Dodge Viper Cup Series Inaugural Season Continues on Versus

AUBURN HILLS, Mich., Aug. 12 /PRNewswire/ --

• Dodge Viper ACR-X, the ultimate special-edition model of America's ultimate sports car, returns to the race track
• Previous race winners, Ben Keating and Ryan Schimsk, look to stay out front on the track and on top of series' standings
• Celebrity drivers making their series debuts include Steven Cole Smith from AutoWeek magazine and former open-wheel racer Richie Hearn

The inaugural season of the Dodge Viper Cup series continues this weekend with a doubleheader at the 1.8 mile Hallett Motor Racing Circuit in Jennings, Okla. Races No. 3 on Saturday, Aug. 14, and No. 4 on Sunday, Aug. 15, will feature 10 new Dodge Viper ACR-X spec-series racers.

Drivers Ben Keating (No. 33 Viper ACR-X) and Ryan Schimsk (No. 67 Viper ACR-X) look to follow up their July race wins with strong performances at the fast and challenging 10-turn road course, which is located 35 miles west of Tulsa. Keating currently leads the 2010 points standings while Schimsk is close behind in second place after two of 10 events.

"We're looking forward to an exciting doubleheader race weekend of Dodge Viper Cup series action," Gary Johnson, Road Racing Manager for Dodge Motorsports, said. "The summer weather in Oklahoma is sure to be scorching this weekend, and we're expecting the action on the track at Hallett Motor Racing Circuit to be just as hot."

Broadcast coverage of this weekend's races on Versus (subject to change) is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. EDT Sunday, Sept. 5, (Race No. 3) and 3:30 p.m. EDT Sunday, Sept. 12, (Race No. 4).

Celebrity Driver Program

As part of the 2010 Dodge Viper Cup series season, various celebrity drivers are invited to drive in the on-track competition and, if they win, their purse is donated to the charity of their choice. Each celebrity driver is specifically chosen by Dodge Motorsports and specially trained for all on-track competition in the series by professional racer Cindi Lux of Lux Performance Group. Lux competed successfully in a Dodge Viper Competition Coupe and brings extensive experience in management of Dodge Viper SRT10® Clubs along with various celebrity driver programs.

Steven Cole Smith, motorsports correspondent for AutoWeek magazine, will compete in the white No. 53 Dodge Viper ACR-X. Currently the automotive editor for the Orlando Sentinel and Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel, Smith previously was the executive editor for Car and Driver and Auto World Weekly magazines. He remains a contributing editor for Car and Driver.

Previously, Smith wrote a weekly automotive column for the New York Times Syndicate and was the U.S. columnist for the British weekly magazine AutoExpress. His stories have appeared in more than 200 publications, ranging from Forbes to Speedway Illustrated magazines.

Smith's racing background consists of oval track competition, and he has held licenses for NHRA Super Comp, SCCA Pro and Grand-Am competition. Smith has driven in several endurance races, including the Longest Day at Nelson Ledges, and has competed in the Mustang Challenge and Neon Challenge series. He lives in Florida.

Richie Hearn, who will be driving the red No. 52 Viper ACR-X, brings an extensive open-wheel racing resume with him to the Dodge Viper Cup series.

Hearn ran in the Toyota Atlantic championship for two seasons, winning the title in 1995. In 1996, he began driving for John Della Penna in both the IRL and Champ Car ranks, capturing the inaugural IRL IndyCar Series event at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. After a 3rd–place finish at the 1996 Indianapolis 500, Hearn was named co-rookie of the year.

He moved full time into Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART) in 1997 for Della Penna where he earned two top-10 finishes as a rookie.

In 1998, Hearn competed in his second full season of CART taking eight top-10 finishes. He also earned his CART career-high fifth at Michigan. In 1999, Hearn continued his full-time ride with Della Penna Motorsports taking five top-10 finishes with a season-best sixth at Vancouver.

Hearn has contested a few more Indy 500s since, with a best result of sixth in 2002. In 2004, he founded Hearn Motorsports, which debuted in the Formula Star Mazda series, and in 2008 he retired from regular driving and team ownership to pursue new business opportunities and other passions. Hearn makes his home in Henderson, Nev.

Also competing at the Hallett Motor Racing Circuit are:

Series Contingency Program

Every vehicle that competes in the Dodge Viper Cup series must be a new 2010 Dodge Viper ACR-X. A contingency program sponsored by Dodge Motorsports and Mopar – Chrysler Group LLC's source for all original equipment and performance parts for Dodge, Ram, Chrysler and Jeep vehicles – will pay out more than $200,000 in cash and parts. Top five finishers of each race will receive both a cash payout and a parts voucher, as credit toward purchase of Mopar® parts and accessories.

Competitors finishing in sixth through 10th positions will receive a $500 discount on the entry fee for their next race, courtesy of the North American Road Racing Association – the sanctioning body for the Dodge Viper Cup series.

Additional cash awards will be made to the top-three finishers in the final Dodge Viper Cup series standings. The 2010 champion will win $25,000, second-place finishers will receive $10,000 and third-place finishers will take home $5,000.

Event Coverage on Versus

Versus, the fastest growing sports cable network in the United States will televise each of the eight remaining series races in 30-minute shows approximately two to three weeks after each race. Viewers should check local listings for the 2010 Dodge Viper Cup series schedule on Versus. If fans miss a certain race, each 30-minute show also will re-air on Versus at various times throughout the season.

The remaining 2010 Dodge Viper Cup series broadcasts on Versus (subject to change) consist of two races per weekend for four weekends, including:

'The' Ultimate Special-Edition Viper

Combining the best performance attributes of the record-setting, street-legal Dodge Viper American Club Racer (ACR) and the safety equipment of championship-winning Dodge Viper Competition Coupe, the Viper ACR-X is powered by the SRT-developed 8.4-liter V-10 engine, equipped with factory headers and a low-restriction exhaust system that produces 640 horsepower (40 more than the production model) and 605 lb.-ft. of torque (45 more than the production model).

The suspension also is tuned and upgraded specifically for on-track usage with unique springs, two-way adjustable shocks and adjustable sway bar links.

Curb weight is a full 160 pounds lighter (compared with the standard-production Viper) to take on even the most challenging road course. Additional aerodynamic upgrades, including quad-dive planes and underbody ducts, improve downforce, while enhancing stability and significantly improving grip in high-speed cornering.

Following the initial production run of 25 units of the turn-key, non-street legal race car that were quickly purchased by racing enthusiasts and collectors, Dodge has built an additional 25 units, bringing the total of 2010 Viper ACR-X models to 50.

Similar to the Dodge Viper Competition Coupe, the Viper ACR-X contains factory-installed safety equipment such as a factory-designed roll cage, fire suppression system, fuel cell and race seat. Additional racing components, including a transmission cooler, rear differential cooling system, unique front rotors with larger surface area and improved brake cooling via scoops in the front fascia, are added to meet the significant durability and reliability requirements for on-track competition.

The Viper ACR-X is designed to compete in the Viper Racing League, Sports Car Club of America and National Auto Sport Association events.

Viper Racing Heritage

The Dodge Viper has enjoyed a successful racing heritage that began in 1996 with the original Viper racing entry, the 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 1-2 at The 24 Hours of LeMans in GTS class for three consecutive years: 1998 – 2000 and also captured GTS class, manufacturer's and driver's championships in the American LeMans Series in 1999 and 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 has 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.

www.viperheadquarters.com

Dodge has created a new website designed to showcase the Dodge Viper both on the street and on the track. Check out the online home for all things Viper at www.viperheadquarters.com.

Viper Racing League

The Viper Racing League is one race series within the group of three (including Challenge Series and Driving School) sanctioned by Viper Days. The series has five remaining event weekends scheduled for the 2010 season at some of the country's most prestigious race tracks. For more information including the 2010 race schedule, visit www.viperdays.com.

About Versus

Versus, the fastest growing sports cable network in the country, prides itself on super-serving passionate sports fans across all platforms (Versus.com, Versus on Demand and Versus HD). Now in more than 75 million homes, the network is the cable television home of the National Hockey League (NHL), Izod IndyCar Series, Tour de France, World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) and Professional Bull Riders (PBR). Versus also airs NASCAR, NBA, UFC, college football and college basketball programming. The network is home to the best outdoor programming on television and airs original programs not available anywhere else, including The Daily Line and Sports Soup. Versus, a wholly owned company of Comcast Corporation (NASDAQ: CMCSA, CMCSK), is distributed via cable systems and satellite operators throughout the United States.

About Dodge

Dodge is a full line of cars, SUVs and MPVs that are agile, daring, sensible and inventive. The product line includes the Dodge Caliber, Dodge Avenger, Dodge Challenger, Dodge Charger, Dodge Grand Caravan, Dodge Journey, Dodge Nitro and Dodge Viper SRT10.

Dodge introduced two new vehicles for the 2009 model year: the all-new 2009 Dodge Journey, the brand's first crossover vehicle and the 2009 Dodge Challenger, a modern-day American muscle car. Dodge also celebrated the 25th anniversary of the minivan during the 2009 model year. With more than 65 minivan-firsts introduced since 1983 and more than 12 million Dodge and Chrysler minivans sold, Chrysler Group LLC has solidified its leadership in the segment. J.D. Power and Associates further acknowledged this leadership by naming the Dodge Grand Caravan the Most Dependable Van for 2009. The 2010 Dodge Grand Caravan continues to set the mark in the minivan segment with unsurpassed fuel economy of 17 city / 25 highway mpg and minivan-first innovations including the segment's only Stow 'n Go® and Swivel 'n Go® seating and storage systems. The 2010 Dodge Journey and 2010 Dodge Avenger (with ESC) also earned the 2009 Top Safety Pick rating from the IIHS.

Also in 2008, the Dodge Journey entered key volume markets outside North America, joining the Dodge Avenger, Nitro and Caliber. Dodge Caliber was the highest sales volume vehicle for the company outside North America in 2008.

SOURCE Chrysler Group LLC