Back-to-back beatings and supercar superiority, Corvette: 1, SRT Viper: 0.
This video comes from the YouTube channel of Florentino Favela and it features some half-mile roll race action. This time between a C7 Corvette Z06 and a 5th generation Dodge Viper SRT. The top-of-the-line Chevrolet Corvette, whether we are talking about the ZR1 or the Z06, has always been compared to the Dodge Viper. In past generations, the Viper had a power advantage that led to a performance advantage on a drag strip, but as we see in the video above, that is no longer the case.
The Competitors
This video showcases a pair of half-mile roll races between the newest Corvette Z06 and the newest Viper SRT. We don’t have any details on either of these cars, but assuming that they are stock, the Corvette is powered by the supercharged LT4 V8, packing 650 horsepower and 650 lb-ft of torque. The Viper is powered by a naturally-aspirated V10 delivering 645 horsepower and 600 lb-ft of torque, so while it has comparable horsepower – the Dodge has a huge disadvantage in torque.
Based on the results of these races, that torque makes a massive difference when these two go head-to-head.
These half-mile roll races between a C7 Corvette Z06 and a Gen 5 Viper SRT start with the cars rolling towards the starting line. We don’t know their starting speed, but it is usually 40 or 50 miles per hour. When the two cars hit the starting line, they hammer down and race down the half-mile runway.
In each of the two races, the Corvette begins to pull away as soon as the race begins and on the top end, the Z06 beats the Viper by a comfortable margin – leaving little question as to which is the King of the American Supercars.
"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.
"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.
"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.
"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.
"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.
