Well, it was fun while it lasted. Chrysler has pulled the plug on its Viper GTS-R racing program. The final outing for the two-car Viper GTLM team in the United SportsCar Championship was last weekend's Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta.
"Our company has made a business decision to discontinue the SRT Motorsports Dodge Viper GTS-R racing program," Chrysler's Ralph Gilles said in a statement.
The move to end the Viper racing program can't really be blamed on results. SRT tied with Porsche for the manufacturer's crown, while its two cars finished the inaugural season in first and third, besting the likes of Corvette Racing, Risi Competizione and Porsche's North American factory team.
It's not been easy being a Chrysler motorsports fan, as the end of Viper racing follows the March announcement that it would not campaign the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the 2012 discontinuation of Dodge's NASCAR program. Aside from the NHRA, that doesn't leave a lot for the Mopar crowd to root for.
Scroll down for the full press release from Chrysler.
"Our company has made a business decision to discontinue the SRT Motorsports Dodge Viper GTS-R racing program," Chrysler's Ralph Gilles said in a statement.
The move to end the Viper racing program can't really be blamed on results. SRT tied with Porsche for the manufacturer's crown, while its two cars finished the inaugural season in first and third, besting the likes of Corvette Racing, Risi Competizione and Porsche's North American factory team.
It's not been easy being a Chrysler motorsports fan, as the end of Viper racing follows the March announcement that it would not campaign the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the 2012 discontinuation of Dodge's NASCAR program. Aside from the NHRA, that doesn't leave a lot for the Mopar crowd to root for.
Scroll down for the full press 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
October 6, 2014 , Auburn Hills, Mich. - Chrysler Group LLC announced today that it is discontinuing the factory-backed SRT (Street and Racing Technology) Motorsports racing program in IMSA (International Motor Sports Association) with the conclusion of the 2014 season. This decision affects participation in the IMSA TUDOR United SportsCar Championship with the Dodge Viper SRT GTS-R GTLM-class team. The Dodge brand will redirect its focus and efforts on the brand's product lineup.
"Our company has made a business decision to discontinue the SRT Motorsports Dodge Viper GTS-R racing program," said Ralph Gilles, Senior Vice President of Product Design, Chrysler Group LLC. "We are very proud of the amazing achievements our fantastic teams, drivers and partners have achieved on track the last few seasons. We thank them for their hard work, effort and commitment to SRT Motorsports. It's been an honor to be a part of the inaugural IMSA TUDOR United SportsCar Championship season and we wish them every success in the future."
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.
About Chrysler Group LLC
Chrysler Group LLC, formed in 2009 to establish a global strategic alliance with Fiat S.p.A., designs, engineers, manufactures, distributes and sells vehicles under the Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge, Ram and FIAT brands, and the SRT performance vehicle designation. The Company also distributes the Alfa Romeo 4C and Mopar products. With the resources, technology and worldwide distribution network required to compete on a global scale, the alliance builds on Chrysler Group's culture of innovation, first established by Walter P. Chrysler in 1925, and Fiat's complementary technology that dates back to its founding in 1899. Chrysler Group became a wholly owned subsidiary of Fiat on Jan. 21, 2014.
Headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan, Chrysler Group's product lineup features some of the world's most recognizable vehicles, including the Chrysler 300 and Town & Country, Jeep Wrangler and Grand Cherokee, Dodge Challenger and Viper SRT, Ram 1500 and Fiat 500. Fiat contributes world-class technology, platforms and powertrains for small- and medium-size cars, allowing Chrysler Group to offer an expanded product line including environmentally friendly vehicles.
Announcement to withdraw from racing program with the conclusion of the 2014 IMSA TUDOR United SportsCar Championship season
October 6, 2014 , Auburn Hills, Mich. - Chrysler Group LLC announced today that it is discontinuing the factory-backed SRT (Street and Racing Technology) Motorsports racing program in IMSA (International Motor Sports Association) with the conclusion of the 2014 season. This decision affects participation in the IMSA TUDOR United SportsCar Championship with the Dodge Viper SRT GTS-R GTLM-class team. The Dodge brand will redirect its focus and efforts on the brand's product lineup.
"Our company has made a business decision to discontinue the SRT Motorsports Dodge Viper GTS-R racing program," said Ralph Gilles, Senior Vice President of Product Design, Chrysler Group LLC. "We are very proud of the amazing achievements our fantastic teams, drivers and partners have achieved on track the last few seasons. We thank them for their hard work, effort and commitment to SRT Motorsports. It's been an honor to be a part of the inaugural IMSA TUDOR United SportsCar Championship season and we wish them every success in the future."
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.
About Chrysler Group LLC
Chrysler Group LLC, formed in 2009 to establish a global strategic alliance with Fiat S.p.A., designs, engineers, manufactures, distributes and sells vehicles under the Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge, Ram and FIAT brands, and the SRT performance vehicle designation. The Company also distributes the Alfa Romeo 4C and Mopar products. With the resources, technology and worldwide distribution network required to compete on a global scale, the alliance builds on Chrysler Group's culture of innovation, first established by Walter P. Chrysler in 1925, and Fiat's complementary technology that dates back to its founding in 1899. Chrysler Group became a wholly owned subsidiary of Fiat on Jan. 21, 2014.
Headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan, Chrysler Group's product lineup features some of the world's most recognizable vehicles, including the Chrysler 300 and Town & Country, Jeep Wrangler and Grand Cherokee, Dodge Challenger and Viper SRT, Ram 1500 and Fiat 500. Fiat contributes world-class technology, platforms and powertrains for small- and medium-size cars, allowing Chrysler Group to offer an expanded product line including environmentally friendly vehicles.
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