The 2011 Dodge Viper Cup series champion will win an additional $10,000 cash award. Dodge Motorsports also is reducing entry fees for series competitors by 43 percent from $1,400 to $800 per race in 2011. Celebrity Driver and Charity Payout Program Celebrity drivers also will be back competing in the Dodge Viper Cup series in 2011. In 2010, Dodge Motorsports donated close to $50,000 to various charities as part of the program. Dodge Motorsports selects each celebrity driver and trains them for on-track series’ competition. Similar to 2010, as many as two celebrity drivers will be invited to participate on each race weekend. Guaranteed payouts to celebrity drivers following all 10 races will be donated to their charities of choice, with the highest finishing celebrity earning $2,000 and the next highest finishing celebrity receiving $1,000 for donation. Unveiled at the 2010 Performance Racing Industry show, the Dodge Viper ACR-X combines the best performance attributes of the record-setting, street-legal Dodge Viper American Club Racer (ACR) and the safety equipment of championship-winning Dodge Viper Competition Coupe. Powered by the SRT-developed 8.4-liter V-10 engine and equipped with factory headers and a low-restriction exhaust system, the Viper ACR-X produces 640 horsepower (40 more than the production model) and 605 lb.-ft. of torque (45 more than the production model). The suspension also is tuned and upgraded specifically for on-track usage with unique springs, two-way adjustable shocks and adjustable sway bar links. Curb weight is a full 160 pounds lighter (compared with the standard-production Viper) to take on even the most challenging road course. Additional aerodynamic upgrades, including quad-dive planes and underbody ducts, improve downforce, while enhancing stability and significantly improving grip in high-speed cornering. Similar to the Dodge Viper Competition Coupe, the Viper ACR-X contains factory-installed safety equipment such as a factory-designed roll cage, fire suppression system, fuel cell and race seat. Additional racing components, including a transmission cooler, rear differential cooling system, unique front rotors with larger surface area and improved brake cooling via scoops in the front fascia, are added to meet the significant durability and reliability requirements for on-track competition. “The Dodge Viper ACR-X is designed and built specifically for the race track,” Gilles said. “The Dodge Viper Cup series continues the racing legacy of the Dodge Viper right before our eyes, and we’re looking forward to another chapter being written in 2011.” Dodge Motorsports continues to market and sell the nonstreet legal 2010 Dodge Viper ACR-X. For more information call Viper Race Headquarters at (888) 960-3333 or visit www.viperheadquarters.com. Viper Racing Heritage The Dodge Viper has enjoyed a successful racing heritage that began in 1996 with the original Viper racing entry, the GTS-R, which earned five international GT championships and the 1997-1999 FIA GT championships. It also posted an amazing overall win at the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona in 2000 – the first for a production-based American car. The Dodge Viper Competition Coupe, introduced in 2003, delivered the next chapter of that history with its coupe-shaped carbon/Kevlar body and a track-ready chassis, based on the Dodge Viper SRT10. The Viper Competition Coupe has continued the on-track prowess by capturing the 2004 SCCA Speed World Challenge GT title, championships in Formula D Drifting series in 2004 and 2006 and the British GT Championship in 2007 and 2008. In 2010, Ryan Schimsk of Austin, Texas captured the inaugural Dodge Viper Cup series championship by virtue of his five race wins and strong finishes in the other five races of no worse than fourth. Series regulars Ben Keating (Victoria, Texas) and Keith Verges (Dallas) finished second and third, respectively. North American Road Racing Association and Viper Days The Dodge Viper Cup is one race series within the group of four (including Viper Racing League, Challenge Series and Driving School) sanctioned by the North American Road Racing Association (NARRA) and Viper Days, which plans to hold 11 event weekends in 2011 at some of the country’s most prestigious race tracks. The 2011 NARRA/Viper Days schedule consists of the following:
For more information on NARRA and Viper Days, visit www.viperdays.com. About Dodge Dodge is a full line of cars, minivans and SUVs that are agile, daring, sensible and inventive. The brand is on a tear for the 2011 model year, redefining itself with six all-new or significantly redesigned new vehicles, introducing new lifestyle packages designed to better meet the needs of its customers, launching catchy new ads that have started conversations with owners and potential owners, actively participating in new events and sponsorships and developing relationships with its long-loyal enthusiast base, as well as reaching out to customers who desire cars that leave them wanting more. |
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