Chrysler promised us that the latest and greatest Viper would be worth the wait…and they weren’t lying. The 8.0 liter V10 Viper is back with a vengeance, and not just to dealership showrooms. Chrysler is putting the new Viper through a gauntlet of high-octane racing action, starting with the American Le Mans Series.

This weekend marked the racing debut of the 2013 SRT Viper GTS-R, and the return of Chrysler to the ALMS circuit after a brief hiatus. The video above comes from the Mid-Ohio Raceway debut of the SRT Viper GTS-R, courtsey of DTRockstar1.com.

Mid-Ohio is about halfway through the American Le Mans season, which means no matter how well the Vipers do, they don’t stand a chance of winning the championship. That said, this racing debut is more about gathering valuable racing data about how the Vipers perform, and giving the two teams of drivers some much needed seat time behind the wheel.

The racing was intense this weekend, and when the dust settled drivers Dominik Farnbacher and Kuno Wittmer came in 10th. Meanwhile the Viper of Tommy Kendall and Marc Goossens ended up in 12th. Keep in mind, that is with a severely detuned engine, as normally ALMS does not allow for engines larger than 5.5 liters. Even so, the 455 horsepower Vipers managed to perform admirably in their debut, proving once again that this isn’t just for show.

The Viper is back, and you better take it seriously.