn won from the pole in convincing fashion. “Yesterday, I feathered the clutch on the Viper ACR-X and didn’t get the start I wanted," said Hearn. “But today, after talking to other Viper guys, I dropped the clutch completely off the line, saw the opening on the outside, and went for it.” Hearn’s relatively unchallenged race laps left the other drivers fighting for second and third spots. It was an intense competition behind Hearn with one major contact incident and six spins off the track. AJ Morgan placed second with his No. 59 Viper ACR-X in his very first sports car race. Series race No. 3 winner, Ryan Schimsk, spun off track on lap seven and dropped from third place down to seventh, but fought his way back to a podium finish in third place. Race No. 4 Results: Sunday, Aug. 15, 2010 Hallett Motor Racing Circuit Raceway = 1.8 mile road course Finish Position Car No. Name Laps Completed Total Time Best Lap Time 1 52 Richie Hearn 22 29:03.398 1:17.998 2 59 AJ Morgan 22 29:21.694 1:18.478 3 67 Ryan Schimsk 22 29:22.666 1:18.221 4 19 Michael Von Quilich 22 29:23.702 1:18.506 5 1 Jim Stout 22 29:34.425 1:18.934 6 84 Kurt Sollberger 22 29:35.965 1;18.830 7 53 Steven Cole Smith 22 30:10.903 1:20.009 8 33 Ben Keating 22 30:17.338 1:18.167 9 10 Connie Bogan 22 30:28.731 1:20.514 Did Not Finish 90 Keith Verges 7 9:27.656 1:19.101 racing motorsports