SRT Viper GTS-R on Track for the First Time

When SRTSRTUnited States of America, 2010 > present5 models
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revealed the new ViperSRT Viper Gen.5United States of America, 2012 > present8 versions
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in New York, it also revealed that the the car would go racing in the American Le Mans Series as the Viper GTS-RSRT Viper GTS-RUnited States of America, 2013 > present7 photos
. The racing version is getting its first public testing on track, and SRT has revealed the two-car team that will go racing later this summer. 

The first on-track, public test was at the Carolina Motorsports Park in South Carolina. The test was basically a proof of concept that allowed the team to make sure the entire car was working at a base level. The team will now begin working on performance and durability development. 

The GTS-R is being prepared and raced by Riley Technologies, and they will use Michelin tires. 

The two Viper GTS-Rs will be driven by Dominik Farnbacher and Marc Goosens on one team and Ryan Hunter-Reay and Kuno Wittmer on the other. Farnbacher and Hunter-Reay both have experience racing with Riley in the Grand-Am series. Wittmer has raced in the SCCA World Challenge GT class, and Goosens is the old man on the team having raced since the mid-90s at Le Mans, FIA GT and even NASCAR classes. 

"Over the next couple of months, we’ll be at several different racetracks, several different environments to really improve the car’s abilities as well as find any weaknesses or issues that could arise that could eventually cost us a poor race result or a poor race finish,” said Gary Johnson, Road Racing Manager for SRT.  

SRT has not officially said how many races the GTS-R will compete in this year. In an interview on the podcast Autoline After Hours, SRT President Ralph Gilles said that the car might compete in four races this year. That would have the car make its competition debut at Road America on August 18. However, in the same interview, Gilles said that the car will probably not be very competitive in its class against this season. It will basically use the left few races of the season as on-track development. During the New York Motor Show, Gilles said that the GTS-R would definitely begin racing this year.