Aeroshell Speed Dash 1993

[CJAM427]

I was researching the origins of Aeroshell's yearly EAA poster and it turns out it traces back to this event from the 1993 Convention.

http://eaavideo.org/video.aspx?v=1125874326

Far from ideal conditions for this kind of thing, but its still pretty cool! -Its always a real treat when air racers decide to venture "east" especially when they fly for us during the show!

Connor

[Big_Jim]

Re: Aeroshell Speed Dash 1993

Somewhere I have a VHS of the Aeroshell Speed Dash/Oshkosh coverage from ESPN that year.

[wingman]

Re: Aeroshell Speed Dash 1993

Jack Cox wrote an excellent set of articles in the EAA magazine "Sport Aviation" about this event. These articles were full of great information about IF1 racers and about the personalities involved. Very highly recommended to anyone interested in IF1 and in going fast.

When I talked to Jon about the experience at Reno that year, he talked mostly about how rough the ride was and how the engine kept cutting out from negative Gs during the bouncing.

Neal

[Nemesis]

Re: Aeroshell Speed Dash 1993

Hi All,

WOW!!! A blast from the past!!!! That whole thing was a REAL BLAST!!!! Bruce Bohannon, and to some level Dan Bond made that happen. Bruce was the standard bearer for Aero Shell. He was EXTRAORDINARY at sponsor support. EAA was amazing for letting us beat the airport up, it was really a fun event, and gave F1 a real shot in the arm as far as visability. That event sponsored by Aero Shel also launched F! into a "series" so to speak, where we were having races pop up all over the place. Yes as was mentioned the turbulence for all of us was impressive. I remember slamming my head into the canopy repeatedly followed by a butt slam on the seat. The engine with it's float carb every negative g would stop, then run again every several seconds.... But man did we have fun there, and Bruce and Aero Shell were AWESOME!!! EAA treated us like kings, it was GREAT!!!

In the video it showed the turbulece was so bad that Tom Hauptman (SP) hit his canopy so hard it caved in on him, and his pilot skills got back on the ground in one piece. The event was a blast!

Jon

[Carbonprop]

Re: Aeroshell Speed Dash 1993

I was crewing for Team Nemesis at that event. They made these great posters for it.

[CJAM427]

Re: Aeroshell Speed Dash 1993

Hi All,

WOW!!! A blast from the past!!!! That whole thing was a REAL BLAST!!!! Bruce Bohannon, and to some level Dan Bond made that happen. Bruce was the standard bearer for Aero Shell. He was EXTRAORDINARY at sponsor support. EAA was amazing for letting us beat the airport up, it was really a fun event, and gave F1 a real shot in the arm as far as visability. That event sponsored by Aero Shel also launched F! into a "series" so to speak, where we were having races pop up all over the place. Yes as was mentioned the turbulence for all of us was impressive. I remember slamming my head into the canopy repeatedly followed by a butt slam on the seat. The engine with it's float carb every negative g would stop, then run again every several seconds.... But man did we have fun there, and Bruce and Aero Shell were AWESOME!!! EAA treated us like kings, it was GREAT!!!

In the video it showed the turbulece was so bad that Tom Hauptman (SP) hit his canopy so hard it caved in on him, and his pilot skills got back on the ground in one piece. The event was a blast!

Jon

Jon, I can't put to words how cool it is that you responded to this! It's so awesome to hear a first hand account of the event!

[Nemesis]

Re: Aeroshell Speed Dash 1993

Thank you for the kind words. Thanks Carbon prop for putting up the poster, VERY COOOL!. Carbon Prop, do you have one of the posters that were signed by all the pilots there? Those are treasures if you do. When we moved out of the hanger in Mojave, we found a couple, those are really cool since several of the signees are up flying with Jimmy and company....
The poster is a story in itself. Aero Shell went out into a pasture in Wisconsin, found "bossy" and took a picture as she stood. Then for each speed someone grabbed "bossy's" cheeks and pulled them back a little, picture, then pulled them back further for the I think 300 MPH picture. Some really good photoshop person got rid of the hands..... I hope that bossy didn't do THos posters are really SOMETHING!!! Aero Shell was AWESOME!!!!it......

One of the years we did the speed dash, I don't remember which one there was the usual forecast of rain, and we knew we were to be in a tent on the grass somewhere. The little Nemesis' wheel pants fit so tight that we were afraid of getting mud stuck up in the and making the wheel drag.... Since the little guy Nemesis' wheel pants were permanent, could have been a disaster. So in anticipation we built a dolly to roll the plane up on with some big wheel barrel wheels, and a tow hitch so we could tow the little guy out of the mud. It worked reasonably OK as I remember, only almost fell off the dolly once before we got it figured out.... But it was a fun trip, as we had all our crew there, and it was most of our first times to Osh, and you never forget that! Nemesis Really ROCKED that weekend, in spite of stopping and starting during each pass.

Jon

[Lockheed Bob]

Re: Aeroshell Speed Dash 1993

Jon Sharp. I'm sure all of us on the AAFO web site wish to thank you & your team for promoting Air Racing & the F1 class over the years. Well done.

[Nemesis]

Re: Aeroshell Speed Dash 1993

Lockheed Bob,

Thank you for the kind words. F1 was really good to Patricia (Nemebabe), me, and our team. This is very exciting time for F1 with a large field for the first time in a long time. A big tip of the hat to Steve Senegal, and Phillip Goforth for all the work, and visibility to take the class to a level not seen in a long time. Phillip, how many planes are you bringing? 10-12??????
If I could throw in more Atta-boys, one huge has to be for Steve Hill. Steve went WAAAAAAAAY out on a limb many years ago, to create and develop an all carbon fiber racing prop, ultra safe, very very high performance reliable 100% carbon fiber prop. Steve I have to say saved the class, and lives, because at the time everyone was using aluminum race props. They kept failing catastrophicly causing countless real disasters. The class outlawed the one piece metal props. So everyone had to instantly switch to something else, that had never been done. Everyone went overnight to wood, which had their fair share of catastrophic failures also. Along came Steve to save the day. His props have won every Reno race since. Not ONE has failed catastrophically. You either ran one or followed many... Steve made over 200 props. He stopped making them several years ago, causing quite the stir in the class.The good news is that the “Twisted Composites” prop business has been sold to an up and coming racer Eric Dienst. Who will soon, with Steve’s training, be delivering the amazing carbon props again. So Steve’s prop legacy goes on. Also, keep an eye out for Eric in 2017.... He’ll have a cool F1, that looks amazing the same, errrrrr. similar to the F1 “Pinkie”. So the Nemesis Legacy in F1 will continue on also....He’ll be fun to watch!

As for the Nemesis F1 escapades. All the credit goes to my wife Patricia, who put on the 2 Lancaster races almost single handedly. She along with one of our team members, of the time, Dan Bond, were instrumental in the races elsewhere around the country, and in Canada. Reno is “easy” so to speak. RARA does all the PR, all the purse gathering, insurance, FAA co-ordination, trophies, ALL the tasks, making it easy for the racers and crews to just come and race. But it is another deal putting on an event. The Lancaster races had F1, and Biplane, and a full complement of airshow acts. The bipes were incredible support, and man they have SOME FUN!

I have to say that Patricia and Dan did all that small race work, just so we could have more races. And yea the “promoter” took a HUGE financial risk and hit to make them happen. Patricia and Dan, were also involved heavily in the races in Kingman, Laughlin, Vancouver, to name a few. It was a lot of work, but WAAAAY fun!

The Aeroshell Speed was really Bruce Bohannon, with some support from Patricia and Dan.

The “Nemebabe” was the main “Dudette” for all the PR and visibility for our team, all the TV stuff, pit visibility, all the displays, the Smithsonian retirement of little “Pinkie”, you name it the Nemebabe was making it happen!

So sorry to ramble, but so many people did so much to make things happen, and God blessed me to have AMAZING people around us so I could sit in the seat and steer.... F1 was a great ride, and Thanks to all who have supported all the races!!!!

SO God Bless all you race junkies!!!! You make it happen!!!!!
All the best,
The “Nemenoids”