Anderson Cooper's Ridiculist -> 2 Vettes Drag Racing

[Katmandu]

http://www.cnn.com/video/?hpt=hp_c3#/video/bestoftv/2011/12/01/ridiculist-sportscar-edition.cnn

[mad max]

I have never drove a new vette but youtube is loaded with videos like this of guy losing control of their vettes . My question , is this caused by them turning off the traction control or are they just that bad of drivers ?

[facemelter71]

Work car is probly a Prius. Going from a Prius to a rear wheel drive Vette might be a little different.

[IWRBB]

I have never drove a new vette but youtube is loaded with videos like this of guy losing control of their vettes . My question , is this caused by them turning off the traction control or are they just that bad of drivers ?

I think they are poor drivers- when it comes to having a car that's rotating because the rear wheels are spinning. I was lucky enough to get a 2WD stickshift pickup truck when I was 16 so I learned about beaking the rear end loose around here during winter. We used to do donuts for hours in the snow, trying to keep the rear end sliding the whole time, I learned how to deal with oversteer. Then I got a 94 Cobra, which really wasn't an issue for breaking traction much, but still, lots of guys put stock Mustangs in the ditch trying to do a burnout and I kept her shiny side up. By the time I got my 2003 Cobra and modded it to well over 500 at the wheels, I knew what to do when the rear end starts coming around. On street tires, going down a steep hill, she'll roast the rear tires at 80 in third gear. Crack it in second, even on drag radials and you better be ready.

I think a lot of these guys have never had a fast car until they got their Vette at 60 yrs old. They haven't had and fun in the snow for decades. On top of that they very rarely drive the Vette aggressively to have any sense of how it reacts when the tires break loose. Then, the other old guy pulls up in his Vette at the light. Traction control HAS to be disabled or you they are going nowhere with the carefully thought out "floor it!" approach. The one who runs out of talent first loses.

[mad max]

I had read that alot of people who bought vipers ran into this problem. Not use to the power and not knowing what to do when it breaks traction = crashed viper.

[evildriver]

Thats sucks for both of those guys. And I agree thats it's the driver. I think a bunch of guys with built supras did this too. Learn to drive fools!