The Dodge Viper may be due for a return in 2012, but it won't be the same Viper we grew to know, love, and fear. For that, you'll either have to find someone willing to let go of their car, or find a way to get a seat in the still-cranking Dodge Viper Cup Series, which today announced it will return for a second season in 2011.
Sebring International Raceway will be the first stop on May 13, with the series again doubling up event weekends to flesh out its 10-race, five-track schedule. The rest of the schedule can be found below.
Dodge is actually looking to make the series even more affordable to run, according to Dodge CEO Ralph Gilles.
"The first season of Dodge Viper Cup series was simply awesome and a great learning experience," said Gilles. "We're going to keep building on that momentum in 2011 with an expanded contingency program, a reduction in entry fees and the continuation of our successful celebrity driver and charity payout programs to once again generate lots of serious excitement for all Viper enthusiasts."
The contingency program will see cash awards of $4,000, $2,500, and $1750 for first through third, with diminishing awards of $800-$100 for fourth through tenth places. A Mopar Voucher of $1,000, $500, $250 (first through third) or $200 (for the rest of the top ten finishers) will stack on top of the cash. The overall winner of the 2011 Viper Cup series will also get a $10,000 cash prize.
Weekend entry fees for each competitor are now $800 for 2011 instead of the $1,400 fee seen in 2010. That's an almost unheard-of low price for a two-race weekend, even cheaper than many forms of amateur racing.
For more details on the Dodge Viper Cup, visit the link below.
