The No. 33 Viper Exchange/Gas Monkey Garage Dodge Viper GT3-R of Jeroen Bleekemolen and owner-driver Ben Keating hasn’t been a major factor in the GT Daytona results this season, but that changed at the Chevrolet Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix with a convincing 2.489-second victory over the No. 73 Park Place/Justice Brothers Porsche 911 GT3 R.

It’s a little surprising, as the big V10 Viper might seem more at home on longer, faster courses, but that’s how close the competition is in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship GT Daytona class.

It was the team’s first victory since last September. And for Keating, who owns the world’s largest-volume Viper store, it was especially gratifying. “It’s a huge deal winning with the Viper in its hometown,” Keating said. “I have a lot of great relationships with all the Viper people at the Conner Avenue plant where they are hand-built right here in Detroit. There were a lot of emotional people who take a lot of pride in the Vipers.”

Keating, by the way, was one of nine IMSA drivers who boarded a private jet bound for France to participate in Sunday’s 24 Hours of Le Mans test day. Several other drivers and team members, including Saturday’s winner -- brothers Jordan and Ricky Taylor, drivers of the No. 10 Konica Minolta Wayne Taylor Racing Chevrolet Corvette Daytona Prototype -- made it to Le Mans via commercial flights.

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