Woodhouse Viper MIA - The Race Forums - A Social Network for Fans of the American Le Mans

mayk · 02-26-2008, 08:40 PM

Woodhouse Performance is happy to announce its return to the SCCA Pro Racing SPEED World Challenge GT Championship with driver Jeff Courtney. Following a strong seventh-place finish in the 2007 points, Courtney is back to pilot the No. 99 Dodge Viper.

"2007 was a great year for Woodhouse Performance and it is exciting to be back in 2008," Courtney said. "We have created some dynamic team synergy that I look forward to refining this year. We intend to prove the viability of the Dodge Viper in this series, while several other teams from last year have now opted for other cars."

Is this the same team that raced in the ALMS and was going to in 08? Out of touch here, did they announce to cancel their plans for the ALMS?

Todd Benne · 02-26-2008, 09:08 PM

Bob never fully committed to run the ALMS. It was a 'test' session and I think I heard used by Kumho for tire testing. It was, pure speculation, a shot at WCGT for its rule twisting and general paddock unhappiness by some teams.

It is one thing to run a WCGT budget. It is a totally different league to run ALMS GT2. Just ask Lou. You go from a five gallon bucket of dead presidents to a barge full. Add in the loss of factory support by the folks at Dodge and the incentive to run a Viper has to be very strong on a personal level. Very similar to the Ford GT guys.

John Thawley · 02-26-2008, 09:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mayk

Woodhouse Performance is happy to announce its return to the SCCA Pro Racing SPEED World Challenge GT Championship with driver Jeff Courtney. Following a strong seventh-place finish in the 2007 points, Courtney is back to pilot the No. 99 Dodge Viper.

"2007 was a great year for Woodhouse Performance and it is exciting to be back in 2008," Courtney said. "We have created some dynamic team synergy that I look forward to refining this year. We intend to prove the viability of the Dodge Viper in this series, while several other teams from last year have now opted for other cars."

Is this the same team that raced in the ALMS and was going to in 08? Out of touch here, did they announce to cancel their plans for the ALMS?

I think they ran a "test" race last year at Mid-Ohio... it was strictly recon, though.

JT

HORNDAWG · 02-26-2008, 09:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mayk

Woodhouse Performance is happy to announce its return to the SCCA Pro Racing SPEED World Challenge GT Championship with driver Jeff Courtney. Following a strong seventh-place finish in the 2007 points, Courtney is back to pilot the No. 99 Dodge Viper.

"2007 was a great year for Woodhouse Performance and it is exciting to be back in 2008," Courtney said. "We have created some dynamic team synergy that I look forward to refining this year. We intend to prove the viability of the Dodge Viper in this series, while several other teams from last year have now opted for other cars."

Is this the same team that raced in the ALMS and was going to in 08? Out of touch here, did they announce to cancel their plans for the ALMS?

No they did not announce it, Dodge did when they dropped the ball on getting the Viper homologated and backed out!!

mayk · 02-26-2008, 10:05 PM

Thanks...I thought I heard Dodge was not going to support them, but they were still going to race...Man, GT2 would have been even better than it already is....Porsche, Ferrari, Astom Martin, Ford GT, Panoz, Vet.....

Wasnt there another Viper that raced at Detroit? Too far out of touch here and need to get back on the ball here!

Todd Benne · 02-26-2008, 10:17 PM

The Viper at Detroit was http://gallery.johnthawley.com/galle...serialNumber=2

And is the Viper listed for this year as well.

mayk · 02-27-2008, 10:26 AM

Thanks all! Great discussion and info presented....As I shot for Carsport when they raced in GT1, I have a bias to Vipers...

To hijack my own thread a bit....and to some this is meaningless, but this thread is a perfect example of what a forum should be about....

Ahem, someone asks a question, a quesiton that maybe was already asked and answered, or one that everyone 'should know the answer' but yet, there is a civil discussion and data to back up the talking points.

There are no demeaming responses (well, that is a shock none from JT to me.. LOL) or one word answers...or off topic answers.....or... a response to 'do a search'..or the worst for me, telling the forum that the subject has been discussed and written about over and over and go to another website to read (by the person who wrote the material-pimping website) ...etc etc etc Perfect

OK, back on track....is the Viper allowed to run in 08? ACO homologated now?

HORNDAWG · 02-27-2008, 02:00 PM

It looks as if it will be allowed to run in 08 as it is on the Sebring entry list.
As to it being homologated now; I have not seen anything that would indicate that it will be. With Dodge pulling back their support (as if there has been any.. recently) of this venture and no one else coming along with Feinberg I highly doubt that the Viper will be homologated with the ACO.

HORNDAWG · 02-28-2008, 11:02 PM

Well it looks like part of the "Woodhouse experiment" of last year has made it to the ALMS with the Vici entry and their Kumho tire program.