It wasn’t long after the SRT® Viper GT3-R was unveiled in Le Mans that Ben Keating made his intentions known. The Texas Viper dealer and two-time SRT Viper Cup champion confirmed he’s ready to help write the next chapter in Viper racing history. The first GT3-R was sold to Keating as he and SRT now look to prepare the car for the 2014 racing season.
Having mastered the Viper ACR-X in the SRT Viper Cup spec series with a pair of championships in the first two years of competition, Keating is ready for the next level of competition. “When they unveiled the GTS-R in 2012, I was there and very excited,” says Keating. “I wanted to race a Viper in ALMS, but it couldn’t work out due to GT Challenge being a one-model class.”
Almost a year later, the announcement of an ALMS and Grand-Am merger and class restructuring came – opening the door to more vehicles – and the Viper GT3-R program was put into high gear. “It was time to move up and play with the big boys,” says Keating.
Today, Keating announced he will work with Riley Technology to run the car in the 2014 United Sports Car GT Daytona class, campaigning a familiar ViperExchange.com livery. Keating owns and operates ViperExchange.com and Tomball Dodge in Tomball, Texas – the highest-volume Viper dealer in the world over the past three years. The Riley crew will maintain and prepare the car throughout the 2014 season. “To be able to race the car I sell at the highest level that I can is truly exciting,” Keating explained.
With the announcement of the newest SRT Viper racer, Keating stands as the first hand-raiser, and as a result will play a major role in its development. Over the next several months, Keating, SRT Motorsports and Riley Technologies will work through the full development of the car.
Keating will serve as the test pilot during an upcoming shakedown and subsequent test sessions. He will be an integral part of the testing process, with his valuable feedback directly affecting the end result.
Once development is complete, the car is set to make its competition debut next January at the 24 Hours of Daytona – the first major race in the 2014 sports car season and first event under the new United SportsCar Racing series.
“The biggest test of any race car is its first two races, and the first two events right out of the box are Daytona and Sebring,” says Keating. “For the first race to be 24 hours, that’s just over the top.”
A close sibling of the GTS-R, the GT3-R receives many benefits from lessons learned over the past year with the factory GTS-R effort. “The GT3-R will come out of the box about 18 months ahead of the curve thanks to the development of the GTS-R over the past two years,” says Keating. “Lessons learned at Le Mans really put this car ahead of where it would be without that experience.”
Despite the experience gained form the GTS-R, Keating is cautiously optimistic over the next several months. “We still have a long road ahead, but I don’t just want to go out there and go in circles, I want to win.”
Like the GTS-R, the GT3-R is intended for track use only. The GT3-R will benefit from several components and design aspects of the GTS-R. Brakes, suspension and wheels will all closely mirror the GTS-R, as will body panels, roll cage and suspension setup. The two are very close at heart. However, unlike the GTS-R, the GT3-R is intended for independent racers. Its subtle differences help it meet the requirements needed to race in GT3 classes the world over.
Early next year SRT engineering and the Riley Technologies crew will present the car to the FIA to undergo homologation. Homologation isn’t expected until the beginning of next year. The balance of performance testing will be conducted in tandem with the homologation process. Production of the GT3-R begins later this year, with the first customer cars ready for the 2014 racing season.
Keating will partake in the new GT Daytona class, which is shaping up to be really competitive. Regardless, he feels as though his experience puts him in a good place heading into the 2014 season. “There are a lot of really good amateur drivers out there, but I feel like I can compete with any of them.”
With just over six months until the GT3-R is set to make its debut in Daytona, there is still plenty of work ahead. Testing and further development are still in order before the package is finalized. “I’m excited to be involved and part of the team. It’s the fulfillment of a dream,” notes Keating.
Source : SRT Motorsports