Dodge Viper GTS-R goes back to old-school livery

Fri, 20 Jun 2014

The Dodge Viper may have been around now for over 20 years, but as far as racing achievements go, 2000 was its finest season. That's when it won the Rolex 24 at Daytona, the GTS class trophy at the 24 Hours of Le Mans and its second consecutive title in the American Le Mans Series.

Since then, SRT Motorsports hasn't quite had the same success, withdrawing from Le Mans this year and shedding the Dodge name and its emblematic red and white livery for the SRT badge and a silver snakeskin theme. But now that the Viper is back under the Dodge banner, so too is the racing team returning to its classic livery.

Starting from the six-hour race at Watkins Glen next week, both the No. 91 and No. 93 Viper GTS-Rs will wear the red base color with twin white racing stripes that its more accomplished forebears wore on circuits around the world. And with it, maybe the Viper will return once again to the winner's circle at home and abroad.

SRT Motorsports Vipers Shed Skin for Classic Look
New Livery for Dodge Viper SRT GTS-Rs Debuts at Watkins Glen International

June 19, 2014 , Auburn Hills, Mich. - SRT (Street and Racing Technology) Motorsports is honoring the Dodge Viper's racing heritage by molting its 'skin' and returning to the Viper's classic red and white livery, beginning at the upcoming Sahlen's Six Hours of the Glen race weekend, June 27-29, at New York's Watkins Glen International circuit.

The SRT Motorsports Viper entries – the No. 91 and No. 93 Dodge Viper SRT GTS-Rs – will compete in 'Viper Red' and 'Race White' for the duration of the 2014 IMSA TUDOR United SportsCar Championship season. The classic colors are the same worn by Dodge Viper entries that took the overall victory in the Rolex 24 At Daytona in 2000, a GTS class win in the 2000 24 Hours of Le Mans, and American Le Mans Series championships in 1999 and 2000.

"We are honoring the racing history of the Dodge Viper by returning to its classic colors as we are in the midst of celebrating the Dodge brand's 100th anniversary and 100 years of American performance," said Ralph Gilles, President and CEO of SRT Motorsports and Senior Vice President of Product Design for Chrysler Group LLC. "The new livery not only brings back this classic look but also enables us to continue to connect our Viper racing program to its spirited racing heritage."

In addition to the new livery, the team is carrying a special 100th anniversary logo on both IMSA TUDOR Vipers.

The classic-colored Dodge Viper SRT GTS-R will first take to the track on Friday, June 27, for the initial practice for the Sahlen's Six Hours of the Glen race weekend. The third endurance race of the 2014 IMSA TUDOR season, part of the North American Endurance Cup (NAEC), will take place at Watkins Glen International on Sunday, June 29, starting at 11:15 a.m. EDT.

About SRT Motorsports
SRT Motorsports has partnered with Riley Technologies, based in Mooresville, N.C., on the design and build of the Dodge Viper GTS-R race cars. Two identical Viper GTS-Rs compete in the production-based GT Le Mans (GTLM) class in the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship, where the various GTLM class entrants share many styling similarities to their showroom brands.

By Noah Joseph