Racing history (Part IV)
by admin on Jan.05, 2010, under automotive, cars, dodge, engine, history, knowledge, mods, motorization, race, sport, tuning, viper
Larbre was able to defend their FIA GT championship in 2002, but were only able to win one race in the process. Carsport Holland and Paul Belmondo also managed single victories, while the new Ferrari 550s showed their potential with four wins. The only other victories for Vipers that season came in French GT, with four earned by DDO, and a third victory at the Nürburgring for Zakspeed. An Oreca-backed entry at Le Mans would manage to finish on the class podium, although several laps behind the two factory Corvettes.
In 2003, the dominance of the Prodrive-built Ferraris began. Vipers were unable to win any races in FIA GT, leaving Larbre as the best finishing Viper in the championship, a distant seventh. Some victories were still scored by Vipers however, as Larbre took six wins in French GT and Force One Racing a further two. The Team Taisan Viper in JGTC would also manage its first class victory in an event at Fuji Speedway. Vipers would compete for the first time in Italian GT, winning all but three races during the season. However at the same time, Vipers would make their final appearance at Le Mans, with Larbre finishing fourth in their class.
2004 would see the Viper GTS-Rs begin to be phased out. Only Zwaan’s Racing would be entered in the full FIA GT season, earning ninth in the championship. Vipers would remain dominant in FFSA GT and Italian GT, winning eleven and five races respectively. For 2005, the only Viper entry in FIA GT would be a single entry at the Spa 24 Hours, finishing 12th, while Italian GT would see only three teams competing and unable to score any victories. French GT became the only series in which Vipers were competitive, which lured former Formula One champion Alain Prost to run Viper GTS-R chassis #C50 in the series as part of his 50th birthday, eventually winning one race as part of the Vipers nine victories that season.
Racing history (Part V)
by admin on Dec.31, 2009, under history, knowledge, mods, motorization, motorsport, race, racing, sport, tuning, viper
In 2006, Viper GTS-Rs continue in French GT and Italian GT, although their victories continued to diminish. By 2007, the homologation of the Viper GTS-Rs would come to an end as the Viper GTS bodystyle had been replaced nearly seven years prior. Few privateers entered Vipers in French and Italian GT, while Red Racing would enter a lone car in select rounds of the FIA GT Championship as part of the amateur Citation Cup but would be unable to even finish any of its events. In 2008 Italian team Lanza Motorsport entered a GTS-R in the Italian round of the FIA GT Championship, but the car did not finish the race.
In 2007 a Viper GTS-R was first raced during a historic event at Magny Cours by Florent Moulin. The new GT90s serial accepts ex. FIA GT racers from 1990 to 2000. The car was chassis C23, the FIA – GT Championship winning car in 1999 driven by Karl Wendlinger and Olivier Beretta, completely restored into original 99′ Oreca specifications. The same car was invited at Goodwood Festival of Speed in 2008 and driven by its period driver Justin Bell into its Le Mans 1999 livery when Justin drove this very car to 2nd place in GTS. In November 2008 Florent Moulin entered it again in GT90’s Revival race at Le Castellet, co-driven by another of its period driver from Le Mans 1999 Marc Duez. Then Vipers have entered into the classic race cars world.
