Sore Throat
Joined: 01 Sep 2000
Posts: 1802
Location: x |
News from Reno
 Mon Sep 16, 2002 5:54 am
|
 |
|
Stead Field - Sunday, September 15, 2002
The final day of the 39th Annual National Championship Air Races was held under cloudy skies.
At one point during the day the announcer commented that the clouds were displaying virga. So true.
No comment on trails that swept periodically across the sky.
That really wasn't what would have interested the thousands in attendance. They were there to witness the fastest motor sport on earth.
The anticipation builds throughout the day, climaxing in the Gold Unlimited race.
Eight planes and the men who would fly them waited on the tarmac for almost an hour before the final race began. The wind had been building throughout the afternoon, with gusts up to 50 MPH. Huge dust clouds swirled out on the course.
For those unfamiliar, these men fly planes originally built over fifty years ago, P-51 Mustangs and Hawker Sea Furies powered by huge twelve cylinder Rolls Royce Merlin or large radial engines. Air frames have been modified, and engines customized to produce performance far beyond the original design specifications. Planes are flown around a pylon course, often less than 100 feet off the ground at speeds approaching 500 MPH. There must be great trust and respect amongst the competitors, as they may often find themselves entering corners wing tip to wing tip.
Skip Holm, the fastest qualifier, led the field with a blistering first lap of 484 MPH in Dago Red. In the second lap, Tiger Destefani, a 5-time winner, called in a mayday and was forced to make an emergency landing after developing engine problems with Strega, made all the more difficult by dust clouds and a nasty crosswind.
With a substanial lead secured, Holm backed off the pace to spare his plane and held on to win his second championship, the fourth for Dago Red. Michael Brown in September Fury was second, Matt Jackson flew Voodoo to third.
These men, Pacer...THESE men are true pilots.
I doubt they spend their time regularly posting on the Internet over an issue that they don't believe exist. Certainly not by spreading falsehoods to bolster their case.
They have better things to do with their time.
*******************************************
By the way, for true aficionados, Rare Bear, race 77, suffered from electrical problems that prevented it from qualifying. While the Gold Unlimited planes were taxiing out for takeoff, Rare Bear came out under her own power, and in front of famed Section 3, facing the crowd with wheels chocked, revved up her massive radial engine producing an awesome, thunderous sound. The word is out, The Bear will be back!
[Edited 7 times, lastly by Sore Throat on 09-21-2002] |
Login
