The Pit

Every year our club custom designs and creates its own Illinois License plate (yes it’s real). We go through a LOT to get the state to approve its design. We’re the only Viper club that does its own plate!

The plate is not a fund raiser for the club, it’s offered at cost to all those enthusiasts wanting a Viper plate for their car or a very unique collectible. We’ve completed our 2008 plate and it looks great! Our theme was the Detroit Viper Owners Invitational. And of course it has the attitude we love to put on our own products!

Keep in mind, because they are commemorative plates, they are only good for 90 days. We’ve scheduled these plates to be used during the period over the Viper Owners Invitational, so for the great many of you going, it’s a good time to show it off! Go grab a set, for your Viper, other cars, a keepsake, or for the garage wall. It’s unique, collectible, and won’t be available again. Every year is a different design.

Any questions can go to Gary Grube (who coordinates these plates for us!), his email is GaryG@illinoisVipers.com. Get your orders in now, the simple form is below!

Our club dyno day was hosted by one of our respected members (and hardcore racers) Ron Adee. The event was held at his shop in Gilberts, Illinois. The weather worked out this time (this was rescheduled from an earlier event), and now we were glad that it was! Sun was shining and members came out to see what their cars were making, also a few members coming out just to visit.

We got going a little after 7:00am, donuts and coffee of course the fuel of choice. Ron has a big shop (lots of his toys sitting around), plenty of room for everyone. Cars entered the rear door and were driven on the in-ground dyno and hooked up. Ron’s setup was fantastic. Easy to get cars on and off the dyno. Literally took a minute to hook up (far better than past locations). He had several of his folks running the show. About 18 cars were dynoed and we probably could have handled 100 cars if we wanted to.

We started with Glenn Davis’s car and moved ahead. Cars couldn’t come at a better time. The second we’d get one done, another would pull up. Cars were done in less than 10 minutes, no waiting, no line. Most members came in the morning, hitting its high point before lunch. At lunch we took a pizza break and then continued. Everyone who planned on arriving made it. We even had several Vipers making the long haul from Wisconsin. Was a great time. Things slowed to a trickle and we closed up shop around 3:00pm.

The day was filled with levity, we had plenty of time to kick back and share old stories and jokes. We witnessed a pretty wide array of cars, all generations, and most years. Some were modified and some weren’t, but they all put up big numbers. We even had a couple Vette’s.

The event was great, it was a good informal gathering. Big thanks for Ron for the hospitality and lunch. We posted some good numbers. Now let’s put the power to the pavement out there!

Car Owner
Dieter Fahrenbach
Kim Peterson
Mark Schumann
John Smith
Jason Nikolay
Bob B.
Dan Woods
Ron Adee
Tom Mikolas
Rob Salus
Glenn Davis
Mark F.
Andy Ferguson
Alex Ristanovic

Horsepower (Rear wheel - add 15% for crank horsepower)
451
362
511
426
491
383
383
424
444
425
541 (Stock 2008!)
447
362
547 (Stock 2008!)

Every year the IL VCA hosts a huge annual club party for its members. Though our cars are in hibernation, it’s a festive time for our group as we reflect on the last season and look ahead to another incredible year! It’s always a memorable evening, drawing members from far and wide!

The event was a HUGE success! Another marvelous party is under our belts as one of the largest extravaganzas we’ve done in some time turned out to be a heck of a bash! Our event took place at the Pheasant Run Resort and Spa. This venue was picked to create a convenient place for members to let their hair down for the party while just being steps away from a comfortable room to hit the sheets shortly after. It seems many members made it a weekend as they brought their significant other and took an extra day to relax and spend a couple days away from home.

We were set for the party! The setup began earlier in the day and was done in time for member arrival. Many hands were on deck as Tim Waedekin, Denise Braun, Kristina Ristanovic, Howie Frank, Mark Schumann, Steve Loudin, and many others came early to help get things in order. Members began to arrive a bit early. They were greeted by a check-in and a good-bye poster signing for recently retired Herb Helbig. Members then entered the room and were amazed at what was arranged. The room was huge, it was adorned with Viper memorabilia, live/silent auction item display, raffle display, and banners hanging. Everyone was also greeted by a big surprise… there were two 2008 Viper’s at the stage in the same room we had our party. It served as a great conversation piece and a chance for members to see the new machines up close. One of the cars was actually Alex Ristanovic’s new bright green metallic convertible with a very fresh custom Prefix paint job.

Appetizers were traveling around the room and members mingled until it was time for things to get underway. Gary Grube and Alex welcomed the group and kicked off dinner with officer introductions and a peek of what was to come for 2008. The food was great, and the Pheasant Run staff were extremely attentive.

Sprinkled throughout dinner were some great raffle prizes for both the men and women. And as dessert was served, the customary video presentation by our resident videophile Gary Grube was played on the big screen. Members laughed as the cowboy themed flick featured many members throughout the region singing to the music video. It was a hoot. Shortly after, the 2008 club banner was revealed. It continued the devious celebration of the Viper  - with the usual attitude!

The final BIG raffle items were given away and then we were on to the live auction! Lots of great items were on hand this year, they helped raise almost $10,000 for the club!

Shortly thereafter, it was time for the awards segment. The club spirit award was given to the top 10 active members in the club -  highlighting their involvement, help, sponsorship, and attendance. What a group. Our winners were: John Gastman, Mark Schumann, Dave Pinder, Glenn Davis, Larry/Nancy Friend, Jeremy Walker, Rob Salus, Steve Loudin, Mark Les, and Kim Peterson. Some specialty awards were also handed out. The Rookie Driver of the year went to Rob Salus. The overall Rookie Member of the Year went to David Catalanello. And The Bill Braun Competitor of the Year Award went to Mark Schumann. Congratulations to all winners

Last on the agenda was the phenomenal centerpiece giveaway. Tim Waedekin made some wild aluminum standing Sneak Pete and Fangs centerpieces. Thrilled winners quickly snatched them up! What a gift for so many!

Alex and Gary then bid their final thank you’s and farewell to the group. After that, members milled around and chatted. Club merchandise was flying out the door as the new annual club shirts were revealed… a beautiful black polo with embroidered IL VCA snakehead logo. Also shown for the first time was the new club white T-shirts with IL VCA logo. There were also over 15 new items along with nearly 100 other merchandise items. Members spent a lot of time shopping and enjoying the great things available.

The event went on and members lingered past 1:00am. Many hands were on deck for the breakdown which took only 20 minutes. (thanks to all of you!)

The event was among our best attended, it boasted over 115 IL Region members from all over IL, WI, IN, and MI! VIP’s were in attendance (driving quite a distance) as Herb Helbig paid us a visit along with Mark Giannotta. We even had 4 out of 5 of our own IL VCA past/present president’s in attendance. This was a great event and a pleasant surprise to many members. We did it in style! We hope you had a good time!

The 2008 IL VCA Dream Weekend was a HUMONGOUS success!! The event sold out in two weeks. It was a multi-region affair hosted by the IL VCA that included over 90 people throughout 18 VCA regions!! There were members joining us from all over the world, five of the furthest came from Germany!

This was to be one of our biggest and busiest Dream Weekends ever. Knowing this would quite certainly be our last visit to some of these places, we planned on making this a trip to remember. Planning for the event began in September of 2007. A lot of time, and a lot of diligence (and of course a few great connections with Chrysler and Viper HQ) helped to lay the foundation. Our members were in for a treat!

The event began Thursday as members converged at the Hilton Suite in Auburn Hills. A great dinner was arranged in the atrium of the hotel to kick off the weekend. Pretty much all members who registered made the dinner. People started to assemble early. Dinner started at 7:00pm. Many stayed into the late hours chatting away, then retired to their rooms to prepare for the long day head.

Friday morning started early, 7:00am. Members gathered in the lobby. They were in for a treat as they were greeted by a Viper 2008 hood that everyone in attendance signed to commemorate the event. Shortly thereafter, members were split into groups and loaded on the buses that would take them on their journey in style.

On the other side of the world, the other half of the group was being led on a fantastic tour of Prefix.

It was our first time here. The good folks at Prefix rolled out the red carpet and led us on quite the tour of their grounds. We got a good peek into the type of business they do. We witnessed cars from the early stages of modification all the way to the end result. We got a glimpse into how they do those stunning snakeskin stripes. The precision of their work is amazing.

We were given the freedom to explore the plant and speak with the workers there. This was a well organized facility and their work is unparalleled. The cars were spotless as they were worked on. This is no ordinary paint and interior shop, they truly of top of their game at finishing off these cars. One-of-a-kind are the words you constantly heard. There are going to be a lot of happy owners out there.

After both groups toured their first stops, the buses crossed paths and the tours were repeated with the opposite groups All the tours went well. After everyone’s morning at Prefix and Connor was complete, the buses headed north for a break and a good lunch spot that offered members a choice of many restaurants to choose from. Members split up and headed off to grab a bite and discuss the morning’s events.

After an hour, members arrived back to the buses and now our afternoon began! The buses stayed together the rest of the day since the following facilities were able to accommodate our entire group at once. Our next stop was The Chrysler Museum!

Buses unloaded in front of the large facility and members gleefully entered the complex. A photo opportunity was of course taken while we were there.

For those that have been there before, it was a welcome return. There were also many who were visiting for the first time, they were in awe as they ran through three floors of pure bliss. There is plenty to see here. The basement seems to be an especially common meeting place for us, lots of goodies down there. Members continued to peruse the exhibits, take pictures and shop in the museum store before heading back to the buses for the nest stop in the adventure.

The buses didn’t drive a very long distance as they arrived at a very prominent building… They had reached the historic building called the Chrysler Technology Center (CTC). This was no ordinary stop. The members were given a true glimpse behind the scenes at a fairly high security place. After being led for some distance, they arrived at a room with a Viper ACR!

Members gathered around and took photo opportunities, being among the first to see the automobile in person. It looked stunning in person. Another big surprise was a visit by recently retired Herb Helbig. Members had a chance to thank the man known as the “Grail Keeper” for keeping the Viper true to what it always was… an all business machine.

After moving on, the members were lead to a large room to get a formal presentation and discussion over many SRT products, which of course included the Viper. A detail discussion ensued on the Vipers engine, performance, and development of the ACR. We were lucky to have enjoyed the presentation by many big names in Chrysler. The stop was already running late due to the long discussion, but of course the most entertaining tour was yet to take place.

Members were led through a maze of corridors and hallways that along the way had many interesting things to view. They then came upon an area known as SCI Labs, the area that Chrysler tests its engines. Members were in for a treat as they toured the lab and even witnessed a Viper engine on a full dyno run. The engineers ran the engine hard, it easily made more than 600 horsepower on the big screen. It was a great sight and lots of sound, the headers were glowing red!! This was indeed a high point, how cool!!

After CTC, the group was truly fulfilled. The group headed off to the last stop which was “Lelli’s”, not far from CTC, for a really great dinner. Some stopped at the hotel to drop off the goodies they collected throughout the day. Lelli’s was a great way to finish the evening, it’s a very well known steakhouse in the area as well as a common haunt for the Chrysler crowd. One bus stayed behind to finish transporting the remaining members to the hotel. The long day was done, and what a smile the group had on their faces.

Saturday was the last day of our event. Members converged in the lobby early to caravan down to the North American International Auto Show. This was actually opening day to the public. Our members already had their tickets provided to them previously, so they stood in the short line to enter the great hall just as the doors opened. They witnessed a lot of new concepts, new production models, and of course… Vipers! There were several on display, two of them in ACR form!! Of course flash bulbs were popping.