No Voodoo on the podium

[PowerByPackard]

Just curious if anyone knows why Voodoo skipped the podium this year. Only time I remember someone doing that was to go protest something. Such a great race and with the plane retiring it would have been great to see them out there.

[Sven42]

Re: No Voodoo on the podium

I'd have to think it's because Strega passed them on the inside. Surprised nobody seems to be talking about this. Thought it was a no no.

[PowerByPackard]

Re: No Voodoo on the podium

I'd have to think it's because Strega passed them on the inside. Surprised nobody seems to be talking about this. Thought it was a no no.

That was my thought as well. That pass really caught my attention. I'm not sure who makes that call though.

[bflynt]

Re: No Voodoo on the podium

I'd have to think it's because Strega passed them on the inside. Surprised nobody seems to be talking about this. Thought it was a no no.

Overall, I thought the race was the most exciting I've witnessed in my 15 years of Reno. That being said the pass did look suspect while watching it live.

Tonight, while looking for a video on YouTube I found this excellent angle, filmed from the hills to the north east. I believe 6:16 is the pass. It looks like Voodoo goes wide around traffic but Strega, already at a higher altitude, keeps the same line and goes over the traffic thereby taking the shorter (and inside) line. Having been told the visibility is poor from these two aircraft I'd be concerned that either pilot could see each other. In years past, Voodoo has always made their cockpit video available so that could shed some light on the matter if they choose to do that again.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cxOpXAM-spw

[tedstriker]

Re: No Voodoo on the podium

I'd have to think it's because Strega passed them on the inside. Surprised nobody seems to be talking about this. Thought it was a no no.

Steve Stavrakakis announced that Voodoo had to maneuver around a plane he was lapping. I think if the plane ahead maneuvers off his inner line he's flying, those behind him wouldn't have to maneuver with him and go even further to the outside just to be able to pass. Once he moved off his protected inner line he was flying it was open for someone else to fly it. That plane that appeared in front of Steveo forcing him to maneuver around it cost him the race. It's all part of racing. The plane in front of him had every right to be there, it was bad timing. Some of these scenarios may not be that well defined in the rules.

[georgiacub]

Re: No Voodoo on the podium

I'd have to think it's because Strega passed them on the inside. Surprised nobody seems to be talking about this. Thought it was a no no.

When I saw the pass, I thought that the Voodoo team would be able to file a successful protest. The reason being that a passing aircraft must maintain a visual during an inside pass. There is no way that visual contact was maintained during the pass.

I'm surprised that Streaga was not DQed. I would have disqualified the pass as dangerous.

[ECayemberg]

Re: No Voodoo on the podium

When I saw the pass, I thought that the Voodoo team would be able to file a successful protest. The reason being that a passing aircraft must maintain a visual during an inside pass. There is no way that visual contact was maintained during the pass.

I'm surprised that Streaga was not DQed. I would have disqualified the pass as dangerous.

Seconded! Low profile lurker, and long time air-racing follower....outstanding race but I couldn't believe they called that a clean pass. I'm left a bit dumbfounded; love both planes, wasn't really pulling for one over the other. Left scratching my head.

-Eric-

[Desertdawg]

Re: No Voodoo on the podium

Seconded! Low profile lurker, and long time air-racing follower....outstanding race but I couldn't believe they called that a clean pass.-Eric-

Eric,

Welcome onboard young man. Thanks for joining the discussion.

[GRNDP51]

Re: No Voodoo on the podium

Besides the pass, Steven isn't and has never been a sore loser. The plane was shut off at the very far side of the field past the sport hangars and it got towed back from there. The crew (Bernie etc) were waiting on the tug in the podium spot for Voodoo but it looked broken. No use in dumping oil over the whole field to park it on the podium for a few minutes.

[IcePaq]

Re: No Voodoo on the podium

Very good showing from Voodoo who's wing was certainly not optimized for banking and cranking.

[brendenpavao]

Re: No Voodoo on the podium

I've seen it mentioned on the fan page on Facebook that Voodoo's oil temperature was through the roof. It seems like many people are upset about Stevo not making the podium, but I think it's obvious that his priorities change quickly with mechanical issues. He stuck around the pits for a while afterwards meeting fans.

[L.E.D.]

Re: No Voodoo on the podium

Very good showing from Voodoo who's wing was certainly not optimized for banking and cranking.

I dunno.. Stevos line was pretty tight.. Strega didn't make big gains in the turns. Just kept working the line and the traffic.

[Lockheed Bob]

Re: No Voodoo on the podium

Any speeds for "Strega" & "Voodoo" that are official. Once again some had "Strega" in the 499 MPH range & others had him in the 480's MPH. Same with "Voodoo".

[LoveOldPlanes]

Re: No Voodoo on the podium

No foul intended, on Facebook Tommy Gardner, who ran social media for the Team for a few years posted this message he got from Stevo:

Tommy Gardner to Voodoo Air Racing
4 mins · Summerville, SC ·

This is the text message conversation directly from Stevo so everything can be clarified:

Hey Tommy thanks very much; yes the engine shut off at the end of the runway, it was surging and quitting, and I got it to run long enough to get off the runway before it quit. I tried starting it twice to get down to the grand stands but it wouldn't light off, and I soon became aware that if I got a large stack fire or the battery wouldn't crank it over that there was no one around with a fire bottle, bad situation to be in.
Would you please clarify that to people on Facebook, I wanted to be down there, I am not a poor sport, it was a shame the airplane couldn't be down there for the ceremony. We've got some work to do today to get it fixed.

[dec]

Re: No Voodoo on the podium

Seconded! Low profile lurker, and long time air-racing follower....outstanding race but I couldn't believe they called that a clean pass. I'm left a bit dumbfounded; love both planes, wasn't really pulling for one over the other. Left scratching my head.

-Eric-

I'm wondering if this could be a case of "off-setting penalties?" From where we were in the stands it looked like Voodoo would be penalized for low flying--which we loved in the several instances that he was so low--so much skill. Did anyone notice that the announcers didn't immediately recognize a winner? With so many being penalized in earlier races for low flying i wonder if they decided to let this one be? Regardless it was a race decided by traffic but still was a race for the ages. It was truly edge of your seat action--both pilots were incredible!!!!!!