THE FUTURE IS/OF UNLIMITED? WHAT'S IT LOOK LIKE? THOUGHTS?

[Guest]

Speaking again as a fan here so take nothing from this otherwise:

I know there are plans in work for a few racers in this class for the coming years (Tsunami, etc.) and that's very cool. Some hope on the horizon and exciting to be sure!

That said, and I don't wish to be a negative ninny here, but I don't believe it's lost on anyone that the future of the highly-modified UNL Gold class is in serious jeopardy of slipping into the history books.

I'm certainly not as "long in the tooth" when it comes to all things AAFO and RARA as many folks on this forum. And I'm just guessing but suspect the top tenured folks here account for well over 200 years of experience in air racing, in the aggregate…likely more. There is NO substitute for that level of expertise, and I speak for myself and hopefully many others when I say...Thank You! Your knowledge and contributions are greatly appreciated!

Curious if those who have been around a while have some recollection of the UNL class going through something like this drought in the past. And by drought, I'm referring to what I mentioned above...the Dago’s, Strega’s, VooDoo’s, Bear's, Precious’ of the world (or their historical equivalent) being MIA for a couple years and the apparent lack of any indication of their return any time soon. Strega and VooDoo last clashed in 2017 with a slim chance of that occurring in 2020. And you have to go back to 2013 to find at least three of those in the running on a Gold Sunday.

This is NOT to cast aspersions upon ANY racer in the UNL class. God knows this sport owes a HUGE debt to anyone and everyone who chooses to field a UNL racer regardless of level and all those who toil just as hard to show up year in and year out. We all know who they are, and they are to be highly commended. That never gets old!

I’m speaking of those who made the same choice years ago and took it a step further for whatever reason. Major race engine programs, major aerodynamic changes, as well as upgraded/concept changes to on-board systems. Major investments in not only engineering, time, effort, and energy but ever larger dollars as well. I’ll plead ignorance on exactly what it takes, but having been around motorsports most of my life, I have a fairly good understanding of the level of effort to compete, regardless of how fast. And the faster you want to go, the more “zeroes” are involved…exponentially so.

Are the uber-deep pockets needed to build/rebuild that level of the UNL Gold class no longer interested or have no interest in joining? Yes, I understand that if it was “your” money how interested would you be in spending those hundreds of thousands (or millions) year after year to win prize money that may or may not even cover the cost of showing up. It’s not unlike the hundreds of volunteers who support the races every year…spending their precious vacation time and some serious coin solely for the love of the sport…just more numbers to the left of the decimal for the racers! There are numerous factors that contribute to that scenario. Not going to go down that rabbit hole except to say, I get it.

Here’s a question I’d like to throw out there:

If you had to bet an amount of money that made you very nervous, what do you think the UNL class will look like in say, 2023 (and yeah, I know…don’t go there):
a) A return to 3-5 highly modified racers challenging for Gold at 480+mph
b) A return to 1-2 highly modified racers who dominate the class and are certain to win Gold
c) Last two years where a few modified and stock racers compete at or below 420MPH
d) The class is now a “Demonstration” of a half-dozen or so stockers showcasing what the UNL class was in the past
e) Something other or in between

Hopefully this fosters some good discussion. That’s my intent.

[SpinB]

Re: THE FUTURE IS/OF UNLIMITED? WHAT'S IT LOOK LIKE? THOUGHTS?

When a 'stock' Bearcat sells for $4milUS, or a 'stock D-model P-51 is $2 to 3milUS, I really don't think modified Unlimiteds have much of a future. Even though many of the airframes are, basically, just a number plate with a plane built around it, they command crazy money. To be honest, I'm thinking you'd need to have 'Bezos-class' money to give it a go! That being said, I whole-heartedly support the 'grass-roots' build-up of a race airframe. Admittedly, if you had 'Tiger-class' money, a half-million would buy a Yak-3U airplane to modify the buhjeebies out of and race it! Then, the near insurmountable search for a Gold-Class Crew Chief and stout-hearted Ground Crew steps up to slap you in the face! Two of the World Beating, Multi-Gold Winning Stars that immediately come to mind have...flown west! I realize there are many candidates that might just be up to the task, but, I have observed a lot more bluster than bravado... Bronze or Silver, NO...Go Gold or go home! jussayin'

I do hold out a sliver of hope, but, the days of the 'Giants' have passed into oblivion...IMHO

As each year passes, I truly believe the future of AirRacing has the Sport-Class as its pinnacle.

[SpinB]

Re: THE FUTURE IS/OF UNLIMITED? WHAT'S IT LOOK LIKE? THOUGHTS?

Sorry, Owen...
I think b) may be most likely...

[Guest]

Re: THE FUTURE IS/OF UNLIMITED? WHAT'S IT LOOK LIKE? THOUGHTS?

Sorry, Owen...
I think b) may be most likely...

Oliver, good thoughts and exactly the kind of response I was looking for. Thank you for taking the time to craft a well-thoughtout response. Seems like that class of racing has several strikes against it at this time. It will be a challenge to overcome.

BTW, I note you're a planespotter. Have you heard of BigJetTV? I joined a few months back. They do great job of live-streaming for all around the world (or used to!). The guys is a very funny Brit and loves what he does. Check it out...unless of course you're already a member!

Wayne, apologies if the link is a no-no. Didn't see them as any competition but understand if it causes some heartburn.

[GRNDP51]

Re: THE FUTURE IS/OF UNLIMITED? WHAT'S IT LOOK LIKE? THOUGHTS?

Good post Owen, I'll add my thoughts. Firstly, the last 3-plane "Super Gold" was 2015. 2015 was actually a really cool year with a competitive Bear winning it's first race in years.

I think there are a few things to look at here. First, there is still interest in Unlimited racing. And I mean that as a whole. There are still at least a half dozen 450+ planes out there that are capable of winning Gold that have not been converted to stock, with more on the way (those being Tsunami, Redding race Yak, etc.) I also think there is interest in racing/fielding stock warbirds and I have ZERO issues with that. I don't think anyone was complaining to see Joe Thibodeau return in 2018. They were stockers, but it's a sign that people still want to come race warbirds.

I think the future without ANY extra prize money is a pretty simple one... Until Reno is dead and gone, Dreadnought will always be there and that is currently setting the standard. We have ONE plane that is actively trying to beat Dreadnought. And we have Dusty's Yak which might be the next one to go for that goal. There will ALWAYS be planes racing that will try to catch Dreadnought, whether they be Sawbones that has maybe one or two small mods a year, or Miss A that comes with RRIII parts and a hot Shanholtzer engine. I am HOPING that this sort of mentality will sort of restart that drive to make faster Unlimiteds with more modern/safer technology. Do I see anyone making another Dago Red? No. BUT, I do see the potential for RRIII clones, the way that Miss A is somewhat headed. And if you were there for RRIII's Gold run, you will not have a problem with a few Super Stockers on the course in place of Strega, Voodoo, Dago, etc... The only thing with these is yes your Mustang is still a daily driver, but if you want it to be a Super Stocker it needs a hot engine $$$

Personally, I think Yak's might be the future of Reno. They're cheap and pretty fast. Dusty has been trying to bring more and more to race. I can also see these taking on the role of RRIII Super Stockers and maybe even seeing some Allison race prep move forward more than it has in the past. I think the Allison powered Yak has some untapped potential that can make for a plane faster than Czech Mate.

A full field of 25-30 Unlimiteds with Dreadnought as top qualifier is some INSANELY competitive racing I think we would all like to see. I don't have a problem with that.

Back to the 500+ planes. There is no reason for any owner to bring their Unlimited to Reno right now. It's a waste of money and for what gain? Proving you are faster than Dreadnought is a waste of money. Now bring back Bear, Tiger might wanna show up, and Voodoo might be next. Then there's something to race for once again.

Then there is Tsunami. I have every part of my body crossed that Tsunami gets finished because that is really what the Unlimited class needs to get the 500+ guys back if there is ZERO money added to the purse - competition. The class has never been about the money because these guys were there to prove their plane was the fastest. It's a lot different now.

To your multiple choice question, it all depends. There needs to be one spark to start the fire and if nobody brings a fast Unlimited to Reno, nobody else is going to either. There lies the key questions... Will RARA ever produce a purse that generates a profit or even breakeven for the winner of Unlimited Gold? Will Bear return to race? Will Furias? Is PM really finished for good? When will Tsunami be done? The Redding Yak? Everything is in limbo, but all it takes is one spark to see what the class is going to become.

[Guest]

Re: THE FUTURE IS/OF UNLIMITED? WHAT'S IT LOOK LIKE? THOUGHTS?

Good post Owen, I'll add my thoughts. Firstly, the last 3-plane "Super Gold" was 2015. 2015 was actually a really cool year with a competitive Bear winning it's first race in years.

I think there are a few things to look at here. First, there is still interest in Unlimited racing. And I mean that as a whole. There are still at least a half dozen 450+ planes out there that are capable of winning Gold that have not been converted to stock, with more on the way (those being Tsunami, Redding race Yak, etc.) I also think there is interest in racing/fielding stock warbirds and I have ZERO issues with that. I don't think anyone was complaining to see Joe Thibodeau return in 2018. They were stockers, but it's a sign that people still want to come race warbirds.

I think the future without ANY extra prize money is a pretty simple one... Until Reno is dead and gone, Dreadnought will always be there and that is currently setting the standard. We have ONE plane that is actively trying to beat Dreadnought. And we have Dusty's Yak which might be the next one to go for that goal. There will ALWAYS be planes racing that will try to catch Dreadnought, whether they be Sawbones that has maybe one or two small mods a year, or Miss A that comes with RRIII parts and a hot Shanholtzer engine. I am HOPING that this sort of mentality will sort of restart that drive to make faster Unlimiteds with more modern/safer technology. Do I see anyone making another Dago Red? No. BUT, I do see the potential for RRIII clones, the way that Miss A is somewhat headed. And if you were there for RRIII's Gold run, you will not have a problem with a few Super Stockers on the course in place of Strega, Voodoo, Dago, etc... The only thing with these is yes your Mustang is still a daily driver, but if you want it to be a Super Stocker it needs a hot engine $$$

Personally, I think Yak's might be the future of Reno. They're cheap and pretty fast. Dusty has been trying to bring more and more to race. I can also see these taking on the role of RRIII Super Stockers and maybe even seeing some Allison race prep move forward more than it has in the past. I think the Allison powered Yak has some untapped potential that can make for a plane faster than Czech Mate.

A full field of 25-30 Unlimiteds with Dreadnought as top qualifier is some INSANELY competitive racing I think we would all like to see. I don't have a problem with that.

Back to the 500+ planes. There is no reason for any owner to bring their Unlimited to Reno right now. It's a waste of money and for what gain? Proving you are faster than Dreadnought is a waste of money. Now bring back Bear, Tiger might wanna show up, and Voodoo might be next. Then there's something to race for once again.

Then there is Tsunami. I have every part of my body crossed that Tsunami gets finished because that is really what the Unlimited class needs to get the 500+ guys back if there is ZERO money added to the purse - competition. The class has never been about the money because these guys were there to prove their plane was the fastest. It's a lot different now.

To your multiple choice question, it all depends. There needs to be one spark to start the fire and if nobody brings a fast Unlimited to Reno, nobody else is going to either. There lies the key questions... Will RARA ever produce a purse that generates a profit or even breakeven for the winner of Unlimited Gold? Will Bear return to race? Will Furias? Is PM really finished for good? When will Tsunami be done? The Redding Yak? Everything is in limbo, but all it takes is one spark to see what the class is going to become.

Thanks, "McStinky!" Yes, 2015. Guess I was referring to at least three of them finishing the Gold Race. VooDoo was a DNF, but then again, that's all part of racing.

All good points about "The Dread" and their competition. Frankly, I'd be very happy to see some really competitive racing at that level. When you push man and machine...you get mayhem (and I mean that in a good way!).

Here's hoping those who have the resources and in the inclination are likewise inspired.

[RAD2LTR]

Re: THE FUTURE IS/OF UNLIMITED? WHAT'S IT LOOK LIKE? THOUGHTS?

I'm not sure the class is doomed just yet. There are a few people who have racers who are waiting to see what happens with the class. There are others who are willing to spend a small fortune to ship their plane halfway around the world to run, without any real sponsorship to help cover the costs. Still others are taking their mostly stock looking aircraft and making them go faster than some of the big engined heavy metal. I agree with the Yaks potentially being the future since they are still under $1M (some for half that or less)

The bigger issue that I see is pilot/owner age. There are no young guys stepping up to fill the shoes of the current older pilots/owners. Have there been a few younger guys who have raced in recent years? Sure, but not many. Some of the IF1 and Sport pilots need to find their way into the Unlimiteds. Philip Goforth wanted to race Czech Mate this year, but apparently that was a non starter since the owner isn't interested in racing the plane (But would love to sell it to someone. Tiger and Sherm were really pushing to get a current Yak owner to buy it last year.) We have seen a start to the changing of the guard with Joel winning in Dreadnought a couple years ago. Stevo, Jay, are both fantastic behind the stick. Bernie Vasquez flew the heck out of the P-40 and John Muszala looked really good in Shanty Irish. I'd bet Bernie and John would jump at the chance to race again, they just need a plane and financial backing to make it happen. Stevo seems like he is enjoying not racing for now, and Jay might have been a simple one and done, been there, done that twice, don't need to do it again. I do know that John Bjornstad is really looking forward to climbing into the seat of Tsunami and riding the wave around the course. There are a few younger guys, but not nearly enough to fill the field.

I think a telling sign of the future will be what happens when Rare Bear comes back. With the Bear back, that gives Strega someone to race against. I'd bet we see Stevo in Strega again, and we have a pair of 480+ racers on the course once more. Tsunami will be along, the Redding Yak perhaps as well. We have Dago sitting in the hangar treading water, Furias is being poked at from time to time as well. There will always be a competition to be the fastest one around the course. With the Bear back on the board, there is someone to beat. (The question is, who will be at the stick of the Bear?)

In terms of finding crew chiefs, there are guys out there who can likely do the job pretty well as they learned from the best, and have lead a gallant effort to win in the past. Yes the sport has lost Dave Cornell and Kerch, they were two of the best. There are people who learned from both, who could perhaps be nearly as good if given the chance.

I can see the Super Stock racers being more common in the future. Miss A and Miss Van Nuys being two possible candidates . No, its not as simple as building a hot engine and dropping it in initially, but once the uprated cooling and ADI systems are in place, its a lot easier to do.

There are many factors that will dictate the future of the unlimited class. Money drives many of them, but money is out there. The trick is getting the $ interested in the sport and willing to go big or go home. The drive to win and compete is there, be it PSAM in the King Cobra out there turning laps and looking good doing it, or Strega, Voodoo, Rare Bear ect. There are guys who do it to push themselves, who don't really make a big deal about winning, as long as they go faster than they have in the past. That is what counts to them. Nope, they might not be contenders in a 490mph + race, but they will be out racing themselves.

Yes the class is in a state of flux, but its a sure thing it will die if we write the class off as dead before the guys who want to come out and push the limits are done doing so.

Will

[marada mx3]

Re: THE FUTURE IS/OF UNLIMITED? WHAT'S IT LOOK LIKE? THOUGHTS?

I'm not sure the class is doomed just yet. There are a few people who have racers who are waiting to see what happens with the class. There are others who are willing to spend a small fortune to ship their plane halfway around the world to run, without any real sponsorship to help cover the costs. Still others are taking their mostly stock looking aircraft and making them go faster than some of the big engined heavy metal. I agree with the Yaks potentially being the future since they are still under $1M (some for half that or less)

The bigger issue that I see is pilot/owner age. There are no young guys stepping up to fill the shoes of the current older pilots/owners. Have there been a few younger guys who have raced in recent years? Sure, but not many. Some of the IF1 and Sport pilots need to find their way into the Unlimiteds. Philip Goforth wanted to race Czech Mate this year, but apparently that was a non starter since the owner isn't interested in racing the plane (But would love to sell it to someone. Tiger and Sherm were really pushing to get a current Yak owner to buy it last year.) We have seen a start to the changing of the guard with Joel winning in Dreadnought a couple years ago. Stevo, Jay, are both fantastic behind the stick. Bernie Vasquez flew the heck out of the P-40 and John Muszala looked really good in Shanty Irish. I'd bet Bernie and John would jump at the chance to race again, they just need a plane and financial backing to make it happen. Stevo seems like he is enjoying not racing for now, and Jay might have been a simple one and done, been there, done that twice, don't need to do it again. I do know that John Bjornstad is really looking forward to climbing into the seat of Tsunami and riding the wave around the course. There are a few younger guys, but not nearly enough to fill the field.

I think a telling sign of the future will be what happens when Rare Bear comes back. With the Bear back, that gives Strega someone to race against. I'd bet we see Stevo in Strega again, and we have a pair of 480+ racers on the course once more. Tsunami will be along, the Redding Yak perhaps as well. We have Dago sitting in the hangar treading water, Furias is being poked at from time to time as well. There will always be a competition to be the fastest one around the course. With the Bear back on the board, there is someone to beat. (The question is, who will be at the stick of the Bear?)

In terms of finding crew chiefs, there are guys out there who can likely do the job pretty well as they learned from the best, and have lead a gallant effort to win in the past. Yes the sport has lost Dave Cornell and Kerch, they were two of the best. There are people who learned from both, who could perhaps be nearly as good if given the chance.

I can see the Super Stock racers being more common in the future. Miss A and Miss Van Nuys being two possible candidates . No, its not as simple as building a hot engine and dropping it in initially, but once the uprated cooling and ADI systems are in place, its a lot easier to do.

There are many factors that will dictate the future of the unlimited class. Money drives many of them, but money is out there. The trick is getting the $ interested in the sport and willing to go big or go home. The drive to win and compete is there, be it PSAM in the King Cobra out there turning laps and looking good doing it, or Strega, Voodoo, Rare Bear ect. There are guys who do it to push themselves, who don't really make a big deal about winning, as long as they go faster than they have in the past. That is what counts to them. Nope, they might not be contenders in a 490mph + race, but they will be out racing themselves.

Yes the class is in a state of flux, but its a sure thing it will die if we write the class off as dead before the guys who want to come out and push the limits are done doing so.

Will

Was wondering why CzechMate has not been seen in recent years. Was/Is it a case of as soon as Smoot hung up the helmet, the owner parked it? CzechMate seemed to be like Dreadnought, always lurking and just waiting for her chance. Really thought CM could have been a multi-time Reno winner, especially with no super Stangs, Bear, or Sep Fury in attendance. Is CM worth more returned to stock? What gives? What's the story?

Why would Stu Dawson not be flying the Bear? Another back story that is being kept secret?

What about Miss Merced? Haven't heard anything lately but there were rumblings several months ago.

I'm hopeful the unlimiteds will survive and are just currently in the trough of the wave. There are still enough good, quality, fast planes around to make a resurgence happen. 2023 did you say?

[RAD2LTR]

Re: THE FUTURE IS/OF UNLIMITED? WHAT'S IT LOOK LIKE? THOUGHTS?

Was wondering why CzechMate has not been seen in recent years. Was/Is it a case of as soon as Smoot hung up the helmet, the owner parked it? CzechMate seemed to be like Dreadnought, always lurking and just waiting for her chance. Really thought CM could have been a multi-time Reno winner, especially with no super Stangs, Bear, or Sep Fury in attendance. Is CM worth more returned to stock? What gives? What's the story?

Why would Stu Dawson not be flying the Bear? Another back story that is being kept secret?

What about Miss Merced? Haven't heard anything lately but there were rumblings several months ago.

I'm hopeful the unlimiteds will survive and are just currently in the trough of the wave. There are still enough good, quality, fast planes around to make a resurgence happen. 2023 did you say?

I think the owner got miffed with RARA not showing any enthusiasm of the plane racing. There was some talk of him feeling the plane was disrespected. That really turned him off from racing. Jay raced it last (2016 I think.) I agree, it would be a shoo in winner these days.

Stu has apparently retired from racing, or at least that was the word on the street awhile back.

Miss Merced hasn't raced in years. The owner also owns Furias, and does race T6s, but didn't race last year for some reason. I don't know why he doesn't run Miss Merced.

Will

[CubersWrist]

Re: THE FUTURE IS/OF UNLIMITED? WHAT'S IT LOOK LIKE? THOUGHTS?

I suspect the class continues in its current state until they make a significant change to the class rules.

I've talked about this here before but for a class that is dominated by nostalgia, it really needs something new. New blood, new planes, new powerplants etc. I think you need to be open to any/all of them.

Looking for more Yaks is a good idea because they aren't true "warbirds" and you can cut them up and modify them and people don't care and the value drop isn't as bad. Same logic is applied to why I think the class should allow slower planes like Tucanos, T-28s, etc.

Tsunami is a very hopeful project. And another project is the Royal Horse Composite Spitfire project.

https://www.royalhorseaviation.com/spitfire-specs

[Guest]

Re: THE FUTURE IS/OF UNLIMITED? WHAT'S IT LOOK LIKE? THOUGHTS?

Looks like the general consensus of opinion so far is unless and until one or two of the fast-movers decide to return (a somewhat tall order), the UNL class will remain as it is with the potential of adding a few airframes to push Race 8 a bit harder.

Lots of "if only" and "what if" scenarios out there and I did not mean to imply the UNL class was DOA by any means. I love competitive racing regardless of the class or speed. Hell, I spent years photographing yacht racing PNW and have done so here in SoCal. Not exactly breakneck speeds, but intense and exciting nonetheless.

If it turns out that by 2023, we're running 15-20 UNL with speeds in the 430mph range and the outcome is in doubt until late Sunday PM, I'm good with that!

So basically, the answer so far seems to be "e) Something other or in between." Works.

[Guest]

Re: THE FUTURE IS/OF UNLIMITED? WHAT'S IT LOOK LIKE? THOUGHTS?

I suspect the class continues in its current state until they make a significant change to the class rules.

I've talked about this here before but for a class that is dominated by nostalgia, it really needs something new. New blood, new planes, new powerplants etc. I think you need to be open to any/all of them.

Looking for more Yaks is a good idea because they aren't true "warbirds" and you can cut them up and modify them and people don't care and the value drop isn't as bad. Same logic is applied to why I think the class should allow slower planes like Tucanos, T-28s, etc.

Tsunami is a very hopeful project. And another project is the Royal Horse Composite Spitfire project.
https://www.royalhorseaviation.com/spitfire-specs

Thomas,
Yes I recall those post from you in the past and I'd tend to agree with you. A broadening of the class rules would expand the reach of the class and certainly enhance the number or participants. Hopefully the class will entertain all those options.

[RAD2LTR]

Re: THE FUTURE IS/OF UNLIMITED? WHAT'S IT LOOK LIKE? THOUGHTS?

I suspect the class continues in its current state until they make a significant change to the class rules.

I've talked about this here before but for a class that is dominated by nostalgia, it really needs something new. New blood, new planes, new powerplants etc. I think you need to be open to any/all of them.

Looking for more Yaks is a good idea because they aren't true "warbirds" and you can cut them up and modify them and people don't care and the value drop isn't as bad. Same logic is applied to why I think the class should allow slower planes like Tucanos, T-28s, etc.

Tsunami is a very hopeful project. And another project is the Royal Horse Composite Spitfire project.
https://www.royalhorseaviation.com/spitfire-specs

Anything with a turbine goes in the jet class. Simple as that. That said, the Composite Spitfire is interesting, and creative, but as soon as it gets to turbine power, all interest is lost from me (and I'm sure plenty of others.)

Yaks are true warbirds, they did serve in ww2, and were the main fighter for many different air forces around the world. That said, they are lower cost, and the Yak 11s were trainers rather than fighters. They are also largely a tube frame design that would lend itself to modification easier than a P-51.

Do I think the rules should be given some leeway to allow for more experimental designs such as Tsunami, Shockwave, and The Cornell racer? Absolutely. But they have to retain a reciprocating engine. Would I mind seeing the minimum qualifying speed lowered so T28s can race? Nope, it would make the bronze race a pretty good battle, like a T6 race.


There were a lot of years where the top speed was less than 470 mph. Going 500 mph doesn't make the race, its amazing to see, but it doesn't usually make for that great of racing because its usually two planes WAY off the front and everyone else trying to stay out of the way. If there are 5 or 6 planes all going hard at 450, that is a good race to me.

Will

[planecrazy2]

Re: THE FUTURE IS/OF UNLIMITED? WHAT'S IT LOOK LIKE? THOUGHTS?

The super unlimited class has shriveled and all but died because of the low purse money, the insane cost to field a competitive plane and attrition of both aged owners and hardware. I do suspect that for as long as owners can afford the insurance, there will be a few warbirds in a legacy type warbird “race” between 380 and 420mph. at the NCAR.

Is more purse money on the horizon? No. Now more than ever, no. After all this time we must face the fact that no “game changing” sponsor is going to write a check to boost the prize money.

Except for the Buick, race 7, and arguably Miss A (although she is a long way from a 475 lap), and with VooDoo and CM both semi-retired from racing, there are no more Super Unlimited aircraft flying. Note that list does not include a very asleep and hibernating Bear.

And I don’t mean to diminish the value of having projects like the Bear, Furias, Race 4, Tsunami, and various mystery Yaks out there. But until they are flying and racing, they don’t count for much except as a big bag of potential. There comes a time in every poker game that the participants agree to fold the game because there are not enough players to sustain proper game play. I think the super unlimited class has folded it’s unsustainable game.


At the end of the day, the romance and adventure of flying has diminished for the general public, the magic and mystery of flight has been quantified and packaged within your Boeing product experience. Can live air racing somehow draw a fan base to it so we can sustain air racing as the current fan base ages and fly West? Can air racing be “mainstreamed” so it can somehow be monetized? Are the Super Sport class airframes the real future of unlimited air racing? Should turbine powerplants be allowed for reliability and safety factors? And what do we fans want out of air racing now? Our current racecourses are already maxed out as far as the max speeds as evidenced by the Jet class, so I think we need to witness the competitive evolution of the super sport class to the 500mph mark. That would be fun. And then there is the not so distant future, what will the NCAR be like in 2050? Electric powerplants and the end of the competitive I.C. engine? My bet is there will not be any WWII warbirds bending the pylons at the 2050 NCAR.

[Guest]

Re: THE FUTURE IS/OF UNLIMITED? WHAT'S IT LOOK LIKE? THOUGHTS?

Good, honest discussion.

I tend to agree with the thought that if I had to choose between an UNL Sunday Gold race with (i) 4-6 A/C capable of posting 430-450MPH laps or (ii) 1-2 A/C capable of posting 485+MPH laps and everybody else running a distant 2nd on back after two laps, I'd take (i) in a heartbeat.

And that was the gist of my original question. Do any of us think we will/can/may/have a remote possibility of, returning to the days of option "(a)" below. And so far, it appears the answer to that is a qualified no. Like to hear from others as well, especially those who have been around Reno since gas was $0.25/Gal.

And it also appears most folks opining here believe that's OK as long as we have something akin to "(i)" above. As with all things in life and motorsports it boils down to how deep your pockets are and how deep your interest is in setting the bar higher. It's a little like the age-old adage, "I've got the money but no time, or I've got the time but no money."

I am convinced much of this goes back to the generational divide. Vast majority of folks born during or after the 1970's or early 80's just do not have the level of interest in motorsports. True across the board. Reno is not unlike the H1 Unlimited Hydroplane Series (no coincidence there, BTW), in that not only are the machines aging, the folks who have the KSA’s to work on them as well as those who call themselves race fans, are getting pretty long in the tooth. People just don't (can’t) work on their cars like those born in 40's-60's and have no idea what it takes to make an engine tick. Heck, many of those born in 90's & 20's don't even own a car...at least not one that burns dinosaur DNA. And an even smaller percentage may have the slightest grasp of what it takes to get a Cessna off the ground. If you mention the concept of "Lift" to them, they go straight to Victoria Secret, not that Velocity Squared thingy.

I am hopeful that we can keep this thing going in a competitive fashion for years to come. It’s likely it won’t look like it did 5, 10, or 15 years ago ago. But I’d wager if you asked some of the old timers in 1995 what Reno would look like in 2020, they’d have been off the mark.

As Dennis Miller says, “Of course, that’s just my opinion. I could be wrong.”