In light of the recent $52 Billion corporate aquisition of Anheuser-Busch by Belgium's InBev to become the Global Leader in Beer- here's a photo tribute to Budweiser's brief foray into Unlimited Air Racing sponsorship. 
Of course, many fans still recall the Michelob Light banner art decking-out Ed Browning's #5 Red Baron RB-51 Mixmaster Mustang for its' final competitive outing at Reno '79 as new-'World's-Fastest' piston/prop single-engined aircraft. But, HEY!- We're talkin' 'bout The BIG Roundy- Race #1 "Bud Light Special" here!!!
Enthusiastically-prepared during a short span of only a few months by The Planes of Fame gang (including the legendary- 'Chino Kids') & many very-talented friends, using a boneyard F4U-1 Corsair - this old veteran warhorse was magically-transformed into a potent 'Homebrew' F2G Super Corsair Unlimited air racer in time for pylon combat at Reno '82. Registered in the 'Experimental' category as NX31518, Race #1 was the first P&W R-4360 corncob racer to see action since the Post-WW2 Thompson Trophy events in Cleveland. She attracted a Budweiser sponsorship for the 1982-83 race seasons, and gave fans a wonderful dozen-year career of Unlimited air racing thrills that included a Reno Gold Championship at Reno '85, before her untimely loss (w/successful pilot bailout) at the '94 innaugural Phoenix 500 Air Races.
Hope these Reno photos bring back fond memories of one of modern day air racing's grand favorites of the Unlimited Class: #1 SUPER CORSAIR
DBD
Top row (L-R):
1. Sun. 9/12/82 - Steve Hinton taxis-in at Stead upon arrival w/rookie Unlimited aircraft entry - #1 'Bud Light Special', resplendent in new racing colors of metallic silver and navy blue w/prominent sponsor banners. Hinton was #1's primary race pilot for '82, w/pal- Jim Maloney as alternate. Jim raced the Super Corsair to 3rd-place in Sat. Gold Heat #2.
2. Mon. 9/19/88 - John Maloney's Stead departure takeoff run in #1. Maloney took over as Super Corsair race pilot in '86 until Kevin Eldredge got checked-out for the '93 race season.
3. & 4. - Thur. 9/15/83 - Steve Hinton takes off #1 for a late afternoon test flight.
5. Mon. 9/10/84 - Hinton's 8th-place 424.015-mph qualifying run in Race #1 seen from Outer 4 Pylon.
Middle row (L-R):
1. Sat. 9/18/82 - Crewmen John Hinton (top l.) & John Maloney guide upper cowling into place during cowl-up for start of Gold Heat #2, as brother Steve (lwr. l.) and fellow team mates stand-by.
2. Mon. 9/20/82 - Bud Light Special's big corncob radial starts up w/standard exhaust oil cloud in preparation for return back to Chino, Ca. home base.
3. & 4. Tue. 9/14/82 - Profile views of Steve Hinton's engine start & warmup run of #1 BLS Super Corsair for a late afternoon test flight during qualifying/practice days.
5. Mon. 9/13/82 - Hinton takes #1 around Outer 4 Pylon during qualifying & practice, placing 4th-fastest @ 413.208-mph.
Bottom row (L-R):
1. Sun. 9/12/82 - Pilot John Maloney arrives at Stead w/POF P-51D 'Budweiser Light II' (N5441V - aka-'Spam Can'), which was raced by brother- Jim Maloney at Reno '82 NCAR. Budweiser's 1982-83 sponsorship package included both the Super Corsair & P-51D. John took over as race pilot for 'Bud Light II' for Reno '83.
2. Sun. 9/9/84 - Steve Hinton gives #1's R-4360 a late aftn. test runup as the 'Bud-less'- Super Corsair.
3. Thur. 9/16/82 - Hinton takes 'Bud Light Special' down the fast W. Chute's 'Valley of Speed' during practice runs.
4. Sun. 9/15/85 - Pilot-Steve Hinton & his jubilant (& 'surprised') #1 Super Corsair air race team rides back to the pits following their Gold Unlimited Class Championship victory, that capitalized upon front-runner Neil Anderson's final lap cut of Outer 8 Pylon in #8 Dreadnought. Nonetheless, #1 garnered the win at a new race record average speed of 438.186-mph!
5. Tue. 9/11/07 - 'History Comes Full-Circle' on the race course! Who would've 'thunk-it'? - One of Cook Cleland's F2G Super Corsair Thompson Trophy vet racers returns to pylon competition again at Reno '06 - '07, thanks to warbird-restorer/pilot- Bob Odegaard. Seen going around Outer 4 Pylon last year during Tuesday's 2nd-period of Unltd. Qualifications/Practice. This is the 'real deal': Race #57 (N5588N, F2G-1, mfr. s/n 88457), is an authentic Goodyear-built 'Super Corsair', of only three surviving examples from 17 total F2Gs (7-prototypes, and 10 production aircraft). *** Compare design differences between the Goodyear F2G & the modified F4U-1/F2G racers ***
Air Race Fans - "THIS Bud's 4-U!" 
Of course, many fans still recall the Michelob Light banner art decking-out Ed Browning's #5 Red Baron RB-51 Mixmaster Mustang for its' final competitive outing at Reno '79 as new-'World's-Fastest' piston/prop single-engined aircraft. But, HEY!- We're talkin' 'bout The BIG Roundy- Race #1 "Bud Light Special" here!!!
Enthusiastically-prepared during a short span of only a few months by The Planes of Fame gang (including the legendary- 'Chino Kids') & many very-talented friends, using a boneyard F4U-1 Corsair - this old veteran warhorse was magically-transformed into a potent 'Homebrew' F2G Super Corsair Unlimited air racer in time for pylon combat at Reno '82. Registered in the 'Experimental' category as NX31518, Race #1 was the first P&W R-4360 corncob racer to see action since the Post-WW2 Thompson Trophy events in Cleveland. She attracted a Budweiser sponsorship for the 1982-83 race seasons, and gave fans a wonderful dozen-year career of Unlimited air racing thrills that included a Reno Gold Championship at Reno '85, before her untimely loss (w/successful pilot bailout) at the '94 innaugural Phoenix 500 Air Races.
Hope these Reno photos bring back fond memories of one of modern day air racing's grand favorites of the Unlimited Class: #1 SUPER CORSAIR
DBDTop row (L-R):
1. Sun. 9/12/82 - Steve Hinton taxis-in at Stead upon arrival w/rookie Unlimited aircraft entry - #1 'Bud Light Special', resplendent in new racing colors of metallic silver and navy blue w/prominent sponsor banners. Hinton was #1's primary race pilot for '82, w/pal- Jim Maloney as alternate. Jim raced the Super Corsair to 3rd-place in Sat. Gold Heat #2.
2. Mon. 9/19/88 - John Maloney's Stead departure takeoff run in #1. Maloney took over as Super Corsair race pilot in '86 until Kevin Eldredge got checked-out for the '93 race season.
3. & 4. - Thur. 9/15/83 - Steve Hinton takes off #1 for a late afternoon test flight.
5. Mon. 9/10/84 - Hinton's 8th-place 424.015-mph qualifying run in Race #1 seen from Outer 4 Pylon.
Middle row (L-R):
1. Sat. 9/18/82 - Crewmen John Hinton (top l.) & John Maloney guide upper cowling into place during cowl-up for start of Gold Heat #2, as brother Steve (lwr. l.) and fellow team mates stand-by.
2. Mon. 9/20/82 - Bud Light Special's big corncob radial starts up w/standard exhaust oil cloud in preparation for return back to Chino, Ca. home base.
3. & 4. Tue. 9/14/82 - Profile views of Steve Hinton's engine start & warmup run of #1 BLS Super Corsair for a late afternoon test flight during qualifying/practice days.
5. Mon. 9/13/82 - Hinton takes #1 around Outer 4 Pylon during qualifying & practice, placing 4th-fastest @ 413.208-mph.
Bottom row (L-R):
1. Sun. 9/12/82 - Pilot John Maloney arrives at Stead w/POF P-51D 'Budweiser Light II' (N5441V - aka-'Spam Can'), which was raced by brother- Jim Maloney at Reno '82 NCAR. Budweiser's 1982-83 sponsorship package included both the Super Corsair & P-51D. John took over as race pilot for 'Bud Light II' for Reno '83.
2. Sun. 9/9/84 - Steve Hinton gives #1's R-4360 a late aftn. test runup as the 'Bud-less'- Super Corsair.
3. Thur. 9/16/82 - Hinton takes 'Bud Light Special' down the fast W. Chute's 'Valley of Speed' during practice runs.
4. Sun. 9/15/85 - Pilot-Steve Hinton & his jubilant (& 'surprised') #1 Super Corsair air race team rides back to the pits following their Gold Unlimited Class Championship victory, that capitalized upon front-runner Neil Anderson's final lap cut of Outer 8 Pylon in #8 Dreadnought. Nonetheless, #1 garnered the win at a new race record average speed of 438.186-mph!
5. Tue. 9/11/07 - 'History Comes Full-Circle' on the race course! Who would've 'thunk-it'? - One of Cook Cleland's F2G Super Corsair Thompson Trophy vet racers returns to pylon competition again at Reno '06 - '07, thanks to warbird-restorer/pilot- Bob Odegaard. Seen going around Outer 4 Pylon last year during Tuesday's 2nd-period of Unltd. Qualifications/Practice. This is the 'real deal': Race #57 (N5588N, F2G-1, mfr. s/n 88457), is an authentic Goodyear-built 'Super Corsair', of only three surviving examples from 17 total F2Gs (7-prototypes, and 10 production aircraft). *** Compare design differences between the Goodyear F2G & the modified F4U-1/F2G racers ***
Air Race Fans - "THIS Bud's 4-U!"
Attached Files
'Ahh-hem...' Once again, we DO need to include a 'watermark photo credit line' (complete w/proper 'circle-c' copyright symbol, year taken, & photographer name) on every photo posted -IF- we so desire to maintain copyrights to our images. Old news, and always a tedious chore, especially including the whole publishing & finish print gamut, as you & I have learned thru the years, ole' buddy. 
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