I deleted a thread about the Ghost

[AAFO_WSagar]

Re: I deleted a thread about the Ghost

A lot of you guys knew Jimmy personally.. do any of you remember him in any other way than a guy who just loved the sport, the off hours fun, the challenge to WIN the gold and be the best..

God, in many ways, Jimmy Leeward just epitomized the Reno Air Racer!


I will forever miss having him on my speed dial kicking my ass about what somebody did... or his insistence that HE PUT ME IN THE SPOTS WHERE I COULD GET THE SHOTS!

[CubersWrist]

Re: I deleted a thread about the Ghost

This crash is why I'm here. Without the national news I wouldn't have known that people still raced airplanes.

I was still in college at the time, and seeing the crash videos made my stomach sick for the rest of the day. And then seeing the inept reporting from the major news outlets irritated me so I started digging into the aviation forums like WIX and here. And then as a byproduct I saw a glimpse of what Reno was supposed to be like.

[GRNDP51]

Re: I deleted a thread about the Ghost

Was that pass on the last lap before the accident?

Who did Leeward's engines?

T J

Shanholtzer. More or less an engine package similar to what Miss America has been using with the aftercooler still present.

[Fence Sence]

Re: I deleted a thread about the Ghost

A lot of you guys knew Jimmy personally.. do any of you remember him in any other way than a guy who just loved the sport, the off hours fun, the challenge to WIN the gold and be the best..

God, in many ways, Jimmy Leeward just epitomized the Reno Air Racer!

I must be the only one who has any sort of different experience with Leeward. I’ve spent a few minutes of my life in the pits. The vast majority of pilots and crews have always been super personable and friendly. Jimmy never once acknowledged my existence. I spent quite a bit of time hanging around the GG pits early in the 2011 event. I’ve never felt so unwelcome as a fan in all my life. I really wanted to meet him. Every time I would try and walk up to him, he’d turn around and go stand at the back of the airplane, arms crossed, no talking. I’m not trying to offend anyone. I’m clearly the only one to ever say anything negative about the man. I really just wanted to meet one my heroes. Negative. Maybe he just didn’t like my face?

[Guest]

Re: I deleted a thread about the Ghost

I must be the only one who has any sort of different experience with Leeward. I’ve spent a few minutes of my life in the pits. The vast majority of pilots and crews have always been super personable and friendly. Jimmy never once acknowledged my existence. I spent quite a bit of time hanging around the GG pits early in the 2011 event. I’ve never felt so unwelcome as a fan in all my life. I really wanted to meet him. Every time I would try and walk up to him, he’d turn around and go stand at the back of the airplane, arms crossed, no talking. I’m not trying to offend anyone. I’m clearly the only one to ever say anything negative about the man. I really just wanted to meet one my heroes. Negative. Maybe he just didn’t like my face?

That's a bummer, Fence. Always sucks when you have a chance to meet a hero and for whatever reason, the simply don't live up to expectations. Takes 'em down a peg or two.

Suspect most of us who love motorsports, or any sport for that matter, may have had a similar experience at one point or another. Know I did...a bit of a punch in the gut for sure.

[Fence Sence]

Re: I deleted a thread about the Ghost

That's a bummer, Fence. Always sucks when you have a chance to meet a hero and for whatever reason, the simply don't live up to expectations. Takes 'em down a peg or two.

Suspect most of us who love motorsports, or any sport for that matter, may have had a similar experience at one point or another. Know I did...a bit of a punch in the gut for sure.

Ya, considering what happened next, I wasn’t exactly the biggest fan. Bitter would be an understatement. Over the last near decade, I’ve told myself that my perception was not the reality. That hasn’t really seemed changed my perception though. Apparently my perception is stubborn.

[knot4u]

Re: I deleted a thread about the Ghost

Ya, considering what happened next, I wasn’t exactly the biggest fan. Bitter would be an understatement. Over the last near decade, I’ve told myself that my perception was not the reality. That hasn’t really seemed changed my perception though. Apparently my perception is stubborn.

Maybe he was having a bad day, some people wear their emotions on their sleeve, others are able to set it aside and move on. First impressions are important, maybe that's why people say when you finally meet your hero toss your expectations aside because what you expect isn't likely to match reality.

[AAFO_WSagar]

Re: I deleted a thread about the Ghost

Maybe he was having a bad day, some people wear their emotions on their sleeve, others are able to set it aside and move on. First impressions are important, maybe that's why people say when you finally meet your hero toss your expectations aside because what you expect isn't likely to match reality.

I would say with some certainty that *something* was on Jimmy's mind..

You have to remember, Reno racers are not funded by huge sponsors, it's almost 100% funded by the competitive drive of the racers. Jimmy wasn't exactly a poor man, but, the fact that what he was doing at any given moment at RENO was costing him an arm and a leg, I suspect that he would have had times where he was really under pressure...

He may have just needed to separate himself from what was going on around him..

BEARING in mind what DID happen, do you think it possible that he was just preparing himself for going into battle with his Ghost??? I know being around other pilots who race at RENO, there were times that it was pretty obvious that they needed/wanted to be left alone..

Personally, I do not know what makes these guys (racers that go like a bat out of hell at "fifty feet above rattlesnakes and rocks!" (credit: World of Wings premier episode year 2000) but I'd wager they're pretty complex people..

Anyway Fence, you obviously took it personally.. I've been around "stars" my entire life and trust me, EVERYONE needs their space sometimes.. you may have hit Jimmy at exactly the wrong time each time you tried to meet him.. My experiences with him showed him to be the exact opposite of what you experienced and I KNOW he loved the fans!!

[CubersWrist]

Re: I deleted a thread about the Ghost

Personally, I do not know what makes these guys (racers that go like a bat out of hell at "fifty feet above rattlesnakes and rocks!" (credit: World of Wings premier episode year 2000) but I'd wager they're pretty complex people..

Andy talked about his preparation and routine last year. And yes he does go off on his own to clear his mind of distractions. https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/the...ook/e/62448939

[T J Johansen]

Re: I deleted a thread about the Ghost

Shanholtzer. More or less an engine package similar to what Miss America has been using with the aftercooler still present.

Thanks for the reply.

T J