Press kit: 2013 SRT Viper and SRT Viper GTS

SRT Motorsports Team Ready for Full Season of American Le Mans Series Competition in 2013

Auburn Hills, Mich. November 20, 2012 - Following a long-anticipated return to the American Le Mans Series (ALMS) competition this past summer, the factory-backed Street and Racing Technology (SRT) Motorsports team is looking forward to a full-time return to the series in 2013, where the storied history of the Viper in professional sports car racing will continue.

From the drawing board in late 2011, to its public unveiling alongside the all-new 2013 SRT Viper production car in April 2012, to three top-10 finishes in the four ALMS events, the on-track performances proved to be an inspiring finish to an 11-month long mission.

“I’m extremely proud of the tireless work and the competitive results our team earned after just four ALMS races in 2012,” said Ralph Gilles, President and CEO, SRT Brand and Motorsports — Chrysler Group LLC. “We’re learning very quickly, making great progress and will continue our development work with winter testing and look forward to having two fast and reliable SRT Viper GTS-Rs at Sebring to kick off our full season in 2013.”

The two-car SRT Motorsports team made its ALMS on-track debut in August at Mid-Ohio and capped its preparation for 2013 with an impressive outing at the 1,000-mile or 10-hour Petit Le Mans season finale at Road Atlanta.

The No. 91 SRT Viper GTS-R driven by Dominik Farnbacher and Kuno Wittmer finished 10th in the debut at Mid-Ohio and was 9th in the next outing at Road America. A mishap in practice forced the team to withdraw from competition at the Baltimore street race. In the final tune-up at Road Atlanta, and with the addition of 2012 IndyCar Series champion Ryan Hunter-Reay to the driver rotation for the endurance event, the team led laps and finished an impressive eighth in the GT class.

The No. 93 SRT Viper GTS-R driven by Tommy Kendall and Marc Goossens had similar on-track performances that weren’t reflected in the race results. For example, at Road Atlanta the team qualified sixth and, with Jonathan Bomarito added as the third driver, ran as high as third before mechanical issues forced the team out of the race in the final hours of competition. Overall, the team had three finishes of 12th in GT class.

“We’re continuing on quite an exhilarating ride with the re-introductions of our new SRT flagship performance machines for the street and the track for our production car owners, and our new SRT Motorsports team in ALMS,” Gilles continued. “Racing has always been a significant part of the illustrious history and the continued development of the SRT Viper.”

SRT Motorsports has partnered with Riley Technologies, based in Mooresville, N.C., on the design-and-build process of the non-street legal and competition-ready SRT Viper GTS-R.

Viper Racing Heritage

The Viper has enjoyed a successful racing heritage that began in 1996 with the first Dodge Viper racing entry, the original GTS-R, which earned five international GT championships and the 1997-1999 FIA GT championships. It also posted an amazing overall win at the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona in 2000 – the first for a production-based American car.

Viper finished one-two at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in GTS class in three consecutive years, 1998-2000, and also captured GTS Class and driver’s championships in the American Le Mans Series in 1999 along with the Series Class, manufacturer’s and driver’s championships in 2000.

The Dodge Viper Competition Coupe, introduced in 2003, delivered the next chapter of that history with its coupe-shaped carbon/Kevlar body and a track-ready chassis, based on the Dodge Viper SRT10. The Viper Competition Coupe continued the on-track prowess by capturing the 2004 SCCA Speed World Challenge GT title, championships in Formula D Drifting series in 2004 and 2006 and the British GT Championship in 2007 and 2008.

In 2010, the Dodge Viper Cup Series was founded using the limited-edition Dodge Viper ACR-X spec series cars. The series has just completed its third season and has been renamed the SRT Viper Cup Series.

About SRT

The Chrysler Group’s Street and Racing Technology (SRT) brand uses a successful product development formula featuring five proven hallmarks: awe-inspiring powertrains; outstanding ride, handling and capability; benchmark braking; aggressive and functional exteriors and race-inspired and high-performance interiors to remain true to its performance roots.

The SRT lineup in the 2013 model year features five vehicles that are world-class performance contenders and bring the latest in safety technologies and creature comforts. The Chrysler 300 SRT8, Dodge Challenger SRT8 392, Dodge Charger SRT8 and Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8 are joined by the SRT flagship Viper and Viper GTS models, which are making their highly anticipated return to the high-performance sports car market.

Follow SRT and Chrysler Group news and video on:
SRT site: http://drivesrt.com
Chrysler media site: http://media.chrysler.com
Twitter: www.twitter.com/drivesrt and www.twitter.com/chrysler
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/drivesrt or YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/pentastarvideo
Chrysler Connect blog: http://blog.chryslergroupllc.com
Streetfire: http://members.streetfire.net/profile/ChryslerVideo.htm
Corporate website: http://www.chryslergroupllc.com



Contact Information

Dan Reid
Office: (248) 512-0366
Cell: (248) 202-7697
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