Silver Sandbagging...

[Trievermom]

Every year...same ol' story. Such a disappointment to see. Flies her high and wide...gives her a little...and then pulls back. Never 'races'. Only toys around and does anything and EVERYTHING he has to to win the Silver. No excuses - he does this EVERY year.
He has not only lost the respect of the 'real' racer's...but he's now lost the respect of the fans. I feel bad for the guys that should have a legitimate shot at that title - not a cherry picker. Voodoo could have held back at the last second and forced her to cross the finish line in first place - which would have FORCED her to compete with her true/equal competitors in the Gold on Sunday....BUT, it's not in Voodoo's character.
As much as everyone would like to see a new Gold Champion...it would nice to mix up the Silver every year too!!!
Go Voodoo!!
Terri

[Bob]

Re: Silver Sandbagging...

After Brents experiences last year, Ill give him a pass on sandbagging this year....

[matt]

Re: Silver Sandbagging...

few questions, who are you? who are you talking about? and several guys push the power up and pull it back, it's actually a good question what's your beef with it?

[Trievermom]

Re: Silver Sandbagging...

I wasn't referring to a technique. I was referring to routine that is repeated every year. I'm no expert...but doesn't he have a modified Gold contender? For a few years now?? Although the 'high and wide' is appreciated by the other racers - this I do know.
I've already thrown him under the bus. There are those that know exactly who I'm talking about...and if you don't, then we obviously don't share the same opinion and we'll leave it at that.
Update....I wonder who won the Silver today? Hmm... Would have been great to see a racer like Hoot or Stu take it. I understand the two had a GREAT race.
My beef is with cherry pickin'. It doesn't make for good racing for any one - fans or racers. Sorry if I offended you Matt.
Terri

[Race5]

Re: Silver Sandbagging...

Matt, I assume she is referring to Brent H. Is he a big sandbagger? I don't recall him doing it in years past, as I thought he usually did bump up to the gold if he won the Silver final. As for Voodoo, I didn't know you could bump into the gold after a silver heat race, but maybe I am mistaken. In either case, if Brent wins the Silver race to morrow, my guess is he will bump into the gold, there by giving the Silver race to the number two ship. Either way, I don't think it is any reason for that kind of bad mouthing from anyone, as Mr Hisey is a class act.

Jason Fisher

[Trievermom]

Re: Silver Sandbagging...

...he has never bumped to Gold. And if Brent wins the Silver race tomorrow???? The race ended today Jason...sorry. And the winner of the Silver on Saturday can always bump to the GOLD...as he is expected to. You must be a little new to this - as we all were once.
Personal beef with with the pilot, yes. Not for public consumption. Public issue is with cherry pickin' - that's it. Just my opinion. If you think that I should have kept that opinion to myself...that is yours...and I respect it. Sorry to those I offended...and your welcome to those I've heard from (in the pits) with great cheer.
See ya next year at the races! Congrats Bear - you amaze me!! And YAHOO Voodoo/Curt for pulling a Gold out of your hat with basically a stock engine!!!
Terri

[Race5]

Re: Silver Sandbagging...

When I said wins the silver tomorrow I was refering to today (Sunday). I was confused as to wheather you were talking about the last Silver Heat or the Silver Final, as I was not up to speed as to the winners of each. As far as your opinion, hell yes you are entitiled to it, as I am to mine. I was not trying to start a big bash session.

[Trievermom]

Re: Silver Sandbagging...

No problem Jason. And as you'll see....Ms. A stepped up in '04. So I gotta 'gotcha'! I'll give props where they belong. It's what he should have done, and I commend him for it.
CONGRATS HOOT!!! Hoots a great guy and an incredible racer - I hear one of the most exciting of the weekend.
Sounds like we missed one of the best race weekends in long time - shucks!!

[matt]

Re: Silver Sandbagging...

well terri, not to keep this going but i do know who you're talking about now, but i just think that criticizing someones technique (i.e. the way a pilot flies) should be left to the actual race pilots in the room of hard benches.

further, missa is not a gold modified mustang, when he bumped up to the gold today he was lapped twice by dago, bear and 232

[Trievermom]

Re: Silver Sandbagging...

I agree with you Matt...hence my post. It's where my opinion came from and I stand by my unlimited opinion - otherwise I wouldn't have posted it. I stepped back and gave him props for today...it's what a good racer should do. Miss A. has/has had enough juice in her to be in the Gold for a few years. Just because you can't keep up with the top 3 doesn't disqualify you. There are 9 slots. Look at the speeds in the Gold -vs- the Silver. And then look back over the last few years.
Voodoo fights for that Gold slot every year - even if it means the tail end of the group on Sunday. She could have easily stayed in the Silver and took home the top prize - like years past. But she bumps forward because she doesn't belong there if she's faster than the others in the group. Once again...in my opinion...it depends on what your philosophy is in racing. Are you there to paint on your plane that you're the 'Unlimited Silver Champion' year after year...or are you there to RACE?? Bob Button doesn't give two-hoots about titles. He pours his blood sweat and tears into doing the best he possibly can to advance his team and to put on a great show for the fans. He thinks the fans expect Racer 5 in the Gold. Even though he downsized this year on the engine (more of a stock), they still pushed it to the limit as safely as they could. She was only expected to run in the Bronze - ask Matt. But as the weekend progressed...it became clear that she'd be able to move on up to the Silver...and surprisingly, eventually to the Gold. Yeah...she didn't keep up with the top 3 - BUT, Miss A beat her - as she SHOULD HAVE because she has a race engine!!
I unfortunately didn't get to go this year...but I had a great birdie there (handsome too I might add ). Maybe Miss A has turned over a new leaf. Or maybe all the chatter behind her back came face to face - who knows? Either way...it's good for all of us because it results in great racing and NEW winners!! Don't you hate to see the same winners every year??? Mixing it up keeps the sport vibrating!!
And if Mr. H has an issue with my post...I'd be glad to take it up with him face to face next year. It's a conversation that I'd take great pleasure in....and it wouldn't be about Silver or Gold.
Nothing personal with you Matt. Hope we can put this to rest. Hope 'your team' did well today!!
Terri

[matt]

Re: Silver Sandbagging...

that's exactly it terri, you posted the first message behind brent's back, you won't even say his name, i guess what i'm trying to say is if you have a problem with the way he flies talk to him about it, don't go somewhere he rarely, if ever, visits and slam him.

the only reason i take offense to it is because i know brent and consider him a friend (if distant) and hate for anyone to speak poorly of him or any of my friends. as i said before though it is his choice to bump or not, his engine to blow up.

i don't want to sound like i'm being mean so please don't take it that way (i've gotten into too many heated arguments and would really like to avoid it) but when you win the silver unlimited it will then be your choice to bump or not, i just don't think anyone has the right to complain about a choice to bump up or not unless they're the one making the decision.

besides brent has not had that fast an engine for as long as you seem to think he has, it was 2000 that he really started to want to go faster (correct me if i'm wrong) so let's do the math

2000: he won silver at 427 mph, 2001: no race for obvious reasons, 2002: brents engine ate itself, 2003: he won silver at 428, 2004: he won at an unknown speed then bumped up.

so over 5 years he's only won silver twice and not bumped up. as for it's speed compared to voodoos, even without a race canopy it is a great deal slicker than missa, that extended doghouse counts for a lot. so it's not surprising to see her doing aswell as she did, but horse power is everything and missa just had more.

btw: it's not 'my team', it's rons, but yes we did really well, thank you.

again, i mean no disrespect or attitude toward you, just making a point that a problem like that would be better spoken about to the person the dipute is with and not out in the open.

[Trievermom]

Re: Silver Sandbagging...

Point taken Matt...looking back on paper doesn't necessarily prove/disprove my point. You'd have to go back to the circumstances of each race/year. I gave the man his props for stepping up this year...but I won't apologize.
Read September Pops website's 'Friday update'..."If Hisey applied himself and his airplane with sincere intent, he could do well in the Gold race. Alas!" See my point? It's his reputation. I didn't pull this out of my hat. And that was Friday.
And not to beat this into the ground Matt...but the whole point was to say - let's put on great show. Let's have some racing. Isn't it great when teams work hard to modify and advance their ship...and move on up...and we see new champions each year???
And finally, I have no idea who your team is - for I don't know you. I was only referring to your particular collection of 'favorites'...whomever they may be. I hope they did well this year!!
Cheers,
T'

[matt]

Re: Silver Sandbagging...

terri, i understand your point and i'm not asking you to change it, i would just rather not see that kind of post because one cannot fully know the reasoning behind a pilot/owners actions. and saying something about those actions might bring on a lot of negativity that is not wanted.

ok terri, i understand what you meant by 'my team'.

favorites:

precious metal (fourth in silver ya!!!)

czech mate
GREAT battle guys
dreadnought

missa (dunno how she finished but proud of brent and the crew for a job well done)

russian roulette aka joe tobul special (rooting for ya next year sean)

scarlet screamer (birch keep working at that engine, that speed may have grwon legs and walked off but you'll find it)

[Unregistered]

Re: Silver Sandbagging...

Voodoo qualifies at 381 mph, cruised through the bronze on thursday, loafs around in the silver friday, somehow had a 441 mph race average on saturday to get in the gold Sunday then cruised around in the gold race at 364 mph. That would have been good for 7th place in the bronze. Not sure what you would call it but that ain't racing in my book. Knowing what power settings it takes to get a mustang to 441 mph that was a little more than a "stock" engine.
Ray

[Victor Archer]

Re: Silver Sandbagging...

I for one want to congratulate the Miss America Team for getting her up in the air every day. I wandered around the pits late most nights and the Miss A team was working to fix problems until at least 10 PM for several days in a row. They did have quite a number of problems this year. Including a mayday for oil on the canopy from a prop seal.
Sand bagging ... yeah to soak up the oil from parts breakage.