200 MPH Finally!

FST SNAKE

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https://youtu.be/B9dGMx6594g



It's been a few years in the planning but went from just a bucket list goal to reality on Feb 18th. It all started a few years back when I decided I was going to buy either a new Corvette, Cadillac XLR V or a Viper. The first one I went to look at was a red 2003 Viper over a Clearwater/St Pete FL dealer. I looked it over, took a test drive and went back and bought it the next day, never gave a second thought to the Vette or XLR V. Within days of that I set that 200 MPH goal in my head. I drove that Viper for 71,000 miles and decided the best opportunity I had for the 200 MPH was a Gen 4 so I traded the 03 for a Venom Red 08 convertible. I started prepping it for the 200 MPH run but it lasted only a few months and my son in law hit a wall that resulted in it being totaled. Next one was a 2010 Toxic Orange Pearl convertible, with tan top and interior. Don't anyone tell my son in law but this was the one I always wanted and he did me a favor. We pulled all the parts I added to the 08 off of it and started getting the Toxic Beast ready for some high speed runs. I added Autoform roll bar and hardtop, Simpson 6 point harnesses, fire extinguisher, Gen 5 intake, Ballenger headers, cat deletes, UD pulley, Wavetrax differential, 3.21 differential gears, 2 piece drilled and slotted rotors, BC Racing coilovers, and used HP Tuner to fine tune it. Then I started doing a few of the 1/2 mile events that Wannagofast puts on, just getting a feel for the car, launching it, driving etc. This gave me a chance to test the components that had been added. I did learn the hardtop would start to lift at about 150 MPH so we design a method to secure it for the higher speeds. I had done the math and I knew I would need at least 2 miles to get the car to 200 and that it would be borderline on making it, everything had to be perfect on the run and that meant I needed perfect launch and shifting had to be on spot.

Saturday morning at Kennedy Space Center arrives, it's a beautiful Florida day and finally time to see if the bolt ons were enough to make this stock NA motor break 200. We all head out to the shuttle runway, it's so inspiring to be on the same runway that so many shuttle missions returned to earth on. The scale of this place makes you feel overwhelmed but I'm here for reason and it's time to line up. We had done some shorter runs the day before, mostly just getting comfortable with the facility and the car. We have removed the wipers, the mirrors and taped the seams on the car, anything to squeeze another 1/10 of a MPH out of it. I get out all the safety gear and suit up, shoes, socks, fire suit, helmet, gloves and HANS device, wife insisted on all that. I slide into the car, get strapped down, everything is secure and I'm as ready as I'm going to be. I pull to the line and watch the flagman, flag drops and I'm off, car is way too sideways, tires spinning and it does that thru 3rd gear before it settles down. I head straight down center of runway, car is solid, and I don't really expect this run to be anything fantastic and I wind up running 191.742. All this did was put some more doubt in my head about this car being capable of 200. I return back to start, cool the car down and wait for another run after lunch. I line up again, this time I put a lot more effort into the launch. I slip the clutch some and roll into the throttle, this felt a lot better and by the time I'm the third the car feels great and I flatfoot shift from 3rd to 4th, at 160 MPH I shift to 5th and then it's just steer straight and wait for the 2 mile timing lights. I cross the line and glance down, speedometer reads 200 but we all know that means nothing. I turn left to return lane and I head back to start. As soon as the crowd comes into view I know I didn't make it. Oh well, if at first you don't succeed.............. I get out of car and Scottie comes up and says "you're not going to believe this, you ran 199.746 MPH". What do you say, besides lets go again!

This is it, last run of the day, it's time, now or never, go big or go home and all the other stuff that is running thru my head. At this point I know the car is capable of 200, the problem might be the driver. I crawl back in, strap down for the final chance and pull back up to the flagman. It seems to take forever but the flag drops and I launch.................and it's about as perfect as I have ever done. I hear/feel very little wheel spin, redline!....shift!......2nd gets a little more wheel spin, a little sideways, more so than 1st but it snaps back straight really quick, redline.......shift.......3rd now and it feels so right, another redline, another shift, the car is pulling so hard in 4th, it feels like a rocket going down that tarmac and in my head I'm thinking how appropriate that is considering where I'm at. Then time for that last shift, the awkward 5th gear shift, so easy to screw up........and I hit it perfect. Now it's all up to the car, all I have to do is steer straight to the 2 mile timing lights. I pushing the noisy petal so hard that the next day I have a bruise on the bottom of my foot. The cones come into view and I'm wishing the car faster, talking to it, I cross the marks and look down at the gauges, 201 MPH at 6250 RPM. Now I think that maybe I made it but again at these speeds speedometers are notoriously inaccurate. I turn left and head to the return lane, 2.5 miles back to the start and the answer. I'm doing 140 MPH on the return, guess you could say I was a little anxious. As soon as the crowd comes into view I know........except this time they had thumbs up, arms up and so on. I circle back to line, forget I'm strapped in as I try to get out of car. Scottie gets to the car, all smiles.........200.472 MPH!!!!!!!!!

I want to add that I didn't get there by myself, I had a lot of help, I got everything from encouragement, lots of advice, tons of help bolting on parts, and a lot more. Now I have plans for 210 MPH but don't let my wife hear about that. I also want to thank Johnny Bohmer for all the help/advice he gave me and for putting on an event unlike any other I've ever been to. If anyone is interested in doing this later in the year he has offered us some special pricing if we can get 40 cars to sign up. Just let me know and I will work on rate/dates. It would be nice to be all Vipers but not required, would be 2 days of high speed runs with professional video, helicopter and tons of pictures. There's no where else in the world like this and it's definitely worth it!
 
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FST SNAKE

FST SNAKE

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FST Snake--
Congrats and glad you are safe--Dave

Thank you, It's such a wide open runway it's hard to get in trouble, I would estimate it's more than 100 yards wide and over 3 miles long.
 

broomrider

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That is truly an accomplishment! I heard it was a lot of fun and that it should be on everyone's bucket list. I was told they are going to make another run this fall
At some point. I hope Broom gets to participate. That would be kick ***. Broom is jealous. :drive:
 
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FST SNAKE

FST SNAKE

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Here's a pic from the covered area near helicopter hanger. Thanks Jeff and Talon, I appreciate y'all taking time to view my kind of long story. Broom, no need to be jealous, bring that Viper east and lets run Blue Suede Snake and the Toxic Beast in October. You won't regret it, that place is amazing and with the space program expanding again this opportunity could disappear soon.
 

broomrider

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Here's a pic from the covered area near helicopter hanger. Thanks Jeff and Talon, I appreciate y'all taking time to view my kind of long story. Broom, no need to be jealous, bring that Viper east and lets run Blue Suede Snake and the Toxic Beast in October. You won't regret it, that place is amazing and with the space program expanding again this opportunity could disappear soon.
Hell Yes! Wouldn't that be an awesome event. I would LOVE to see if my broom would fly that fast. I know the helmet and suits are kinda mandatory for safety but what other things would I need? What is the actual date? Broom is extremely serious about coming out East.
 
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FST SNAKE

FST SNAKE

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Get a bunch of those Cajun Vipers heading east and let's make a party of it. As far as what you need for safety you can get by with just a helmet and a fire jacket, I just went all out because my wife thinks I'm valuable. I would be glad to help you with prepping the car, removing mirrors, wipers, taping the seams etc. We can have a blue vs orange competition, just play fair or I will bring in Hansel and Gretel for my pit crew, :)
 
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FST SNAKE

FST SNAKE

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Sorry, forgot to mention date, there is a 2 day event on May 27/28 but I would rather do the one in October. The date isn't confirmed on that yet. Do you think Oct would work for you? I am trying to get 40 cars together so we can get a better rate. It doesn't have to be all Vipers, we can get some Ferraris, Mclarens, etc so we can show them what American muscle can do. A lot of those guys were impressed at what a Dodge could do, lol.
 

broomrider

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Get a bunch of those Cajun Vipers heading east and let's make a party of it. As far as what you need for safety you can get by with just a helmet and a fire jacket, I just went all out because my wife thinks I'm valuable. I would be glad to help you with prepping the car, removing mirrors, wipers, taping the seams etc. We can have a blue vs orange competition, just play fair or I will bring in Hansel and Gretel for my pit crew, :)
Oh lord, I don't know about removing mirrors. I might have to try it with mirrors. lol you never know what a GenV is capable of especially with a little of Brooms magic on hand.
 
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FST SNAKE

FST SNAKE

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Oh lord, I don't know about removing mirrors. I might have to try it with mirrors. lol you never know what a GenV is capable of especially with a little of Brooms magic on hand.

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The whole goal is to get a patch for Broom, so it only takes about 15 minutes to remove the mirrors and wipers, it will make a difference at speed. It's up to you but my crew will be happy to help you out if you want. If you go out and run 199+ I'm sure you will be taking them off :drive: Ask around and lets get a crowd of Vipers together for Oct/Nov. I will try and firm up the schedule over next few weeks. I have about 10 Vipers committed and quite a few Hellcats also. At 40 cars the pricing should be around $1850 for 2 days of running, helicopter, professional video, and tons of pictures at a facility that is over the top!!!!!
 
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FST SNAKE

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Wow man, this sounds exhilarating.


It definitely is that, the great thing about going fast is you really don't have time to think about anything else in your life except the moment you're in. I find it completely relaxing.
 

broomrider

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The whole goal is to get a patch for Broom, so it only takes about 15 minutes to remove the mirrors and wipers, it will make a difference at speed. It's up to you but my crew will be happy to help you out if you want. If you go out and run 199+ I'm sure you will be taking them off :drive: Ask around and lets get a crowd of Vipers together for Oct/Nov. I will try and firm up the schedule over next few weeks. I have about 10 Vipers committed and quite a few Hellcats also. At 40 cars the pricing should be around $1850 for 2 days of running, helicopter, professional video, and tons of pictures at a facility that is over the top!!!!!
yes!!!!! To all of the above. Has a lady ever gotten a 200 patch? I'm sooo attempting this. Please keep me posted as soon as a date is set. If I have to drive down by myself I will.
 
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FST SNAKE

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yes!!!!! To all of the above. Has a lady ever gotten a 200 patch? I'm sooo attempting this. Please keep me posted as soon as a date is set. If I have to drive down by myself I will.

I'm not sure if any ladies have the 200 MPH Club patch but you definitely need one on your firesuit. I will post some updates in next few minutes about event.
 
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FST SNAKE

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UPDATE ON SPACE FLORIDA SHUTTLE RUNWAY EVENT

The tentative date is November 4/5. We all know that cooler weather will make more HP for us NA cars. Currently there are approx. 28 that have said they will be there. We have room for 40 cars total. The price if we get 40 cars is $1850 which gives you two days of runs. Price includes (1) guest, professional video similar to the one I posted, helicopter for video, tons of pictures of your car. You can bring (2) cars if you want and run them both but only one driver per $1850. Once the date is confirmed you will need to make a $500 deposit to hold your spot. I can work on a special rate at a nearby hotel if everyone wants that. Just let me know if you have any questions regarding this. Wonder how many Vipers will leave there with a 200 MPH Club Member patch? Thanks, David
 
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FST SNAKE

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Got my 200 MPH cert, we need to see how many other Vipers we can get to 200+. I know a lot of you TT and SC cars can do that easily but it's a lot tougher for us NA Vipers. I'm working on pricing for those who want to add a second driver to your car. I've had a few request that and I've been working on convincing my wife to make a few passes in the Toxic Beast also. I've offered to ride with her but not sure she wants that. :)
 
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FST SNAKE

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How much rwhp do you have?

We did put it on the dyno when we were tuning it, It's been a little while but I think it was around 590 or so. I didn't want to get too aggressive with the tune so I'm sure there is more to be had. At this point I want to work on the aero some to get to the next goal. I think it's capable of 205-210 with the current HP with aero and some sticky tires to help with the launch. I do have some thoughts on additional HP that should take it to 220-225 and that's about it for me. I won't be behind the wheel past that, things can get scary fast at those speeds.
 

BlackOutBoxing

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Nice! I def have the NA HP to do it. Just changed to 355 gears tho to see if I can set an na 1\4 mile record this summer. After that ill have to put the stock gears in and give it a go!
 
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FST SNAKE

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Nice! I def have the NA HP to do it. Just changed to 355 gears tho to see if I can set an na 1\4 mile record this summer. After that ill have to put the stock gears in and give it a go!

What kind of HP u have? For the mile and 2 mile you definitely need to go back to the 3.07 or the 3.21 like I have. That allows you to stay in 5th past 200+. Here is a program that will let you plug in various parameters and determine what works best for you.

http://xse.com/leres/bin/gearratio?...09&tire=wheel&section=355&profile=30&wheel=19
 

BlackOutBoxing

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What kind of HP u have? For the mile and 2 mile you definitely need to go back to the 3.07 or the 3.21 like I have. That allows you to stay in 5th past 200+. Here is a program that will let you plug in various parameters and determine what works best for you.

http://xse.com/leres/bin/gearratio?...vs=809&tire=wheel§ion=355&profile=30&wheel=19
659 rwhp Greg good heads and cam. I know all dynos are different but haven't seen much higher than that for an na gen3 . I went with a more aggressive can than normal tho! Recently i did lighter wheels, lighter hood, coil overs, lighter flywheel, motor mounts, trans mounts etc.... I'm ready! :) I almost went with 321's but for the 1\4 I chose the 355's. Want to see how close I can get to the 9's!
 
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FST SNAKE

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659 rwhp Greg good heads and cam. I know all dynos are different but haven't seen much higher than that for an na gen3 . I went with a more aggressive can than normal tho! Recently i did lighter wheels, lighter hood, coil overs, lighter flywheel, motor mounts, trans mounts etc.... I'm ready! :) I almost went with 321's but for the 1\4 I chose the 355's. Want to see how close I can get to the 9's!

At 659 HP you won't have an issue breaking 200+ but you would need to regear it to maybe 3.21 or back to the stock 3.07. Bring it over in Nov and lets see if your HP advantage can top my aero advantage.......I can see a 210+in my future
 
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FST SNAKE

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NEW UPDATE ON KSC NOV 3/4 EVENT

Several have asked about the cost to add another driver to their car and I spoke to Johnny Bohmer about it to see what could be done to accommodate that. The cost to let someone drive your car at the event is an additional $500.00. That does not include a video for that driver. If the extra driver wants their own video it's $750 adder for that. For the $750 they would get their own video with speed, name etc like the one I posted at top of this thread. So to make sure it's clear, $500 just for extra driver without video for that driver, $750 to add the video for the extra driver which makes a total of $1250 for the package. If you are bringing 2 cars to the event you can only have one on the runway at a time. You do have to join IMRA to run this event at a cost of $55, their website is www.internationalmileracingassociation.com . Let me know if you guys have any questions. Thanks, David
 

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Joining the party late, but just wanted to say congrats...not many have that type of certificate. Thanks for sharing your story.
 
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FST SNAKE

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Joining the party late, but just wanted to say congrats...not many have that type of certificate. Thanks for sharing your story.

Thank you, I had a lot of help along the way from everyone in the Viper world.
 
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FST SNAKE

FST SNAKE

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Ha that's a long drive from nj

The roads and a little time will get you here, where else in the world can u hold the noisy petal down that long without looking in the rear view mirror?
 

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