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The PitRacing Events:
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The day began with a fog so dense you could barely see your hand in front of your face. But in classic style, somehow the Michigan weather pulled through and we had a remarkable day with fair temperatures and dry a track! Over 30 Vipers showed up for the event (and a few "not-quite” Vipers!) to enjoy a day of zipping around the track, instructor led training, and the best club camaraderie around. As is expected, the event was organized rather well and went off without a hitch. This was the first high speed road race event for 2006. So naturally there were some cobwebs to shake loose for the veteran racers, as well as a host of new drivers eager to explore the limits of their high performance cars. |
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The experienced instructors on hand were Ron Adee, Aaron Vanassche, Alex Ristanovic, Howie Frank, and Don Landgraf. Our new rookies included Garry Tripp, Stephan Tripp, Lisa Ballou, Kit Loudin, Tony Howard, and Joe Baessler. Some of the best students a teacher could have. They had a great time running their cars and the improvement to their driving was dramatic! |
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Throughout the day there were many highlights. Among our many club members, we were graced with the presence of a few dignitaries from Dodge (and their “interesting” toys!). Our thanks to: Ralph Gilles - V.P. Jeep/Truck and Component Design/Chrysler Group, Gary Johnson - Road Racing Mgr/Dodge Motorsports, Matt Bejnarowicz - Lead Engineer Road Racing/Dodge Motorsports, and Jeff Roselli - Developemental Engineer/Dodge Motorsports. You guys really do a lot to put a smile on the faces of so many people! Great to see you out there ! |
As the day went on, we saw a myriad of cars screaming down the track (and sometimes off the track…). Everyone was testing their limits, warming up for the season to come, and breaking in new performance parts. A few other die hard racers had some serious machinery on hand, they build them to drive and they put on a show! Our welcomed guests from Dodge ran some wild race prepared Dodge specialty vehicles. We won’t ask what was under those hoods - our ears are still popping. Some veteran racers from the club were given the opportunity to drive these beasts, the grin is still on their faces... And toward the end of the afternoon Howie Frank and Alex Ristanovic ended their practice day with a blazing bumper to bumper battle that was a joy to watch! |
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The day was filled with smiles and ended with the sun slowly going down on another successful event. A thank you goes out to Roanoke Motor Company for sponsoring the day! A special thanks as always to all those club members who help in the pits, timing, instructing, etc… Without you it would never be this much fun for so many! |
Longest Day Competition
Event 1 - Road Course - June 9, 2006
| The longest day is an anticipated two day event that really brings club members together for a friendly competition combining several types of racing. This weekend was no exception, except maybe for the weather…! |
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The race weekend for the Longest Day began at an unfamiliar track for most of the club members. Putnam Park is a beautiful 1.8 mile 10-turn track located near Indianapolis. This track, known for it’s long straight (140+ mph) and its higher speeds, can definitely be intimidating to the unfamiliar driver. But once on the track and behind the wheel, you realize that the grassy run off’s are flat and the track very forgiving. The smooth pavement is also very conducive to precise steering and controlled braking. The day began with a fair temperature and some clouds. As time went on, the sun came out and it turned into a wonderful day for racing at Putnam. There were 20+ cars in attendance. Due to the layout and speed of the track, only three run groups were needed. This allowed for each driver to get 7 sessions on the track (wow!). Drivers found the track to be a joy and grew very comfortable early on. |
At Putnam, times ranging in the mid 1:20’s are very respectable, with lower 1:20’s requiring some serious skills (and guts!). here were several drivers consistently running those times on street performance tires, unbelievable. And of course there were a couple folks with slicks out there, and the teens were a familiar place for them. |
The Illinois chapter of the Viper Club is known to have some of the best club racers and a fairly strong race following. It definitely showed today as drivers adapted and applied their skills to a new challenge. The day ended at Putnam on a high note. The sun was out, people definitely got their fill of racing at this wonderful course. The camaraderie was there as always. We shared laughs, stories, and even car parts when needed. Many drivers immediately headed toward Route 41 to settle in to their hotels, grab a bite together, and prepare for the next day of racing. As luck (and of course a little pre-planning) would have it, not a single thing went wrong… well, until the next day… Day two of the Longest Day hosts the drag race and autocross portion of the competition. Perhaps it was mother natures’ way of saving us gas, but the sky opened up with a fury and temperatures dropped .We knew better than to compromise our fun. The event was called on account of weather and rescheduled immediately for August 19th (This is the same day as the Triple Crown Drag/Autocross, the scored times on this day will count for both competitions). |
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We want to once again thank our sponsor Roanoke Motor Company and sincere thanks to all those dedicated club members who help make these events run so smoothly! Even with the weather on day two ending our weekend early, day one was among the most memorable race days many of us have had. We will surely be coming back to Putnam! |
Unlimited Class |
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Super Modified |
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Modified |
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Prepared |
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Super Stock |
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Event 2 - Autocross - August 19, 2006
The second event for the Longest Day Competition was held a Route 41 Dragway in Morocco, Indiana. The weather worked out for us (given a downpour the night before) and the sky was dry for the entire day. The Autocross course was prepared after the mobile dryers dried out the asphalt. The orange cones were then laid down, and of course so was the gauntlet! The course was fairly fast and fluid. It was a 40+ second course with some tight turns, plenty of room for gas, and a very long slalom. Though not a complicated course, it was particularly challenging. There were 20+ cars in attendance and every driver was given 10 consecutive runs. We needed it! Plenty of bloopers as drivers strove to figure out the nuances of the course. The event went off without a hitch and we were finished by noon. |
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Unlimited Class |
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Super Modified |
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Modified |
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Prepared |
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Super Stock |
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Event 3 - Drag Race - August 19, 2006
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The afternoon of this day was reserved for drag racing. The sun was out, the track was hot, and the tires were screeching. Those who know Vipers, know that when the pedal hits the floor, it's a challenge holding the power to the pavement. The race was a classic Viper Club style bracket race. A 1 hour practice session was provided so that drivers could dial in their times. After that, each driver was given three runs, the 2 best runs out of the 3 would be used for scoring. Both ET and reaction times were used for scoring. The person maintaining the LOWEST differential score (to their reaction and dial-in) was the winner. Consistency is the key to winning, NOT the fastest times. Drivers laid down their best attempts and... |
Unlimited Class |
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Super Modified |
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Modified |
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Prepared |
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Super Stock |
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Final Results
After all the smoke cleared and the data from the road race, drag, and autocross were entered into the computer.... The
winner had emerged.
The 2006 winner of the Longest Day Competition is Alex Ristanovic!! Congratulations!
For the final data on the overall competition combining the three events, click the link to download the spreadsheet.
Triple Crown Challenge
Event 1 - Autocross - July 29, 2006
| Since the first Triple Crown event was rained out and needed rescheduling, this Autocross was the first scored event toward the Triple Crown Challenge. What a way to start it off! The temperature was definitely a hair "above warm"... well actually, it was so hot, even the water in the cooler was complaining! |
Our location for this event was the large parking lot at Maywood Park. This was our first visit to this venue and it served us well. The asphalt was huge and clean... just right for the task at hand! Mike Linko (one of our members and resident autocross experts) put together a challenging course. The speeds topped 50mph in some areas with some very strategic twists. It was a sprawling course, one of the larger ones that we've ever done. The cars were definitely put to good use, and with the relative safety of this course and surrounding objects, it inspired confidence in everyone. Participants were divided in three run groups. Each group had five runs before lunch and then another five after. This was plenty of time to get to know the track and lay down some good times. The course averaged between 45-50 seconds. |
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There was plenty of drifting, spins, smoke shows, and screeching tires. We continued to draw a crowd on onlookers as the day progressed (why didn't anyone do this in my neighborhood when I was a kid?). Despite the hot weather, this event ran incredibly smooth. We even ended ahead of schedule! Kudos to our racing coordinators. And special thanks to those who helped and Roanoke Motor Company for sponsoring! |
Unlimited Class |
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Super Modified |
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Modified |
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Prepared |
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Super Stock |
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Event 2 - Drag Race - August 19, 2006
Scoring for the drag race portion of the Triple Crown was pulled from the results of the drag from the Longest Day (due to
previous weather cancellation). Results below:
Unlimited Class |
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Super Modified |
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Modified |
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Prepared |
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Super Stock |
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Event 3 - Road Course - September 8, 2006
An absolutely wonderful day at Gingerman Raceway. Over 20 Vipers showed for the event and there was plenty of track time
for all. The day went without an issue. Results below:
Unlimited Class |
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Super Modified |
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Modified |
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Prepared |
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Super Stock |
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Final Results
The Triple Crown pits all racers against the entire field. It's a flat out competition to see who exhibits the quickest auto-cross times, consistent drag ET's, and fastest road racing lap. It's been a long season and the competition was stiff. The difference between the winner and several of the nearest competitiors was literally just a few points! Competition has really increased over the years and it's clear the driver skill in this group has risen to an unbelievable level. The 2006 winner of the Triple Crown Challenge is Jeremy Walker!! Kudos! |
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Your class winners are as follows:
Unlimited - Alex Ristanovic
Super Modified - John Gastman
Modified - Jeremy Walker
Prepared - Bill Kennedy
Super Stock - Mark Leszczynski
Congratulations to all of our winners and competitors. A huge thank you to our continuning sponsor Roanoke Motor Company!
For the final data on the overall competition combining the three events, click the link to download the spreadsheet.
2006 Triple Crown Challenge Results
Viper War XI - September 9th, 2006
Held the day after the Triple Crown, the weather was fantastic. Your results below!
Unlimited Class |
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Super Modified |
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Modified |
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Prepared |
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Super Stock |
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SRT Executives vs Illinois Club Autocross - October 13th, 2006
This is the highly anticipated annual race which pits the Illinois Viper Club against the SRT executives in an autocross. This was a friendly competition derived years ago that has now grown into a tradition! Over the course of this year, Illinois club members competed for a spot to go up against the best that the SRT executives had to offer. The SRT executive themselves prepped by having qualifying rounds and selecting the best from their camp. The stage was set! The trip began on Thursday for most of the Illinois club members as they began to converge on Detroit. Thursday evening was reserved for a friendly dinner at the Common Grill. We were joined by Herb and others from SRT who just happened to be in the neighborhood… It was a great time to enjoy good company and share in a few laughs. |
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Friday was reserved strictly for business. The place was the Chrysler proving grounds. We always consider it a great privilege to enter this monstrous facility and use their property for this event. While no cameras were allowed, we all enjoyed looking at the different ways they test their vehicles (dyno’s, skid pads, drag strip, etc..). The groups arrived at the track at 8:00am. The clouds were parted and the ground was dry. The coin was flipped and the Illinois club came out on top, we chose to go first. The cars were provided by SRT and so were the extra tires on hand (and yes we went through all of them). There were three Vipers and 3 Jeep SRT-8’s. Warm up laps could be taken in either. The Vipers we knew were good, but the Jeep’s were also AMAZING!! |
After the warm up laps we had a wonderful lunch. After some good chow, the race lineup was created. The Illinois Club and SRT would alternate on the same cars and get three runs a person. The race began. We split in two groups. The SRT gang came out of the gates fast and laid down some serious times early on. The Illinois club then finished strong leaving the end indeterminable without doing the math. The best single lap time for each participant was added together for each team, the team with the lowest cumulative time wins. |
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In the end, your winners for the 2006 Illinois Viper Club vs SRT Exec Autocross were… the SRT Executives. Yes they got us. It came down to less than three seconds total time across 18 people per team!! This was a marvelous event, the best in years. We want to thank SRT for making this all possible. We of course look forward to a rematch… it’s only customary! Your top 10 fastest people received awards at the end of the event. Among the Top 5 were Mike Linko, Bill Sampognaro, and Alex Ristanovic. Congrats to all! |
Want to browse the Special Events Afterglow for past years? Just click the year below:
Viper Club of Illinois Hot-line: (630) 415-3642
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