Viper Cup Coverage and Shaun Bailey is in it!

[Pete Loney]

Good luck Shaun!

TV coverage on Versus after the events....

http://www.autoblog.com/2010/07/09/dodg ... -peters-o/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Max Hayter]

Nice

Dodge has also thrown in a few "celebrity" wildcards into the fray, including Shaun Bailey, the associate engineering editor at Road & Track, and Sergent Michael Kohn, of Olympic bobsled renown. Hey, we didn't say they were exactly A-listers, did we?

[Steve Ekstrand]

Fiat marketing... Kill the Viper then sponsor a series for it.... Next you're going to tell me they are keeping the Hemi but calling it the 5.7L gas engine because Hemi doesn't sound green. Nah... Nobody is really that stupid.

[Shaun Bailey]

I ran two races, one Sat, one Sun. I'd never driven the full track at VIR before. I'd been to the North loop for a press event, but that really doesn't count for learning the track.

I had 10 laps of practice on Friday night. Saturday morning there were two 5-lap sessions for practice before qualifying. I placed 6, but got bumped to 4th because the top two cars didn't pass tech. They were gridded in the back. It was a standing start race. (I had a leg up on everyone from all the standing start practices I do for work, and Pro Solo) Lights go out and I moved up to third before the first corner.

This was my first time on slick tires. They suck for the first lap until there is some heat in them. I hung with the front runners for the first 2-3 laps until the tires got good and then they pulled away. I wasn't prepared to run that hard in someone else's car on a track I really didn't know well. I held my own until about the 8th lap when the tires started to get greasy. I should have backed off a bit and changed my line, but i didn't know how bad the tires would fall off after 7 laps, I hadn't driven on them more than 5 in a row up to that point. Short story I picked up a push, and couldn't keep it on the track. Low speed off, but glided down a grass hill into a tire wall. Soft enough that I didn't damage the splitter or the dive planes. Just my ego.

Sunday I crawled out from the rock I was hiding under and went through practice, working on my line, but not willing to push it. I was slow, about 2 seconds off my previous pace. I learned a few line changes and in Qualifying dropped my lap times to where they were before, but driving a MUCH better line. In the race I got another good start and moved up two spots from 6th to 4th. I had to fight to keep it, but in the end I did, and I dropped my lap time another second. I could have been with the front runners I think with more experience at the track.

I'll say that the Viper AXR-X Cup car is frighteningly quick. 640 horsepower and slicks make for some amazing speed and cornering power. Down the back straight I was seeing 165+ before I had to find my brake marker. At those speeds if something failed it felt as if I'd just launch off the end of the straight and into the next state. But the brakes worked every time...I must say that high g-loading at sustained high speeds is terrifying. The esses were almost flat in 4th gear, and it felt like certain death if things went wrong...

Loved every minute of it.

-Shaun

[Doug Kott]

Here in the office, we've thoroughly chastised Shaun for his "off" on Saturday, so further online abuse is not necessary.

Just kidding, Shaun! Great job, and way to get a great result on Sunday.

--Doug

[Max Hayter]

I'm just glad the bugger is still alive so that he can co-drive with me at Nats!

Congrats Shaun

[Greg Peng]

You can practice lines at VIR in iRacing. It's my favorite track in the iRacing library.

[Jeff Shyu]

i'm sitting here at the computer sorting pictures, and not really paying attention to what's going on on the TV.

"the very impressive shaun bailey... "

hmm.. there's a shaun bailey on TV?

oh, it's the viper cup race.. haha

[Max Hayter]

Watching it now... brings a tear to my eye :heyes:

[Max Hayter]

Ahhh... a valiant effort as he piles into the tire barrier

[Max Hayter]

Hope they show Sunday's race as well.

[Shaun Bailey]

yes, yes....

Another quick write up...
http://www.cindilux.com/Viper-Cup/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Jeff Shyu]

habitat for humanity?!

isn't there some solo2 charity that could better benefit from the 1250?..

[Shaun Bailey]

habitat for humanity?!

isn't there some solo2 charity that could better benefit from the 1250?..

I could...but I couldn't keep it...and giving it to you just didn't seem right.

[Pete Loney]

yes, yes....

Another quick write up...
http://www.cindilux.com/Viper-Cup/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Spell/Word check would help some, even in your Bio Shaun!

[Shaun Bailey]

It's only been a month... but the print magazine will be out in a week or so. We're just putting up the video and story online.

http://www.roadandtrack.com/racing/moto ... r-cup-race" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nrcwlNrRXhg&feature=sub" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lnZ8PfuLMcs" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

-Shaun

[Shaun Bailey]

And the Viper Cup race is on You Tube...watch me.... in all my glory, hitting a tire wall, over and over, and over again.

Race1, part 1 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SUL9yePwxTo" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Race1, part 2 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7k-cgL4bEjc" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Race1, part 3 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-gGo9bnJpc4" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Race2, part 1 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pd_qccuF-Ho" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Race2, part 2 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0iGXpJPmIg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Race2, part 3 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g7bPKHKOX7U" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;