....Never Say Never....

If you are even remotely interested in air racing, likely you have heard of the airplane known as Nemesis. Like a broken record, (the old vinyl kind) year after year, this airplane, her pilot and crew have completely dominated Formula-1 racing. Never satisfied with simply being very fast, Jon Sharp and company have long set the mark in the Formula-1 racing class at Reno and elsewhere.... In fact, EVERYwhere this airplane races it either sets the mark or breaks it. Nemesis holds the qualifying record, lap record and race record for every course she has ever flown! Jon Sharp continued this winning run last year by taking for the eighth time, the F-1 Gold at Reno, Nevada. Turning in a pylon blistering 245.247 MPH eight lap average, Sharp and his mount showed the competition nothing but tail for the entire event.

So just what do you do after winning your eighth Reno F-1 gold event and setting or breaking every record in the books? Likely, this airplane could continue to command her class for many years to come. What to do?... Simply put the airplane away and wait for the next race and do it again and again? Not if you are Jon Sharp you don't! Word around the pits last year had Sharp and Team Nemesis putting the eight time consecutive Reno winner out to pasture after their run for the '98 F-1 gold. Many fans expected Reno '98 would be the last time to see the sleek little Pearl airplane, with the bold dayglow NEMESIS on her flanks, strike fear into all who raced against her..... Nemesis, as she sits, is certainly fast and as we all know.. fast is good, but faster is always better! . Sharp and the band of Lockheed Skunkswerkers responsible for the current version are hard at work creating the Nemesis successor.....Nemesis NXT... Little is known about the next generation Nemesis at the time of this writing... save the fact that we'll not see her until NXT year and without doubt.... She'll be faster than hell!

That brings us to this year. New airplane not ready and the "old" race plane more than ready and willing to take Sharp to another Reno sweep..... Nemesis will race again, one final time, at Reno '99! It does seem only fitting to allow Nemesis this one last run, the last run of the century....

Will Reno 1999 be the last time you can see the worlds most successful air race airplane? Not on your life! According to Nemesis spokesperson, Tricia Sharp, "We will be racing the original Nemesis one last time at Reno this year, then it will be retired in the Smithsonian in Nov [1999]" A fitting tribute to this great competitor. She will be be in great company and will stand as a testament to the determination of the group of competitors who created and successfully campaigned her for so many years....

-Will Nemesis win the last Reno Air Race of the millennium?- Will she go out with the brass ring and all the glory that goes with NINE consecutive Reno F-1 wins?? ...... Guess you'll just hav'ta buy that ticket and get down to Reno and find out!

-Wayne Sagar-

[Click Here]
for more information on this airplane and the people who race her!

(-stay tuned- for more information on Nemesis NXT. As work progresses and the team gets Reno '99 behind them, AAFO.COM will bring you whatever tidbits we can find on the NXT Nemesis!)

The 1999 Reno National Championship Air Races Will Be Held September 16-19 At Stead Field, Reno Nevada. Qualifying and Practice Events Run September 13-15 And Offers Some Of The Most Exciting Action Of The Entire Week. For Ticket And Lodging Information go to:
http://www.airrace.org