Strega 2019

[Reno Box 77]

Current issue of Air Classics contains report from Reno 2018. Sun Air Parts has an ad which contains this verbiage:

FLASH: Sun Air Parts will be managing the rebuild of the Vintage V-12s Merlin for Strega - watch for us at Reno 2019!
Hopefully this will start a trend.

[PowerByPackard]

Re: Strega 2019

Current issue of Air Classics contains report from Reno 2018. Sun Air Parts has an ad which contains this verbiage:

FLASH: Sun Air Parts will be managing the rebuild of the Vintage V-12s Merlin for Strega - watch for us at Reno 2019!
Hopefully this will start a trend.

Awesome. Never going to be sad to see the Witch turning the sticks. Happy Halloween!!!

[AAFO_WSagar]

Re: Strega 2019

Current issue of Air Classics contains report from Reno 2018. Sun Air Parts has an ad which contains this verbiage:

FLASH: Sun Air Parts will be managing the rebuild of the Vintage V-12s Merlin for Strega - watch for us at Reno 2019!
Hopefully this will start a trend.

With the new talent and vision within RARA coming to the table, who knows what we'll see happen! This could and I really mean COULD become something altogether different than what we've seen in the way of funding...

[Lon Moer]

Re: Strega 2019

[Samuel]

Re: Strega 2019

This is great news! Hoping this means that Voodoo will be back also! Now if we could only get the Bear out of hibernation...

[Rigby]

Re: Strega 2019

I guess I will be the "devil's advocate" here. If Strega does enter next year, and Voodoo does not, who really believes that it will be a true race if Strega remains healthy? What plane out there, with the exception of Voodoo has a chance to beat Strega? I don't believe that Rare Bear has flown in the past 3-4 years. I get the idea that the owner is not at all interested in racing the Bear, so I really don't think it will be there in 2019, other than a display piece. I really enjoyed the races this year, as there was a chance that anyone could win the unlimited gold race. If Strega and Voodoo show up next year, it is a given that one of them will win, as long as one, or both, of them stay healthy. If for some reason they both are out of the race, well then it might be interesting. I would compare it to watching Ali fight a bunch of golden gloves boxers.....pretty sure who will win.

[Lockheed Bob]

Re: Strega 2019

It's all money. If they(unknow) would pay the unlimited winner $500K/$1Million there would be a full field of true racers.

[knot4u]

Re: Strega 2019

It's all money. If they(unknow) would pay the unlimited winner $500K/$1Million there would be a full field of true racers.

I'm not sure a million dollars is enough to guarantee a full field of fast airplanes. It takes a lot more than money to get these really fast airplanes to Reno.

[Desertdawg]

Re: Strega 2019

I'm not sure a million dollars is enough to guarantee a full field of fast airplanes. It takes a lot more than money to get these really fast airplanes to Reno.

But on the positive side of this, it sure would help!

[AAFO_WSagar]

Re: Strega 2019

Using NASCAR as an example, I think their sponsor dollars far exceed the prize money. I believe that will be the equation that our sport needs to truly get meaningful return for the owners of the aircraft who have to foot the huge bills.

The big question is how in heck to get more sponsor/partners to join in for the fun!

[GRNDP51]

Re: Strega 2019

I guess I will be the "devil's advocate" here. If Strega does enter next year, and Voodoo does not, who really believes that it will be a true race if Strega remains healthy? What plane out there, with the exception of Voodoo has a chance to beat Strega? I don't believe that Rare Bear has flown in the past 3-4 years. I get the idea that the owner is not at all interested in racing the Bear, so I really don't think it will be there in 2019, other than a display piece. I really enjoyed the races this year, as there was a chance that anyone could win the unlimited gold race. If Strega and Voodoo show up next year, it is a given that one of them will win, as long as one, or both, of them stay healthy. If for some reason they both are out of the race, well then it might be interesting. I would compare it to watching Ali fight a bunch of golden gloves boxers.....pretty sure who will win.

As this all stands right now (10+ months until next year), Strega has a sponsor for an engine. From there you have multiple possibilities. I have heard rumors of 1) a lower tier engine to hopefully cut the price a little bit. This could also mean that there could be another competitor with a fast, but not THAT fast Unlimited. Take Czech Mate, or a super stocker Mustang (Brown, someone else). I’m thinking of this because Tiger’s agreement in 2018 with Telling that bringing Strega to race itself wouldn’t be worth it. Yes, Fred and Tiger agreed on Strega not racing in 2018 because the lack of competition. Tiger pulling the trigger this soon (so it seems) would hint at some sort of competition for gold. BUT 2) Steven slated as the pilot could mean an attempt at trying to break some the Reno records. That would mean a full (maybe even MORE than full) race Strega that would smoke the competition BUT make an attempt at breaking records. I say attempt since we all know that the course changes and especially timing changes might make this impossible. But putting a proven record breaking pilot in Strega when it seems there isn’t any competition could point to breaking records. 3) Rod and Fred have talked. I don’t know what came of it but it seems to be an ongoing conversation, as recent as September. I wouldn’t count out Bear yet. Give Fred time... pilot duties..? No idea. That also goes for Czech Mate. And at this point if Steven is going to fly Strega, then Voodoo obviously won’t be there. In the air classics magazine Fred is very positive about the way Unlimited’s are headed. There isn’t any confirmed info out there yet, but it’ll surface. Hopefully purse and sponsors are on the horizon.

In other news, Thom reached out to Scooter Yoak and Tobul about joining him next year. Could have a new Mustang and Tobul back again in 2019

[Warbird5]

Re: Strega 2019

I guess I will be the "devil's advocate" here. If Strega does enter next year, and Voodoo does not, who really believes that it will be a true race if Strega remains healthy? What plane out there, with the exception of Voodoo has a chance to beat Strega? I don't believe that Rare Bear has flown in the past 3-4 years. I get the idea that the owner is not at all interested in racing the Bear, so I really don't think it will be there in 2019, other than a display piece. I really enjoyed the races this year, as there was a chance that anyone could win the unlimited gold race. If Strega and Voodoo show up next year, it is a given that one of them will win, as long as one, or both, of them stay healthy. If for some reason they both are out of the race, well then it might be interesting. I would compare it to watching Ali fight a bunch of golden gloves boxers.....pretty sure who will win.

Evening,

I have long since stopped posting here, but this post has caused me to comment.

I'll say here that If Stevo is indeed Strega's pilot in 19 then Voodoo will not be at Reno.

I'll side with the post that there will be no real competition to head "the Witch" and it sounds plausible to me the Reno records would be the goal. I don't see them bringing less than a fully race prepared engine.

Again the money to build, field and maintain a competitive Unlimited Gold racer is prohibitive based on the possible winnings, and the owners of today that have the resources to fund one didn't get those resources buy continually backing/funding projects, or hobbies that did not at least offer the possibility of a significant return on investment. Its one thing to buy and collect Warbirds in stock to semi stock condition as they have a decent return on investment if sold. It's a entirely different financial situation to fund a racer that has little to no valve if sold, and if its wins the winnings don't cover the cost to enter and compete.

Yes sponsorship, and here I mean multiples sponsors that are willing to write very large checks and continue to do so with very little return on investment as air racing doesn't exactly have a particularly large fan base, lets say compared to NASCAR, and sponsorship in NASCAR is becoming harder and harder to find, keep and maintain. So I'm saying we can forget any meaningful sponsorship for Gold Racers

I've crewed very fast racers, fast racers, and slow racers at Reno for more then thirty (30) years and I agree Reno has changed. Changed and continuing to change. This change can be good for Reno and air racing, but I think the days of the purpose built Reno Unlimited Racer are done. In the rear view mirror, the history books, and if Reno is to continue it will have to go forward with another racing class to provide the thrill, noise, speed and excitement of the Unlimiteds.

I for one will never forget the sound of the fastest Gold Class Unlimiteds rounding pylon eight (8) on the first time to Home Pylon. It don't get any better than that.

Mechanics and crews work safe. Pilots fly Safe,

Warbird Willie

[CubersWrist]

Re: Strega 2019

Using NASCAR as an example, I think their sponsor dollars far exceed the prize money. I believe that will be the equation that our sport needs to truly get meaningful return for the owners of the aircraft who have to foot the huge bills.

The big question is how in heck to get more sponsor/partners to join in for the fun!

I completely agree. It's not enough or even correct to say RARA needs to raise the purse for the unlimiteds. A) they already have the biggest purse of everyone. B) even if RARA re-allocated all the purses of the other classes and gave it to the unlimiteds they would still say it wasn't enough. That means the purse money the unlimiteds are asking for must come from an external source/sponsor. Which is actually a good thing in that this is limited to being only an unlimited class problem and not a RARA/Reno problem.

[supercub]

Re: Strega 2019

So what is the prse for the unlimited now? What does the unlimited winner get?

[GRNDP51]

Re: Strega 2019

So what is the prse for the unlimited now? What does the unlimited winner get?

Tiger said a little shy of $100k, used to be $200k or so before the insurance raise