The Viper Club of Ontario held a 3-day event on Sept. 13-15, 2024. Saturday's main attractions were a visit to the Conner Center with Team Viper, a Chrysler HQ photoshoot, and visit and Viper parade laps with the new Charger Daytonas at M1 Concourse with Prefix Garage, Dodge execs, designers, and our friends in the Motor City Viper Owners club! The event was planned by Enio Parete, Stellantis VP and our VCO Windsor Area Director. The many event photos hopefully include all who attended and their Vipers!
Friday Sept 13th
Toronto area members met up for the cruise to Windsor at Mike & Donna Black's garage.
They have a wonderful collection, with the 1968 Coronet being Mike's pride and joy!
Then it was off to London where we met up with more members, all in Vipers... except for Sean & Sarah who were assigned weekend cruise photography duties!
Our host hotel was the excellent Windsor DoubleTree by Hilton, located next to the Detroit River and Riverfront Trail with spectacular day and night Detroit cityscape views. Reserved hotel garage parking with overnight Viper security that the club had hired.
Dinner was a short walk to The Bistro At The River Restaurant located on the Riverfront.
Saturday Sept 14th
More local VCO members arrived to join the cruise into Detroit and on to the Conner Center with tremendous excitement for the day's activities and this epic opportunity!
The Conner Center arrival became an endless procession of Vipers pouring in & parking!
Lots of mingling with Team Viper and lots of Vipers signed by those incredible designers and engineers who had the vision and audacity to create the iconic Dodge/SRT Viper!
We gathered inside the Connor Center to enjoy a Team Viper VIP panel discussion and Q&A with the team that designed the Gen V Viper and the new Dodge Charger Daytona models that are coming to a showroom near you later this year. Enio Parete was the MC, and the seated panel who all worked on the Gen V Viper program, from left to right, Ryan Nagode, Tome Jovanoski, Ralph Gilles, Mark Trostle, and Scott Krugger.
You'll also spot Team Viper VIP's Herb Helbig (the Grailkeeper), Dick Winkles (Mr. V-10), Sandy Emerling, Bill Adams, Jeff Gale, and Ren Stone.
Our club's highest honor was presented to Ralph Gilles for his outstanding contributions to the Viper Community. We were pleased to give each Team Viper attendee a Viper Club of Ontario Honorary Membership, and panel speakers a VCO club glassware gift.
Ralph Gilles led a very interesting and animated hour-long discussion with the panel speakers, mostly related to the Gen V, and then took many questions from club members. Just a few of the highlights...I can confirm that Halle Berry's name may or may not have been mentioned in regards to the inspiration of the Gen V's form! They discussed with passion their goals for improved fit, finish, build quality, interior design and functionality, exceeding 200 mph, and all wrapped in timeless curvaceous styling. Ralph discussed the lengths the team went to keep the program under wraps, only working on it outside of their various day jobs, and how he finally presented it to Sergio for approval. The race car development alongside the street car was discussed, the championship winning success of the race team, and the dominance of the ACR Extreme setting records around the country.
The passion exists to create something special and affordable for the next generation of enthusiasts like the Gen I was when introduced at $50k, but how this isn't the right time.
The new Dodge Charger was discussed, and how this same team's interior designers went about helping to design it with the same DNA and passion. while respecting the classic Charger's past. Scott, who's the lead on the new Charger's design, discussed it being modern with hints of the iconic '68 Charger, its R-Wing and super slippery shape, its incredible handling, how it's ridiculously fast, and how it drives like a car half its size.
Ontario and Motor City clubs funded a very nice lunch organized by Maria with Stellantis.
After lunch we toured the extraordinary and diverse collection of street and race Vipers, concept, production and military vehicles, engines and memorabilia! What a collection!
Photography of the collection was limited to the Vipers displayed.
What had an amazing visit, but it was time to head off for a quick photoshoot in front of the Chrysler HQ tower with its iconic glass Pentastar that can be seen for miles!
We were then off to the M1 Concours Center and to Prefix Garage located there. Prefix Garage services the vehicles of those who own private man-cave garages built next to the track. Prefix's Jhan Dolphin (pictured speaking) and Scot Rickord welcomed us there.
We met Matt McAlear, CEO of Dodge (top pic center), and Kevin Hellman, Dodge/SRT SVP (2nd pic holding son). Matt and Kevin discussed the exciting new Charger Daytona along with Scott Krugger, Ryan Nagode, and Jeff Gale who were among its designers.
We welcomed both Matt and Kevin to the Viper Club of Ontario as Honorary Members, and expressed our appreciation for their support with a club gift. They gave everyone tee shirts with the Dodge and Fratzog logos on them, same as you see Matt wearing.
Matt jumped into his Charger Daytona AWD R/T pace car and Kevin with me in his wild red Charger Daytona Scat Pack with AWD and 675 hp/627 tq to lead the Viper parade laps around the M1 circuit! Really impressive performance cars that can be enjoyed daily.
There was no shortage of Vipers following them onto the track...
And lastly, Dick Winkles invited us to his M1 garage where he showed us some of his prized collection, with one that he purchased almost 50 years ago when in high school!
We started to recall this incredible day over dinner. Our members were absolutely blown away by all who we met and all we did. Anyone who has ever met Ralph Gilles, Mark Trostle and Dick Winkles knows how humble, genuine and passionate they are, and we found all Team Viper members to be exactly the same!
And we were really impressed with Matt and Kevin, and the contagious passion they have for the new Dodge Muscle, the 2024 Dodge Charger Daytona. We're impressed with the Charger and the daily and high performance usability it offers. Great exterior style, love the front R wing and large glass roof. Modern, stylish, upscale and ultra comfortable interior. With my recent knee replacement I can barely get in and out of my Viper but I climbed in and out of the rear seat with no problem at all, and at 5'10 I had head room to spare back there. 0-60 acceleration times to match my 2014 Viper TA in a daily usable performance car...perfect! It felt composed and powerful around the M1 track, with just a hint of wheel spin when Kevin punched it. Many of our members were seriously impressed, with some considering purchasing one. I'm a hardcore track rat, so I'm looking forward to see how it handles a road course. Matt and Kevin would like to make that happen in the new year if at all possible. Stay tuned for a track report!
Sunday Sept. 15th
We staged again and headed out on a scenic Viper cruise along the Detroit River to the quaint town of Amhurstberg and on to the Viewpointe Estate Winery in Harrow for tastings and lunch. Not all could join us, but those who did enjoyed the sparkling views over Lake Erie and the opportunity to enjoy each other's company after such an exciting day before. And then we were headed off for home with memories that'll last a lifetime!
Our sincere thanks to Enio Parete, Stellantis, the Conner Center, Team Viper, and Prefix, all of whom supported this event and were such gracious hosts. To Dodge and SRT's Matt McAlear and Kevin Hellman for their support, and the opportunity to see, discuss, and chase them around the M1 track in their new Dodge Daytona Chargers! And to the Motor City Viper Owners club for sharing their camaraderie and this special day with us!
And our thanks to our generous club supporters who helped make this event possible without any cost to members or guests. The VCO receives major club support from Stellantis, FCA-Canada, Islington Chrysler, Raceway Chysler, Wellington Motors (each with experienced Viper Techs on staff), Hagerty and Mobil 1. Each were proudly recognized during our Conner Center visit and speaker panel presentations.
Learn more about some team Viper VIP's at https://www.spiritofviper.com/hall-of-fame/
I'm so impressed with the Dodge Charger Daytona that I'm considering purchasing one. A long-time track buddy raves about their EV so I reached out to learn why. Here's what I discovered... https://www.viperclubofontario.com/post/hidden-joys-of-ev-ownership