PRS Tuesday

[GRNDP51]

Re: PRS Tuesday

I knew that he also has Merced I just wasn't sure who he is or what state it is in. It just upsets me why he has 2 race furies and doesn't do anything with them, I'm obviously not the only one who thinks this. He has to have some money if he bought both of them and houses/maintains both of them can't he just sell one and field the other one at reno? Just makes me sad and disappointed to be honest. Oh well

[Race5]

Re: PRS Tuesday

I knew that he also has Merced I just wasn't sure who he is or what state it is in. It just upsets me why he has 2 race furies and doesn't do anything with them, I'm obviously not the only one who thinks this. He has to have some money if he bought both of them and houses/maintains both of them can't he just sell one and field the other one at reno? Just makes me sad and disappointed to be honest. Oh well

It's his money, he can do whatever the hell he wants with it.

[Ken Adkins]

Re: PRS Tuesday

It's his money, he can do whatever the hell he wants with it.

100% agree with this statement, but that doesn't mean we can't wish this wasn't the case. Furias isn't really Furias unless it's rounding the pylons at Reno when flyable.

[Desertdawg]

Re: PRS Tuesday

And for us dreamers, sure would be nice to see again :-)

And a cub class : -)

[Matt Jackson]

Re: PRS Tuesday

That's what I was thinking exactly. Forget the Merlin's Matt find out where Furias is (you probably know) and get to racing her again!!! Help put the rounds back on the podium!!

I appreciate the kind words you guys. The canopy was certainly a contributing factor to how things unraveled, but not the reason we lost the race. I'll never have a heart attack after that adrenaline push I'll assure you. My doctor just last month said I have the biggest collateral arteries he has ever seen. I then explained to him about my last few years of racing. The biggest problem was the rocker arm issues. We had no more money and could not afford the new arms. We breach loaded the engine builder by limiting what he could do with the engine. V12 builds the best out there and certainly the strongest running Merlin ever!!! I got through the pack with ease in 1.5 laps. That airplane is the fastest smoothest running machine I have flown. LD & Tiger have made that a dream machine to fly. It is a delight to run on the course at speed. In fact it flys better at speed then in cruise. With a Vintage V12 Merlin running its unbeatable in my opinion. Had the rocker arm not failed the plane would have easily ran Voodoo down. The plane is capable of speeds in the excess of 500 MPH on the course. As it was during the Checkmate pass that I felt the engine sag. When I felt it I thought, oh boy here we go. Typically when an engine sags its because, its getting ready to blow. Fortunately that great engine held together. I dialed down the ADI a bit smoothed her out and continued. I never let off the gas, but it clearly was not running as it should. I knew at that very moment we were out of it. Our only chance was Voodoo breaking, which it eventually did , but not soon enough. Stevo is a great pilot and a cool head. He was able to nurse her along at the end and finish. I was closing every lap. Just not fast enough. Bottom line is we got slapped around by Team Voodoo and shown how it is done. Allan Preston once said "that's why they call it racing. If it were easy we would call it winning". We went up there wounded from the start on a wing and a prayer. Strega's race program was in decline. Its always about the same thing MONEY!!!!! No money no win. I was hoping to bring some welcome relief in the money department, but my plans were dashed when the money did not materialize from my sponsor. If it were not for Dennis at Sun Air Parts, Vintage V12 and Tiger spending his last dime we would not have been there. We shot ourselves in the foot by not replacing the rocker arms. Did I make mistakes along the way you bet. Friday's deadline cut was a killer. It cost the race team 80,000 dollars of prize money by not being in the gold race on Saturday. If I had to do it all again however I would have made the same decision. The new race course and rules really tie the hands of the pilot. The new deadlines are unsafe in my opinion except for the first two lead aircraft. Passing on the west side is for the most part impossible. FAA thinks you should just throttle back like in a sprint car and wait for a good spot in the course to pass. What a joke!!!! Try dealing with that with a 100 MPH over take of a slower aircraft with a 250 foot funnel to fly in. No I would do the same thing given what I had to deal with. As a race pilot you have to deal with a lot of negative stuff. This is just another one of those things you have to deal with if you want to race.

[Ken Adkins]

Re: PRS Tuesday

Thanks so much for your response Matt! Being able to read your post is why I've been coming to AAFO daily since 2005!

[GRNDP51]

Re: PRS Tuesday

And for us dreamers, sure would be nice to see again :-)

And a cub class : -)

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Ok now. We have hundreds of people on this website that either view it once a day, week, month, or year, but is there SOMEONE out there that knows if Dago is sitting in a field, is taken apart, or anything! After talking to Jim and Trevor at PRS I'm so hoping that the return of Dago is finally here. This is the first time that hoping for Dago is not completely out of the questions. unless I have proof that Dago is sitting in a field in stock TF configuration I'm gonna keep hoping she's coming back until the entries are posted in late July. Someone has to know something.... Someone always knows something...

And thanks Matt for the detailed response, it's always nice to hear intelligent thoughts from a seasoned pilot

[Matt Jackson]

Re: PRS Tuesday

Ok now. We have hundreds of people on this website that either view it once a day, week, month, or year, but is there SOMEONE out there that knows if Dago is sitting in a field, is taken apart, or anything! After talking to Jim and Trevor at PRS I'm so hoping that the return of Dago is finally here. This is the first time that hoping for Dago is not completely out of the questions. unless I have proof that Dago is sitting in a field in stock TF configuration I'm gonna keep hoping she's coming back until the entries are posted in late July. Someone has to know something.... Someone always knows something...

And thanks Matt for the detailed response, it's always nice to hear intelligent thoughts from a seasoned pilot

I have been told by a very reliable source that Dago is sitting in pieces awaiting rebuild to stock configuration. That it will not reappear as a racer. This is a wise move considering everything done to make her a race plane is reversible these days. Plane is worth far more as a stocker. Race Mustangs are essentially flying future restoration projects. They are too valuable to let them sit especially if there are no races.

[supercub]

Re: PRS Tuesday

And for us dreamers, sure would be nice to see again :-)

And a cub class : -)

[ATTACH=CONFIG]20674[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]20675[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]20676[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]20677[/ATTACH]

And a cub class YESSSSSSSSSSssssssssssssssssss!!!

I've heard rumors that RARA is actually considering a Cub Class in 2015...............PRS for the Cubs will be held in April of 2015 to allow enough time for the pilots and planes to return home after PRS, and then get back to Reno in Sept 2015 for the races.
RARA in a little publicized announcement said they expect attendance to increase by at least a dozen people due to the addded class.......oh ya, the field will be limited to the slowest.........I mean fastest 12 airplanes.
Word has it, that Stevo has been approached to fly Cubdoo.......a highly modified cub with a C-75. cruise prop and streamilined shock cord covers. First thing Stevo asked was "where's the prop control" Stevo thinks they can pick up an additional 3mph by flying the course with the clam shell doors closed. Stay tuned for additional info.
Brian
PS........anyone know where I can get an entry form?

[Ron Lewark]

Re: PRS Tuesday

I read somewhere in the past where Dago was purchased by someone from Anchorage and it was moved up there in pieces. Might have read that on the Mustang-Mustang web site. As Matt said they are worth more restored to stock. Would love to see Dago race one more time before I go away, always had a love affair with that plane and paint job. it brings tears to my eyes when I reminisce about all the beautiful Modified Mustangs I've had the pleasure to watch race since the early seventies, now most of them returned to stock, which is as they should be when retired from racing, hell, I'd settle for watching stock Mustangs race and be very happy. Don't get me wrong, I love all the planes involved in the air races but have had a soft spot for the P-51 since a kid. Lived in Phoenix a couple of years when a kid. Mom used to take me out to the fenced storage yard at Litchefield and drive around the perimeter and let me look at all the surplus warbirds parked there, I remember rows of Mustangs. This was in 1948 when you could buy one for next to nothing in today's dollars.
Ron

[N22252]

Re: PRS Tuesday

And a cub class YESSSSSSSSSSssssssssssssssssss!!!

I've heard rumors that RARA is actually considering a Cub Class in 2015...............PRS for the Cubs will be held in April of 2015 to allow enough time for the pilots and planes to return home after PRS, and then get back to Reno in Sept 2015 for the races.
RARA in a little publicized announcement said they expect attendance to increase by at least a dozen people due to the addded class.......oh ya, the field will be limited to the slowest.........I mean fastest 12 airplanes.
Word has it, that Stevo has been approached to fly Cubdoo.......a highly modified cub with a C-75. cruise prop and streamilined shock cord covers. First thing Stevo asked was "where's the prop control" Stevo thinks they can pick up an additional 3mph by flying the course with the clam shell doors closed. Stay tuned for additional info.
Brian
PS........anyone know where I can get an entry form?

I heard all the Cub Class pilots are standing down after the FAA mandated that the race would be run at night due to density altitude concerns.

[supercub]

Re: PRS Tuesday

I heard all the Cub Class pilots are standing down after the FAA mandated that the race would be run at night due to density altitude concerns.

The Cub Racing Class response was "What's Density Altitude"?

The newly formed "CRAP CLASS" (Cub Racing Air plane Class) has also notified that FAA that night races are out of the question......due to the fact that most Cubs don't have a switch for Nav Lights

Brian

[Desertdawg]

Re: PRS Tuesday

The Cub Racing Class response was "What's Density Altitude"?

The newly formed "CRAP CLASS" (Cub Racing Air plane Class) has also notified that FAA that night races are out of the question......due to the fact that most Cubs don't have a switch for Nav Lights

Brian

Just think, a stock cub class and then a unlimited class where they could be painted in the colors of past unlimited racers.

All kidding aside, this could be entertaining and a crowd pleaser, as long as they keep the course close to the home pylon.

Unless they find a serious sponsor and a Sunday Gold pot worth $750,000.00+ or more, the unlimited class as we know will be gone in a few years.

I just hope they have the vision to get old warbirds of any color to attend once the venue evolves towards the sport, T6 and other classes.

[V1670]

Re: PRS Tuesday

I read somewhere in the past where Dago was purchased by someone from Anchorage and it was moved up there in pieces. Might have read that on the Mustang-Mustang web site. As Matt said they are worth more restored to stock. Would love to see Dago race one more time before I go away, always had a love affair with that plane and paint job. it brings tears to my eyes when I reminisce about all the beautiful Modified Mustangs I've had the pleasure to watch race since the early seventies, now most of them returned to stock, which is as they should be when retired from racing, hell, I'd settle for watching stock Mustangs race and be very happy. Don't get me wrong, I love all the planes involved in the air races but have had a soft spot for the P-51 since a kid. Lived in Phoenix a couple of years when a kid. Mom used to take me out to the fenced storage yard at Litchefield and drive around the perimeter and let me look at all the surplus warbirds parked there, I remember rows of Mustangs. This was in 1948 when you could buy one for next to nothing in today's dollars.
Ron

Amen to THAT,bro. I could watch Mustangs day in/day out; stockers,modifieds,racing, aerobatics..heck, just taxing. Love those beasties. Dago,Strega,Stilleto,Galloping Ghost,Jeannie,Georgia Mae,Red Baron,Sumthin' Else,Precious Metal...love them all. But I think for me (kinda like girlfriends), I've got a soft-spot in the ticker for the first: Roto-Finish Special. My first race and she won it.