As part of its partnership with Universal Pictures to promote 

Motorsports | August 29 2013

SRT Viper Race Car Gets a “Rush” for Grand Prix of Baltimore Weekend

The speed and thrill of SRT Viper GTS-R race cars tearing around the streets of Baltimore this weekend in the American Le Mans Series (ALMS), which is part of theGrand Prix of Baltimore presented by SRT, makes an ideal warm-up for the upcoming Ron Howard racing film “Rush.”

The movie, which chronicles the battles between Formula One drivers Niki Lauda and James Hunt in 1976, gets a push from the SRT Viper race car at this weekend’s race. The No. 91 SRT Viper GTS-R will wear graphics with the movie’s title on its roof, hood and front fenders for the Baltimore race. Also, the Rush SRT Viper GTS-R race car will parade ahead of the pace car for all the weekend’s races that include competition in the IndyCar and Indy Lights series.
 
The No. 91 SRT Viper GTS-R looks for a rush of its own, looking to repeat its GT Class-winning performance from the ALMS race at Wisconsin’s Road America on Aug. 11 with drivers Marc Goossens and Dominik Farnbacher. They are joined on the track by the No. 93 SRT Viper GTS-R, driven by Kuno Wittmer and Jonathan Bomarito.
 
“Rush” recounts the 1976 Formula One season and the battle that emerged between Lauda and Hunt for the drivers’ championship. Lauda, the defending World Champion driving a Ferrari, took an early lead in the championship, winning four of the first six races of the season. But a fiery crash at the German Grand Prix on the Nurburgring left him badly burned and injured. Hunt, driving a McLaren, closed the points gap to take aim at the championship but Lauda surprised all of racing by climbing back into his car after missing just two races.
 
The movie gets a premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in early September and is scheduled to reach theaters on Sept. 27. Check outdriveSRT.com for a look at stills from the movie, as well as www.rushmovie.com.

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!