Is it Any Surprise?

If anticlimactic is your idea of a unlimited gold race, then Reno 2K2 was your kind of year. Unfortunately, there was no real competition for Dago Red again, so pilot Skip Holm ran away the race at a speed of 466.834 mph in absolutely horrible conditions. The weather forecasters came through with their report of south winds around 30 mph with peak gusts to 50 mph. If being exfoliated by blowing dirt is your idea of fun, then Sunday at Stead was the place to be. 

Where is the Competition?

They were in the pits with various parts, components and engines that were broken or in pieces. As previously mentioned, Critical Mass, Czech Mate, Miss America and Strega were out. Rare Bear never made it due to a multitude of problems. Fortunately, Strega got their Mix-and-Merlin together and made the call for the final battle. Even Furias was towed out for the gold race, but the race committee ruled that the aircraft was not eligible due to problems encountered in the silver race. The lineup included Skip Holm in Dago Red, Mike Brown in September Fury, Matt Jackson in Voodoo, Stu Eberhardt in Merlin's Magic, Bill Rheinschild in Risky Business, Stewart Dawson in his Sea Fury, Hoot Gibson in Riff Raff, and The Tige in Strega.

As the wind blew the desert into the sky, the announcers did the best they could with what little they knew about the racers. One by one they cranked up and taxied out in front of the crowd to runway 26; the lesser of the evils with the winds. At times, spectators couldn't even see the back of the course.

Through the week, the only real competition for Dago Red came in the form of a healthy Strega, and possibly a wicked-up September Fury. Critical Mass was also a strong contender, but the folding landing gear erased any hope of a large number of round engine racers pushing the Mustangs to the breaking point. The deal was sealed during the week when September Fury ran into cylinder cooling issues. In the end, it seemed that there really wasn't a threat to Dago, so why push it and break it? 

Think About It

When Holm flashed across the finish line, his average speed of 466 mph and change was really impressive when you consider the conditions they were racing in. At the beginning of the race, one of the race pilots came on the radio and said, "Hey Steve... I vote for eight-o-clock tomorrow morning!" Holm even had to duck a plastic bag coming at him in the cockpit.

"I was banging from side to side in the cockpit; it was the worst conditions I had ever flown in," said Voodoo pilot Matt Jackson. Holm agreed. "I think I knocked off some of the bondo on the airplane," he said, referring to the beating the airplane took on the course. 

The race was fairly exciting for the first lap and a half. Strega started last, but easily moved up to third place. The crowd really had a eye on The Tige and were cheering loudly for him. Could he give Dago a run? It was apparent that's what Tiger had in mind as the crowd watched him hammer the throttle and beat on the Mustang. "Go faster!"

The "Race to Remember" turned into a Parade to Watch... Strega pulled up off of the northeast portion of the course; no smoke, but The Tige called a mayday. With the wind, could he make it to runway 14? Sure! He made it look easy in the blowing dust, trash and dirt. He rolled out, taxied partway into the ramp, and shut the engine down. Strega's Mix-and-Match had given her all, but it wasn't enough to catch Dago or finish the race. Tiger has ended his racing career with a bang, but not the one we were all hoping for.

Back in the battle, it wasn't so much a race with the other planes as it was with the weather. Sure, the race lasted just over eight minutes, but that is eight minutes of bone jarring, teeth rattling, head slamming turbulence. Put the pressures of racing on top of that, and it sure was exciting for the pilots.

The parade stayed the same pretty much throughout the race, with Risky Business beating out Merlin's Magic for the fourth place money. Overall, a fantastic week for Rhino and his crew.

For a racer like Voodoo, she turned out to be a "good girl" dressed in sexy clothes. Although she stays out late with the wrong crowd, she will have to wait until next year to get down and dirty with the boys. They also had a great race week. No major problems, no major drama, and a strong third place finish. They even get to fly their airplane home again. 

What a Hoot!

Speaking with Hoot Gibson on Saturday, he remarked how he thought it great it would be to end up in the gold class at Reno. "I've always dreamed of doing that," he said with a huge smile. Although the aircraft is a solid 400 mph Sea Fury, he wisely motored around the course and enjoyed himself as much as he could in the wind. To be one of three R-3350 powered Sea Furies in the gold class was a great moment for that team.

Careful, or You'll Put Your Eye Out

Pit games returned this year, and the Precious Metal crew bore the brunt... "Somebody" TP'd the Griffon Mustang with police "Do Not Cross" tape, and hung some panties and a lady's shirt on their flagpole. No report yet on stolen fluffy Tiger dolls, witches, or radioactive pitot covers...

Next Year...

There may be some major changes in the ownership of several of the faster unlimiteds before next year, but if the class remains relatively constant, we should see another year where Dago Red is the plane to beat. With the retirement of Tiger and Strega, one little Indian won't be coming to the pow-wow anymore. September Fury will be further refined and capable of giving Dago a run for the money. Voodoo, according to several sources, will have a hairy Merlin and a backup Merlin. Good things may still be coming from the Voodoo camp in terms of winning a gold race.

The Bright Side

How about Ron Buccarelli and the crew of Precious Metal? They nay-sayers were vocal that Buccarelli had bitten off more than he could chew. "That's too much airplane for him." "He's going to hurt himself..."

Wrong... Buccarelli and crew wanted to do well at Reno, and doing well in their eyes was racing in the gold class. At one point, Buccarelli was hopeful he would have a chance to win that race. As his and his crews' experience increased with the airplane, it became evident to him that a successful Reno would have several outcomes. The first of their successes would be to simply get to the races. Check. The second would be getting qualified. Check. The third would be to race conservatively and get through the week. Check. For the first time in the race plane's career, it made every race it was scheduled for and finished the silver race in fourth place at 381 mph. A Bravo Zulu to Ron and the team!

There was a lot of controversy about that silver race... The wind had kicked up, and visibility went down dramatically. On the first lap, Art Vance had a vibration problem in Furias, and ended up cutting a pylon. Dennis Sanders followed him, but Buccarelli saw the folly of their ways, corrected, and rounded the fourth and fifth pylons.

After the race, he was just a bit peeved that the final race results were tabulated the way they were. Seemingly, he was "penalized" for doing it right when the others didn't.

Wrap Up

Reno 2K2 was a difficult year for the racers. After two years of relative inactivity, one could sense that there was a learning curve to overcome. Mistakes were made, there was some bad judgment, and there were accidents. Was this due to cranial cobwebs? Or were the racers just chomping at the bit to get out there and put the hammer down? 

The question is rhetorical; what Reno was is just another race week in the history books. Miss America may be flying again in as little as three to six months. Critical Mass will be taken home and evaluated, put back together, and on the ramp for the races next year. Czech Mate, still for sale, will hopefully arrive at Reno next year ready to strut her stuff. Strega will now be a sport plane for The Tige, and Dago Red will be looking for a fifth consecutive win around the Reno pylons. Merlin's Magic has become a fast gold class racer, and the revived competition in the 410 mph range will make for some excellent racing in the years to come. Hopefully, other R-3350 Sea Fury owners will be drawn into the sport as a result of this.

Many will say Reno 2002 was a disappointment. There was, like so many other years, a lack of top level competition. But the positive side of this years event includes people like Brent Hisey, Art Vance and Bill Rheinschild going home unhurt and unscathed. We have several races that broke hard this year, but will return to race again.

All Stories and Photos Copyright by Scott Germain - WarbirdAeroPress.com 2002. All Rights Reserved.