Voodoo

[wingman]

I have a favor to ask. Could someone photograph and post the gear leg with crew list for Voodoo at Reno this year? I'm really curious about the composition of the new crew for 2016, since Mr. Button has gutted the winning group that has been crewing the airplane the last few years. The new crew will, I suspect be much smaller and presumably highly skilled, but it's going to be very different.

I wish them good luck in 2016.

Neal

[rforslund]

Re: Voodoo

I have a favor to ask. Could someone photograph and post the gear leg with crew list for Voodoo at Reno this year? I'm really curious about the composition of the new crew for 2016, since Mr. Button has gutted the winning group that has been crewing the airplane the last few years. The new crew will, I suspect be much smaller and presumably highly skilled, but it's going to be very different.

I wish them good luck in 2016.

Neal

Here is a link to the website with crew information: http://www.voodooairacing.com/about.html

[wingman]

Re: Voodoo

Thanks for that link. For some reason I hadn't thought to check there. I don't think it is quite up to date though -- my understanding is that JC Calkins has been pushed out too. I'd still like to see that gear door shot -- Race crews are always fluid. I remember from my Rare Bear days that sometimes the list on Gold Race Sunday would be different from what was on the airplane when it arrived.

Thanks in advance.

Neal

[CJAM427]

Re: Voodoo

I don't arrive till Thursday night of Race week, so I'm sure someone else will get a photo of it before then. But I'll take one once I'm there anyway.

[wingman]

Re: Voodoo

Thank you...

One thing I tried to do regularly over the years was to get this shot for the major racers each year (especially if my name was on the door, LOL!). I have periodically found it extremely useful in later years.

Neal

[CJAM427]

Re: Voodoo

Just thought to look at the doors from my January PoF visit; nothing on either door.

Voodoo Daybreak by Connor Madison, on Flickr

Also looking on Facebook at the Voodoo page, as of last week it looks like the right side door was still blank.

[wingman]

Re: Voodoo

Not real surprising. They're pretty busy right now! Very often this lettering is not done til after arrival at Stead. Like I said, crew situations are often fluid, and changes made right up to and into Race week...

Especially when Bob Button is involved.

[CJAM427]

Re: Voodoo

Good point!

[wingman]

Re: Voodoo

Regarding the Voodoo website -- I got a Private Message saying that Steve Lamb was cut from the team a year or more ago, as well as KC this year. I also notice that the photo for the crew page features Kerch's name (and symbol) quite prominently. That's a pretty glaring insult given Bill's current status. I do not think they're doing much about keeping that web site up to date.

The PM also indicated that the gear leg for Reno 2015 had nothing on it except Steve Hinton's name until it got a couple of sponsor stickers later in the week after complaints from some of the sponsors.

Do we have a certain lack of respect for crew members who are working their butts off (usually on their own dime) to make a Racer run?

When I crewed for a couple of major Unlimiteds back in the 1980s, I know it was extremely important to me that my name was on the airplane somewhere. I know -- it's an ego thing. But I have a very large and healthy ego and all I can say is that it was important to me.

Neal

[rforslund]

Re: Voodoo

Thanks for that link. For some reason I hadn't thought to check there. I don't think it is quite up to date though -- my understanding is that JC Calkins has been pushed out too. I'd still like to see that gear door shot -- Race crews are always fluid. I remember from my Rare Bear days that sometimes the list on Gold Race Sunday would be different from what was on the airplane when it arrived.

Thanks in advance.

Neal

Sorry that wasn't more help! It's the best I had with limited connections..:-)

[wingman]

Re: Voodoo

I think it is the best information out there, though quite flawed. This is not a very communicative team. Absolutely nothing to apologise for here. If I had been using my head that's the first place I would have looked.

Actually I think the state of that website says a lot about that team and their priorities.

Neal

[Matt58]

Re: Voodoo

I know a lot of people have a hard time swallowing what happened with the Voodoo team in the off season. I was one of those people.

I am connected to the Voodoo team through family, and given that, I have to bite my tongue and not divulge too much information (the limited amount I have that is).

Anyone that knows Bob, has a pretty good sense about what this man is all about, and from time to time, it has a tendency to rub people the wrong way.

We all know Kerch is THE king when it come to this sport, and to be honest, I have no clue why he and so many others from the team were sent packing after last year. It breaks my heart to see talent dismissed like that, but at the end of the day, it's Bob's plane, and he writes the checks, so he can do whatever he feels is necessary to ensure the success of his team/plane; right or wrong.

Bob is bringing his plane this year, with a talented man at the stick. Time will tell if the decisions made in the off season were the right ones.

My bet is, after this year's races, we will see Voodoo do some remarkable things in the off season, on the clock that is.

Kerch is the man as far as I'm concerned; his contribution to this sport is PRICELESS!!!! But, Voodoo isn't registered in my name, and therefore, I have zero control over what happens, and that is a tough pill to swallow for everyone.

The thread about Kerch legitimately broke my heart and it sucks, but it's the reality of the this year's event.

I just hope for a safe, accident free year of racing and welcome all planes in open arms.

(off my soapbox)

[Fence Sence]

Re: Voodoo

Firing Kerch is like the Packers firing Lombardi. The fans are gonna freak out and none of them are going to stop asking "why" until they know "why". It's a scenario that is unfathomable to the vast majority of us. Someone, somewhere at some point is going to talk. They always do. I think we all (I) feel we have the right to know, even if we don't actually have that right. I doubt the human is us will ever let it go. So until then, the races without Kerch are a bit like popcorn with no butter, just a bunch of salt.