In a move we’re not sure anyone saw coming, Chrysler announced just minutes ago that they were killing, effective immediately, all of their factory backed road racing efforts. This seems to fall in line with the general direction of the direction SRT has been heading in after announcing that the company would not be reentering NASCAR. We have also heard that SRT will lend no factory support to NHRA pro stock racers as well, but at this point the big story is the road racing program that was just starting to get its legs under it and have some success. While the season had gotten off to a relatively slow start for the Vipers, they were breathing hot fire down the necks of everyone else by the time things ended yesterday at the final race of the IMSA TUDOR United SportsCar Championship. The cars were competing in the GTLM class.
Now it should be noted that there will likely be Vipers in competition on some level next year but they will not be factory supported or backed. We’re guessing that the cars, parts, and spares that the teams have now will be sold off at attractive prices because once the factories get out of stuff, they literally get out by liquidating whatever physical assets there were to make a 100% clean break.
Obviously this is bad news for the teams running under the Chrysler banner, the crews servicing the cars, the engineers working on the program and their associated families but such is the world of racing and such is the world of Chrysler right now where the full brunt of Sergio’s vision seems to be coming to the fore. This could also be seen as an indehmnation of the entire series but likely it is more rooted in the company’s direction and directives over the next few years than there return on investment with the new IMSA TUDOR United SportsCar Championship series.
HERE THE FULL RELEASE FROM CHRYSLER –
Chrysler Group LLC Announces Discontinuation of Factory-backed Road Racing Efforts
Announcement to withdraw from racing program with the conclusion of the 2014 IMSA TUDOR United SportsCar Championship season
The Dodge Viper SRT GTS-R 2014 racing season concluded Saturday, Oct. 4 at the Petit Le Mans. The two-car SRT Motorsports team won the team and driver (Kuno Wittmer) titles in the inaugural IMSA TUDOR United SportsCar Championship GTLM-class. SRT Motorsports won two-of-three championships contested in the class and finished second in the GTLM manufacturer championship in just its second full year of the program.
As the company announced May 6, the SRT brand will continue to be aligned with the Dodge brand, delivering SRT ultimate performance vehicles to complement the Dodge brand’s mainstream performance vehicles.
Isn’t Chevy on record as stating that they would only fund Corvette road racing teams if they had competition? i.e. no factory backed Viper means no factory backed Corvettes.
.. errr .. yes they have said that . But ahhh .. aren’t you forgetting about Porsche , BMW , Ferrari Audi[R8] etc ?
Or did the quote you saw strictly refer to ‘ domestic ‘ competition ?
Oh …. but wait … there is that tasty little rumor floating around about Ford resurrecting the Ford GT which is looking more real by the minute … so all is well either way .. maybe 😉
” The dog .. the dog … he’s doing it again ! ”
The ‘ dog ‘ in this case being Stronzetto Marchionne .And what he’s doing is gradually diminishing all of Chrysler/Dodge/JEEP in order to make way for his Alfa / FIAT / Ferrari / Maserati stable to take over the US market on his terms … not ours .
Now full discloser . A Dodge/Chrysler/JEEP fan I am not . But watching Marchionne disassemble each and every aspect of Dodge/Chrysler/JEEP I do not countenance . Because in all truth . The ONLY thing worse than having Ferrari become ‘ American ‘ has been watching Dodge/Chrysler/JEEP becoming more ‘ Italian ‘ by the day .
Dodge/Chrysler/JEEP . Detroits import … imported all the way from Italy that is
@ Brian
Perhaps this news should be considered as a Monday Go Home and Drink article ?
Too bad! I went to the season finale last weekend at Road Atlanta . Those Vipers were very impressive !
I hate Fiat ! I hate took over the beloved Mopar company, if I could know the future and know what their plans are for Chrysler Corporation it may be better just to let it die the n have them take it over.
Don’t be too quick to blame the Dodge boys,lets not forget who owns the Tudor series. If Dodge gave the big F-OFF to the good ole boys in Daytona ,maybe the left turn boys got revenge by RULE CHANGING out the Vipers. They did the same thing there other road racing series AMA Pro (motorcycle road racing) to Honda …….the plot thickens…..
If you follow the Tudor series you know that IMSA gave favorable rule changes to the Viper and penalized the corvette late in the season after corvette won all summer. That allowed the Vipers to dominiate in the late season and overtake corvette for the championship. It was a gift, and Dodge still left!
First NASCAR now this, another Championship they can’t brag about as they tuck tail between legs and slither away into the sunset.
At least us Mopar fans still have the NHRA …for now.
NASCAR has done nothing but screw up road racing. Lmp Prototypes, gone, replaced with these Tudor DP tube frame crap wagons. GT cars are faster than , limit the speeds down. Lmp1 and 2 faster, place limitations so the crap wagons are faster. Mustand and Porsche no tube frame, Camaro/ Pontiac and Mazda get tube frames. Corvettes run smaller rims and engines than you can buy at dealer. Just some of the many stupid and pandering rules. Too bad about Viper, you knew something was up when they declined the invitation to LeMans this year.
And….the France Family Farce rolls on and on. ‘Fair’ racing is more expensive and BORING – unless you like to watch crashes between beers.
Funny how the France that used to race grand am, the one who got in a fistfight on the track, the one who was arrested in DAytona high on cocaine while street racing his Lamborghini never had to go through what NASCAR drivers do for arrests or drug issues. Btw, the charges, in Daytona, somehow disappeared.
Sounds like ‘Grand Pa Chrysler’ is back in town, or at least the sociopathic uncle!
Very disappointed in Chrysler.