Best races in several years!!!!!!!!!! 40th anniversary race.
As part of the Rare Bear Team, we were a bit disappointed that she didn't set a course record, but she placed second in the Gold a few of seconds behind Dago Red.
Friday was the day to be there. Both the Bear and Dago Red passed the 500mph mark several times during qualifications. Dago Red took top honors with an average speed of 507mph and two laps at 511mph!!!!!!
Mary Dilda won the jet race and there were lots of very close races. Daryl Greenameyer took the Sports race again this year.
The air show was good, if a bit repetative. We had the Thunderbirds on Saturday, F-16s and F-18s all weekend and a nifty "car drop" by a Chinook. A beautiful Beech Staggerwing won the Heritage Trophy. My favorites were the Martin-Baker MB.5 reproduction which should take to the air next year) and the SAAB Draaken. The GM Wildcat actually made it to the Bronze Unlimited race, providing a very nice speedbump.
Overall it was also a pretty safe week. There were three incidents with one serious injury. The most dramatic was a biplane racer that lost it and came in at well over 150. He ate up the runway and flipped the little plane in the dirt runway extension, but he walked away.
Celebraties abounded. From Hugh Downs to Hoot Gibson and other astronauts (Gibson races in a Sea Fury) to Flying Tigers and many other aviation luminaries, the discussions and demonstrations were great.
Next year. Rare Bear with a 500mph+ win!!!
Tom