Warlock question....

[Unregistered]

Randy, you know the Dildas.

[Race 29]

Wayne,
Your right, and I do appologise. I wasn't slamming anyone (as I said in my first post) just the general attitude of "win at all cost, despite the rule book". You do have to wonder about people who agree with that attitude in any kind of competition, wether it's air racing or lawn bowling. As you'll also notice in my first post, I presented the arguments in a "one hand/other hand" format. There are two sides to every coin, and I showed both sides. My post wasn't nearly as harsh as you make it out to be. Certainly no more harsh than Tom's post towards Randy Goss.

I never discussed any specific "shennanigans" and I never formally accused anyone of anything. Just expressed an opinion "as a fan", as I said a couple of times in that post.


Randy,
I would assume that since your "smaller" T-6 would have less static drag, and presumably lesser weight, it would indeed go faster. I've heard that one of the NASCAR teams got busted for this same thing a few years back. Now they have a cutout for each model (Ford, Chevy, Pontiac) that they place over each car to make sure they follow the correct dimentions.

Race 29

[AAFO_WSagar]

No Problem Race Two Nine...

Thanks for the apology (not to me, but to Tom) and the explnation of your thought process..

I just really like it when the racers stop by and didn't want one who I really like and respect to leave with a bad taste..

Tom's a great guy and a very strong competitor, as are all the top T-6'ers... (ask Randy Goss!)

I don't think any of them can really get away with outright "cheating" it's just too tightly run and the T-6'ers are waaaay too emotional to let anyone get away with blatant "cheating"...

Within the rules, as they are writtten, however, one can spend a lot of money and time to go faster than those who do not spend the time or money.. it shows on the course....

And *if* the T-6 simulation that was originally to be included with Xtreme Air Racing, and was included in the beta versions that I played with, was accurate... absolute smoothness really went a long way to going faster. Which, would maybe explain why Mary can zip around so well.. she's been described to me by others as a VERY smooth stick..

But then, there's always next year ey guys!

Wayne

[speeddemon]

Stock is relative

Well, first everyone needs to remember that the airframe that Mary Dilda flies has a long history of being fast....in the hands of Ralph Rina and Jimmy Gist. It won a handful of races at Reno and Mojave back in the 70's and 80's....before Mary and Steve even started racing.

Second....the word 'stock', according to the T-6 rule book is VERY interpretive. Anyone who thinks that *some* don't cheat is kidding themselves. Randy H's 95/100 scale plane is NOT very far from the truth. There are lots of different ways to 'build' a T-6. Some parts 'fit' better on one airframe than they might on another....wink, wink...nod, nod.

It's happened before. And it works.

BJ

And please note....the second paragraph is in NO WAY insinuating anything about the subject of the first.

[matt]

bj, please email when you get the chance i've lost your email...

[FlyKidChris]

Octane

First, let me state that I'm impressed with Mary's flying skills. Obviously, she has real talent and is a dedicated, serious competitor.
Second, I was already suspicious of her speed on Sunday before I heard (directly - in the first person) from the wife of a T-6 owner and racer that she (Mary D.) had openly been asking about octane enhancements prior to Sunday's race.
So I must ask; is there a fuel standard for the class, are fuel samples taken in the T-6 class and could an otherwise stock plane gain an advantage like we saw on Sunday?
Is Mary's desire to win that great?

[RandyGoss75]

"Two Of Hearts"

I think the performance we saw from Mary and the "Two Of Hearts" gang this year was.............................

The culmination of A LOT of effort/money/skill

EFFORT- I have been part of an AT-6 crew that has been in over 20 Reno Gold races- I know how much effort it takes to get in the Gold.
I also watched the "Two Of Hearts" crew first hand busting butt to get #22 going again after Mary's engine problems in a heat race. There is no doubt in my mind that Chip, Rex and the gang are dedicated and talented enough to help Mary win the Gold.(again)

MONEY- I have no idea how much $$$ Steve and Mary have expended in their pursuit for Reno Gold, but I know any form of racing is expensive- and I do know how much it costs to get lots of 2nd and 3rd place Gold finishes!

SKILL- Mary and Crew are a highly skilled/ talented bunch.
There is no denying Mary's piloting skills- and as I stated above,
I think the #22 Crew is amongst the elite of the T-6 group.

In closing, I can not speak for the entire T-6 class, I can only state my opinion, I really think there is no "magic" or "witches brew" that makes a T-6 racer fast....its the team that does their homework- R&D, testing etc. that finishes on top.
I have always enjoyed the T-6 class racing- for the competition and the friendships......I wish Mary and #22 lots of luck next year- and I commend their efforts in 2003! I hope we have "Warlock" running good enough next year to give Mary, Nick and Tom a run for the Gold!!!

AND.....Don't forget the "Warlock" party Wednesday night after quals!!!

All the best, Randy Goss "Warlock" #75 Crew/ T-6 Racing Fan

[Unregistered]

What "Tech"?????? Who Blue by you???? Who goes home after "Tech"???

[Unregistered]

As the crew chief for Two of Hearts, let me see if I can shed some light on the making of a gold racer.

Over the years that we have campaigned the Two of Hearts, we have moved the airplane up from racing in the Silver, to being in the front of the Gold.

It's real easy to do, it just takes:

- a really good pilot. One that is willing to go out on the race course and put their live in the hands of the other pilots racing with them.

- an airframe that you have to take apart and put back together as smooth as a new sports car. Most of the 50 year old parts you can find usually will bolt on with only about two or three days of fitting and trimming.

- a team that is willing to sacrifice those late nights, weekends and holidays to make everything happen.

- a lot of money, of which the returns are very small. That's not just money for the airplane, it also takes a hangar, spare parts, fuel @ about $3 bucks a gallon, oil @ 10 gallons every 25 hours, a tug, etc.

It cannot be done without the teamwork. You have to be willing to give yourself. That means not going out to the movies because the airplane has an oil leak that has got to be repaired before the weekend, because the airplane has to fly about 11 or 12 hours to get to the high desert to verify some test that you have been working on for the last two months; by the way, you and the crew have to take vacation and make your own way out to the high desert to put the airplane in race trim to do the verification.

It is called dedication and it takes everything talked about above and a lot more.

If you look at the history of the Two of Hearts, it took us about eight years to get to the front of the Gold.

It would have been very easy to get there a long time ago if we wanted to cheat. We got there the same way the other teams got there, hard work and ingenuity.

[wingman]

Great post -- This is the side of any motor racing success story that the fans never see and seldom think about. So many people seem to think that it's just applying big bucks and/or cheating. Rick Ruhman of the Warlock Racing team has done a wonderful cartoon strip about the joys of being a Race Crew. We should see if he'd be willing to post some of it on AAFO. One panel alone showing the crewperson's view of the fans is worth the price of admission.

Thanks again for a crew view of these questions...

Photo by Birgitta Nurmi.

Neal

[AAFO_WSagar]

Originally posted by Unregistered
As the crew chief for Two of Hearts, let me see if I can shed some light on the making of a gold racer.

Chip, when I see these threads go in a direction like this, my first thought is to step in and try to put out the fire before it gets started.

I've been trying to lay back and let them run their own course lately, which, by letting them run their course, they can often develop into an insult to guys like you who bust your ass to make it happen...

Thanks for stepping in and setting the record straight.

Wayne

[wingman]

Chip

And on a related note, our Congratulations to Chip and Kelly Woods who, in the midst of everything, managed to tie the knot on Saturday of Race week!

Photo by Birgitta Nurmi...

[wingman]

Palmer

Another related note -- regarding the fact that the airplane Mary now races has always been fast. Here's a quickie scan of Ralph Rina in #73 (now Two of Hearts) at Reno 1978 leading Pat Palmer in the legendary Gotcha!

Neal

[Race 29]

Neil,
Thanks for the pictures! If you look at the pitot tubes, it looks like the one on "Gotcha" is being blown off!

Chip,
I think we all know about the time it takes to make a Gold racer, but when you hear it first hand like that, it really opens a previously blurry eye! I've always known Mary was a superb pilot, She's truely blessed to have such a dedicated crew. Congratulations on your wedding, and getting married at the air races, now THAT is class!

I'm pretty sure most of the other Gold racers have been through a simular rebuild as Two of Hearts. Obviously you've done it better than most, if not all. Now if you could just do something to streamline those pesky rivits!

Race 29

[wingman]

That's not the pitot tube -- Pat put some sort of antenna out there on the wingtip. Regarding the rivets, the T-6 class has a rule regarding how far back on the wing can be smooth... Comment, Randy Goss??

Neal