A pair of Dodge Viper GT3-R race cars competes in the Rolex 24 at Daytona this weekend, fielded by private owner Ben Keating. 

Motorsports | January 28 2016

Dodge Vipers circle Daytona

Twenty-four continuous hours of turns, hard braking, wide open throttle, pit stops and driver changes – that’s the exciting and challenging way to kick the racing season into gear.

It’s the place where you’d expect to find the Dodge Viper. In fact, you’ll find two Viper GT3-R race cars among the more than 50 sports cars and prototypes ripping around the high-banked turns and infield road course of Daytona International Speedway this weekend for the Rolex 24.

The No. 33 and No. 93 Vipers are fielded by private team owner Ben Keating, who is also owner of Tomball Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep-Ram in Tomball, Texas, and the ViperExchange.com web site.

Keating does more than write the checks, he’s on the driver team for each car. He’s also the defending champion in the GT Daytona class for the Rolex 24 at Daytona in the No. 93 car.

This is the third year Keating has run the Viper GT3-R in the Daytona event. If he has an edge for the race, it would be his familiarity with the track and the equipment.

“We are one of the few cars to have that much experience here,” Keating told us in an exclusive interview earlier this week. “There are a lot of new cars this year that are running the Rolex 24 for the first time.”

Yet the cars, prepped by Riley Technologies, face challenges. Rules changes for 2016 called for cars in the GT Daytona class to be configured to international GT3 standards. Major changes include a near rear differential and shocks, as well as the addition of traction control and anti-lock brakes.

“It had more impact on the car than I expected,” Keating said. “The car feels totally different. At first, we struggled with the setup. It took us until the final day of the Roar Before the 24 practice weekend for the car to feel really good. And that’s all on Bill Riley, they’re the best.”

The No. 33 Dodge Viper GT3-R carries sponsorship from Gas Monkey Garage.

The No. 93 Dodge Viper GT3-R sports a Texas theme.

It won’t be easy to miss the Vipers on the Daytona track. The No. 33 car carries sponsorship and the distinctive logo of fellow Texan Richard Rawlings and his Gas Monkey Garage. The No. 99 car mimics the look of the Texas state flag, along with “Don’t Mess With Texas” on the roof.

Keating said he thinks the Gas Monkey sponsorship is good for “introducing gear heads into sports car racing.”

The driver lineup is also a mix of old and new.

In the No. 33 car, Keating teams with Dominik Farnbacher, Jeroen Bleekemolen and Marc Miller. Farnbacher was part of the winning No. 93 team a year ago and Bleekemolen was part of the driving crew for the No. 33 car that finished 9th in the GT Daytona class.

The No. 93 driver lineup this year is Jeff Mosing, Damien Faulkner, Eric Foss and defending Trans Am TA2 champion Gar Robinson.

Being a defending champion “raises the bar of expectations but it also relaxes you,” Keating said. “We’re not questioning if we’re capable of doing this.”

The GT Daytona class is the largest among the four competing in the Rolex 24 with 22 cars. The Viper GT3-Rs will battle cars from Aston Martin, Audi, BMW, Ferrari, Lamborghini and Porsche.

We hope to see a Viper GT3-R team back on the top step of the podium on Sunday afternoon.

How to follow the race

Fox Sports will broadcast much of the Rolex 24 at Daytona on the Fox Sports 1 and Fox Sports 2 networks. Overnight racing will stream on the Internet at www.imsa.com.

Here is the broadcast schedule, beginning Saturday, Jan. 30 (all times Eastern):

  • 2-4 p.m., Fox Sports 1 (race starts at 2:40 p.m.)
  • 4-10 p.m., Fox Sports 2
  • 10 p.m. to 7 a.m., www.imsa.com
  • 7-10:30 a.m., Fox Sports 1
  • 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., Fox Sports 2
  • 1-3 p.m., Fox Sports 1

On the Internet, race information, including real-time timing and scoring, can be found at www.imsa.com.

Twitter is a popular place to find updates on the race from teams and drivers. Search for the hashtag #Rolex24. Here are some accounts to follow:

Dale Jewett
Do you know your blood type? Mine is 100 octane (not your standard blood bank classification). At any given moment, I’m thinking about cars – driving one, fixing one, buying one or (in my dreams) restoring one. So I love to tell stories that involve horsepower, brake and wheel diameters
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Do you know your blood type? Mine is 100 octane (not your standard blood bank classification). At any given moment, I’m thinking about cars – driving one, fixing one, buying one or (in my dreams) restoring one. So I love to tell stories that involve horsepower, brake and wheel diameters and 0-to-60 times – and the people who make it happen. Because behind every awesome vehicle are amazing people with vision and the desire to make it a reality. I cover Mopar, Dodge, SRT and motorsports for Stellantis Digital Media. I learned to drive on a 1973 Jeep CJ-5 with the rare Super Jeep option package and three-speed manual transmission. I still belong to the dwindling club of people who prefer to shift their own gears, and think the best way to drive is with the top down!