[twistingasphalt.com] - What’s Next (Again): The Last Dodge Viper

[Ninjette Newsbot]

There are many parts of my ‘job’ that I love — and I put that in quotes because it rarely feels like a ‘job’ — but every so often a week comes along when you realize that you are living through something truly special — and magical — and, so far beyond momentous…

This was that week for me.

It’s been long and hard and gød knows completely tiring but without a doubt the past seven days have also been one of the most special moments of my life because I’ve had the distinct pleasure of witnessing the pure joy that can come from seeing a machine do what it was meant to do…

Be Run Hard…

Go Fast…

And be put through the Gauntlet by a driver capable of pulling every last ounce of performance from a beast of a Supercar…

I’m just in awe… It’s that simple…

As always it is magnificent to witness true speed, but this week was a little different in that it wasn’t just about the pace but the how & the why behind it. Over the years I’ve had the great fortune to be around & film some amazing riders & drivers while they do their ‘thing’, but it’s something else when you get to spend several days on a track with someone who literally was instrumental in ‘building’ the machine. Someone who doesn’t go fast because it’s just a skill they’ve developed, but rather goes fast because they know exactly why and how the machine is supposed to react… Needless to say I wish I could drive as well as former Dodge Viper Engineer Herb Helbig, who graciously donated his time to drive for us… And as a filmmaker, when you get to ask ‘can this be done’ and answer is simply, ‘hell yeah… And it can do more’, you have to smile…

I have chills running down my spine right now just thinking about what I saw and what we were able to capture on tape…

I also want to thank our Action Photography DP Sean Contay who was awesome & second unit shooter Terrin Lin (of Jay Leno’s Garage fame)… They both rocked and their tireless effort made a long week go by fast and with no extra ’stuff’ behind it…

Lately I have felt extremely blessed on a number of fronts, but tonight that sense of pride and purpose and reason for being in the ‘here and the now’ is stronger by a factor of ten… Easy…

I don’t exactly know how it happens or when, but after hanging around the Viper on a track I find myself seriously enamored by it… This is big time Moto-Lust… ****’n'A Bubba… It’s just one heck of a machine when you’re in a position to let it run the way it was meant to be let out…









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