IMSA: Vipers return to Dodge branding, retro livery

A recent restructuring within the Chrysler Group has led to a name change and a return to a familiar livery for the manufacturer's TUDOR United SportsCar Championship GT Le Mans program.

"We are changing the livery on our Vipers and it is now the Dodge Viper Racing Team and I am over the moon about it," said Beth Paretta, the brand's director of motorsports marketing and operations. "We're changing the livery of the cars as a way to really kind of elevate the Viper brand– it's an attention getter, for sure, so both cars are going to be Viper red with white stripes."

Led by Paretta and Chrysler's Ralph Gilles, the iconic Viper joined the American Le Mans Series in 2012 under the Street and Race Technology banner. Built and run by Riley Technologies, the SRT Vipers have been a popular draw among GT racing fans in the new TUDOR Championship, and as Paretta shares, the relaunched Nos. 91 and 93 Dodge Vipers will race in retro colors for the first time on June 29 at the Six Hours of The Glen.

"I have looked at each car to be different from each other, but we decided to go with the red and white for both," she added. "We will be announcing a sponsor shortly who will actually have a title on one of the cars for one of the races but that's different. That will come out later, that's for the Indianapolis race.

"For now, starting at the next race, we will have the 2000 overall Daytona winner on hand at Watkins Glen, because certainly, that color scheme is a nod to our winning heritage. It wasn't picked by accident."